Commodore
November 6, 2024

Thursday 7 November – Whangaroa Bay

We picked up the anchor and headed north to our desired destination, Whangaroa. Amazing scenery along the way, we were amazed to see the start of timber farms again. We also passed the beach with the memorial to Rainbow Warrior, I had a vague recollection of the story, but had totally forgotten the whole saga! ……………………………’The sinking of Rainbow Warrior, codenamed Opération Satanique, was an act of French state-sponsored terrorism. Described as a “covert operation” by the “action” branch of the French foreign intelligence agency, the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE), the terrorist attack was carried out on 10 July 1985. During the operation operatives (both French citizens) sank the flagship of the Greenpeace fleet, Rainbow Warrior, at the Port of Auckland on her way to a protest against a planned French nuclear test in Moruroa. Fernando Pereira, a photographer, drowned on the sinking ship. The sinking was a cause of embarrassment to France and President François Mitterrand. They initially denied responsibility, but two French agents were captured by New Zealand Police and charged with arson, conspiracy to commit arson, wilful damage, and murder. It resulted in a scandal that led to the resignation of the French Defence Minister Charles Hernu, while the two agents pleaded guilty to manslaughter and were sentenced to ten years in prison. Despite being sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, due to pressures from the French state they spent merely two years confined to the Polynesian island of Hao before being freed by the French government. France was also forced to apologise and had to pay reparations to New Zealand, Pereira’s family and Greenpeace.’ ………………….wow!!

The entrance to the Whangaroa bay is really narrow and then goes into this incredible bay, that branches off into loads of different directions. We headed to the town, we tried to call the marina but got no response so we anchored outside the mooring field. It was beautifully calm and an easy dinghy ride into the marina. Sadly the marina office was closed opening at 4pm and everything else was shut. I was desperate to get rid of rubbish as the little we had was beginning to smell, we managed to get rid of all the recyclables and rubbish. Sadly the only cafe, which had a great reputation as a fish restaurant was closed, and the only shop had obviously been closed since Covid. All a little sad and run down. We went for a little walk but decided it was such a ghost town we would leave.

We headed back towards the entrance and went down one of the arms of the bay Rowan had read about. It was absolutely stunning scenery and we had the place to ourselves. We anchored and marvelled at this wonderfully remote stunning anchorage;

Leaving Motukawanui island behind

The pine timber starts again

The Rainbow Warrior boat was scuttled somewhere here

We tucked up here into this bay

The narrow entrance into the bay/lagoon

The convoluted coastline of the bay, the structure on the left is a WW2 lookout

It is like a fjord, dramatic rock formations

Navigating our way into Whangaroa town

For South Africans this looks a bit like Paarl rock!

The town marina we anchored nearby

Lovely old boat, with the timber landscape behind

Finding our sheltered anchorage down one of the bays

These rock protrusions are so dramatic, you can see at the bottom the sea is slowly eroding them

Looking back at the tiny entrance to this enormous bay

We walked around Whangaroa town and came across this sea farm, we are not sure whether it is mussels, oysters or fish of some sort, but a massive operation in these shallow waters