Pipis and Cockles, Alive, Alive-O!
We have a little more than 2 weeks of cruising left before our flight back to the States on March 1st. Four of those days will be given over to boat clean-up and storing before our month-long absence. The rest will be spent in the Bay of Islands revisiting many of the wonderful anchoring spots we have enjoyed in the past.
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Thursday, February 11th – We delay leaving Whangamumu Harbour until late morning in hopes of some good sailing wind out to and past Cape Brett. Clearing the harbor, we raise the main sail and continue along the coast. We can see the Cape Brett headlands in the distance.
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Winds are light and not being in any great hurry, we sail slowly towards the unmistakeable landmark that is called “Hole in the Rock” off Cape Brett.
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Sailing between the massive rock and the coast, we are rewarded with great shots of the Cape Brett Lighthouse and the red-roofed hikers’ hut available to those who make the long trek out there.
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We have officially entered the cruising area of the Bay of Islands and are amazed to see so many boats out on the water on a weekday afternoon. But, then, we should not be surprised. It’s a beautiful, warm day in the height of the New Zealand boating season.
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We have been in touch with friends, Lyn and John Martin, who run Island Cruising Association. The plan for tonight is that they will anchor their boat Windflower near Avante in the bay off the little town of Russell, where dinner aboard Avante will be served. We have a lot of catching up to do and what better way to do that than a quiet dinner together? They are taking a rally up to Fiji in May, and while we will be leaving for Fiji in April, we are hoping to meet up with them in early June. When and where: to be determine.
Friday, February 12th – We motor into Opua the next morning where we drop anchor not far from the Customs dock. ICA has a courtesy car which we borrow for a quick trip to Paihia for groceries and a refill of our propane tank for cooking. Topped up with essentials, we weigh anchor for popular Roberton Island.
The Bay of Islands is familiar cruising territory for us, as we have explored many of its wonderful anchorages since our first arrival in New Zealand in 2010. Often Avante has been berthed in the Opua Marina during our trips back home. Returning here feels a bit like a homecoming, and we like that feeling. Previous blogs showcase the beauty of the area and our activities here, and though The First Mate loathes to be repetitive, this is such a special place she hopes no one will mind re-seeing the area through her eyes again.
In the late afternoon, we drop anchor nearby a large mega-yacht which makes Avante look like a play toy. The whirring buzz of a helicopter draws our eyes upwards as we watch it swoop in to land on the heli-pad atop the yacht. Lobsters flown in for dinner? The owner and guests arriving for the weekend? Later that evening, we hear the unmistakable grunts and bellows of a Maori cultural show coming from the boat. We now surmise the helicopter arrival was to bring in the entertainment. It’s a different life from ours for sure!
Saturday, February 13th – We hike up to the Pa (ancient Maori fortress) at the top of the island. Once again, we enjoy the view across the isthmus where Avante slowly swings at anchor. She’s the sailboat in the bay to the right.
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Onto Moturua Island in the late morning where we anchor in Mongahawea Bay with 6 other boats on this fine Saturday weekend afternoon. There’s a nice hike around the island where a high point gives us a striking view across the Bay of Islands to Cape Brett in the distance. We are so enjoying these daily hikes along wonderful, scenic trails, for, incomprehensible as it may sound, that is not often the case in our travails aboard Avante across this globe of ours.
Sunday, February 14th – The Bay of Islands is not very large, and distances between islands are not great. We can easily get from one end of the bay to the other in a couple of hours. We may make several stops in a day, but we rarely go more than 10 nautical miles. Most of the time, we either motor if it is into the wind or not enough wind or, if we can sail, we suffice with just letting out the jib since Avante sails quite nicely and happily that way. It is the many islands, the beautiful anchorages, the wonderful beaches, and the opportunity to hike that is the draw of the Bay of Islands for us, not necessarily the sailing.
At 0940, we raise anchor under overcast skies. Winds are up. We let out the jib and enjoy a very nice sail to Paradise Bay off Urupukapuka Island. For the first time in a long time, The Captain is forced to spend the rest of the day with his toolbox – troubleshooting issues with the water maker. We should not complain, however, for Avante has been giving us a problem-free ride for several months now. No matter how great a shape The Captain keeps her in, she is a boat after all, and boats are hardly ever trouble-free!
Monday, February 15th – We had been hoping to set out north to Whangaroa Harbour, but the weather forecast is just not in our favor. On the way, we would want to stop overnight in the Cavalli Islands, and you need settled weather for that. We decide to spend the day here and head ashore for a hike.
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This island abounds in well marked and interesting trails. Studying one of several strategically located maps of the island, we decide to hike around the northern side of the island along the east coast.
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We hike across land marked by old fences which separate pastures for the sheep that graze across the island. (If only they knew to appreciate such fine views!)
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The trail along the rugged east coast exposes us to the precipitous windward side of the island. Ancient Pas were built on such high points where the vertical rock walls protected these fortresses from enemy advances.
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Tuesday, February 16th – “Ahoy, Avante” we hear. We know so few people out here these days. Who can that be? It is Jan and Kevin Burnell on their s/v Extravagant. We have not seen them since we all sailed the 2011 ICA Rally to Tonga. What a great surprise! “Join us for coffee as soon as you anchor,” we tell them. Over coffee and Jan’s mother’s fruit cake recipe from WWII, we catch up on our various adventures.
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Living in the Bay of Islands, Jan and Kevin know the area and its anchorages well. Though today’s weather is not as bad as forecast, tomorrow’s calls for rain and wind gusting to 45 knots. Later that afternoon, Jan and Kevin suggest moving to Opunga Cove, a more protected anchorage. At 1610, both boats weigh anchor, and with the jib unfurled, we sail out. Rounding Motukauri Island, we sail into Manawaora Bay, turn on the engine, furl the jib and motor into Opunga Cove where we anchor with about 17 other boats all seeking shelter from the expected winds.
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Captain’s Log: “Jan and Kevin were right. It’s much calmer here. We join them on Extravagant for Sundowners.”
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“Would
we like to gather pipis tomorrow morning at low tide?” we are asked.
“What are pipis?” we ask. Pipis are a type of clam endemic to New
Zealand, and Kevin has a fantastic recipe from his mother for Pipi
Fritters which he would be happy to make for us. “Clamming” or
harvesting pipis is done at low tide by plunging one’s hands into the
muck and scooping up the shells. The First Mate, who as must be known
by now, thrives on the concept of living off the land is delighted.
“Sure!” she says not giving The Captain, who is less enthralled with
this idea of living off the land, a chance to reply.
Wednesday, February 16th – Shortly after 9:00 with the muddy beach exposed at low tide, we climb in our dinghies to motor across Manawaora Bay to the Pipi Beach at Orokawa Bay. It is a dreary, overcast day with rain threatening. We can see the turbulent waters roughed up by the wind, but in the shelter of our anchorage, we had no idea just how strong the winds were until we ventured out there. Quickly deciding against cutting straight across the bay, The Captain steers toward the nearest shore to follow the more sheltered curve of the land to the beach. Still, we are wet and chilled from spray and wind when we get to the beach.
Pipi Lesson #1: Dig your hand into the sand. You don’t have to go deep. Just rake your fingers through the mud. Pipis are plentiful, and if you are lucky, you will also scoop up a cockle or two. Cockles are another type of clam which Jan and Kevin claim are sweeter. They are also rarer to find.
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The more elongated shells are pipis. The other, which looks more like a classic clam shell as we know them, is a cockle.
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Pipi Lesson #2: This is the classic Pipi Hunter Pose. Gathered clams are then placed into a mesh bag which allows the sand to wash on out.
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The Captain, always on the lookout for The First Mate’s lurking camera, is having none of this Pipi Pose stuff!
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Back on Extravagant, Kevin steams open our clams, and we all take turns gently removing our treasures from their shells, savoring (ie: eating) a few as we work through the many clams we have harvested.
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What a feast we are going to have tonight on Avante! The orangey ones are pipis, and the smaller amount is the rarer cockles.
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We have harvested more than enough for the four of us so we invite two other couples to join us for cocktails on Avante. A variety of appetizers are brought to share, but Kevin’s fritters are the star of the show.
Pipis and Cockles, Alive, Alive-o!