Bay of Islands and Hole in the Rock

Russell is on the Bay of Islands. We had got a special deal on a trip to see the Hole in the Rock on Piercy Island, right out at Cape Brett.

Our ferry arrived at the Russell Wharf to pick us up.

As we moved further and further from the mainland, we appreciated why it is called the Bay of Islands.

And of course, for an island life style, one would need a boat.

There are apparently 144 islands in this bay. The one we were aiming for was Motukokako or Piercy Island, as it was named by Captain Cook.

As we came closer, we saw the hole.

We were supposed to go through, depending on the captains assessment of the conditions and he decided the swell wasn't ideal. Nobody objected, since there was only one meter clearance on either side.
We went around instead.

On the way back we were dropped of at Otehei Bay on the largest island, Uhurupukapuka.

We could see fish from the jetty.

Apparently the island used to be famous for big game fishing but now is a marine reserve and fishing is prohibited.
We went to the cafe for cappuccino and biscuit..

..before taking a walk along one of the trails where we got to see the hole in the tree.

We got back to camp just in time to make supper and look at photos. Another memorable day!