Wet weekends are great for catching up with blogs posts which I should have got around to completing some time ago.
After eight years of putt-putting around parts of the coast of Northern New Zealand in our 10.5m launch “Agnes”, we made the decision earlier this year to become land lubbers again. Agnes was put on the market in May and sold much quicker than we had anticipated.
Was boat ownership worth the financial cost? Most certainly if you view it as an adventure rather than an investment which, at the time of purchase was our intention. I have heard many bemoan boat ownership as a hole into which you pour endless amounts of cash. We purchased Agnes new, it ran on the proverbial “smell of an oily rag” and we had adventures we never dreamed of and the odd (thankfully) experience you hoped were only nightmares.
Sure it sold for a lot less that it cost but we spent a lot of time on board visiting places others only dream of. Let’s face it travel does not generally happen free of charge.
We have purchased the tent ready for our next set of land based adventures.
The gallery below are just some of the memories we have of our time with Agnes.
Agnes under contruction at Logan Classic Boats
The maiden voyage for both Agnes and her skipper
Bon Accord Harbour Kawau Island
Moored off Motuora Island in the Hauraki Gulf
In Mahurangi Harbour – Hauraki Gulf
Motuora Island is being developed along the same lines as Tiritiri Matanga – a bird sanctuary
Sheltering from a storm at Mimiwhangata on the Tutukaka Coast
Cruising down the Northland Coast
The Saddlebacks on Tiri Island
The Bellbirds on Tiritiri Matangi
The Gannets kept me entertained ofr hours trying to capture one hitting the water during their suicidal dives
I managed to snap this one popping up to the surface with its catch
The kowhai in flower on Tiritri Matangi
The Tui & Kowhai
Cruising through the Coromandel Islands
Commuting Boating style – The trip into Coromandel town on high tide
The Sunsets – Mahurangi
The Sunsets – Bon Accorde
The Sunsets – Te kouma Bay Coromandel
The quirky – a sleepout on Rakino Island
The old copper mine on Kawau
Washing day on Great Barrier – Smokehouse Bay
The open air laundry at Smokehouse Bay
Mount Hobson from Whangaprara on Great Barrier – climbed it on Christmas Day
Going Bush on the Barrier
A settlers breakwater – Moturekareka Island – Hauraki Gulf
Lost (again) on Great Barrier
The dolphins playing around the boat
Solitude so close to the city
Motutapu Island – Hauraki Gulf
Te kouma Harbour Coromandel
Rangitoto Island Hauraki Gulf
An old Boatshed – Rangitoto Island
Candy colured lighthouse Rangitoto Island
Oke Bay – Bay of Islands
Oke Bay again
Otaio Bay Urupukapuk Island – Bay of Islands
Misty Morning Whangaroa Harbour
The unusual rock formations in Whangaroa Harbour
Whangaroa Harbour in the Far North of New Zealand, this became home for Agnes – she still lives there.
Adventures on the wrong side of 60 
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