Sailing Far North New Zealand | E062
20 January 2026 · 7 min · 285 views · Whangaroa Harbour
Sailing past Duke's Nose with turquoise water and cliffs
What this video covers
Nicki and Mike depart the Bay of Islands aboard Zen Again, sailing northwest along the far northern New Zealand coast to Whangaroa Harbour and the town of Manganui.▶ 0:14 Whangaroa's entrance is narrow and conditions-dependent; in settled weather it presents no difficulty.▶ 0:48 The harbour offers multiple anchorages by wind direction — they first anchor on the east side at Ofatanga Bay, where a freshwater buoy charges NZ$10 via an honesty box, useful for boats without a watermaker.▶ 1:06 On the western side, the Duke's Nose is a strenuous hike requiring a metal bar assist near the summit; St Paul's Rock, also climbable, offers comparable views.▶ 1:46 Whangaroa Marina provides laundry and is described as reasonably priced.▶ 2:46 The crew spends Christmas Day motoring in rain and fog across the harbour to River Bay to join cruising friends.▶ 4:39 After more than a month in Whangaroa, they sail 18 nautical miles northwest to Manganui, anchored at a river mouth with good holding in all directions except north-northwest.▶ 5:33 A forecast north-northwest blow forces a two-hour beat back around the point to Whangaroa to wait out an approaching low-pressure system.▶ 6:14
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