Island Cruising Association - 2010 Cruise the Gulf Rally

Departs Islington Bay - Rangitoto Island:- 23rd January 2010

Leading on from last year's “Cruise Northland Rally”, this rally takes in all the great spots in the Hauraki Gulf, including the Mercury, Great Barrier, and Kawau Islands, then finishes back in Auckland.

This rally is a great opportunity for visiting boats to get a taste of New Zealand cruising and a good shakedown cruise for New Zealand boats heading off in May for the Pacific. It’s also a good place to get information not only from Lyn and I but from other cruisers as well.

For the last two years we have run the “Cruise Northland Rally”, finishing in Opua. This year we thought we would show off the Hauraki Gulf and include some of both sides of the Coromandel.

Here is a preliminary schedule for the rally.

The rally will start with Muster at Islington Bay (Rangitoto Island) on Saturday the 23rd of January and finish on Friday the 12th of February 2010 with the following preliminary route planned:

• Saturday 23rd Jan:- Start - Islington Bay, Rangitoto. Muster at 10:00 and a walk to the top after lunch. BBQ on the beach in the evening.
• Sunday 24th Jan:- Waiheki Island, lunch at Oneroa then onto the bottom end or if the winds from the North, down the inside of Waiheki.
• Monday 25th Jan:- Climb to Stony Batter for a bit of history in the morning, then sail to Tecoma in the afternoon.
• Tuesday 26th Jan:- Cruise up the Coromandel Coast, then over to Whangaparapara on Great Barrier. Afternoon tea at the Whangaparapara Lodge.
• Wednesday 27th Jan:- Lay day at Great Barrier
• Thursday 28th Jan:- Great Mercury Cove. plus one day to explore the
  Mercuries.
• Saturday 30th Jan:- Whitianga, time for some retail therapy and a meal.
• Sunday 31st Jan:- Lay day at Whitianga.
• Monday 1st Feb:- Kennedy Bay on the Coromandel's East coast.
• Tuesday 2nd Feb:- Arid Island on the East side of the Barrier.
• Wednesday 3rd Feb:- Time to do some diving, fishing or exploring.
• Thursday 4th Feb:- Over the top of Great Barrier Island to Nagels Cove on the west side.
• Friday 5th Feb:- Fitzroy. There’s lots to do here and some great walks.
• Sunday 7th Feb :- Smokehouse Bay, Barrier. Still in the Fitzroy area with plenty of time during the day for diving, fishing, walks etc. then a BBQ on the beach.
• Monday 8th Feb:- Kawau, North Cove.
• Tuesday 9th Feb:- Mansion House and Bon Accord then dinner at the Kawau Is Yacht Club.
• Wednesday 10th Feb:- Mahurangi Harbour and a dinghy ride up to Warkworth for provisions and a bite of lunch.
• Thursday 11th Feb:- Tiri, a walk up to the light house, then on to Rakino.
• Friday 12th Feb:- Motuahi and then home.

 

Now that's what I call a summer cruise. Program is entirely dependant on weather. For a full ICA Rally Program Click HERE For the Rally Entry form Click HERE
For more info visit www.islandcruising.co.nz