Out to launch

With a bit of planning, a family day out on the Hauraki Gulf can be rewarding, as PETER ELEY writes.

There's nothing, absolute nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats," says Ratty in The Wind in the Willows.

And there can't be many better places in the world for messing about in them than the Hauraki Gulf.

While much of it is the preserve of larger yachts and launches, there are lots of day trips for families with trailer boats.

What they need are sheltered waters, idyllic coves for picnics, sandy beaches for swimming and snorkelling, good fishing spots, and perhaps a friendly dolphin or two.

Kawau Bay has all of this and the boat ramp is an easy 90-minute drive towing a boat from central Auckland. Beware the trip back on Sunday afternoons and public holidays, though, when SH1 can slow to a crawl from Puhoi to Orewa.

Kawau Island is a ruggedly beautiful island that wouldn't be out of place in the Mediterranean. Vineyards, citrus orchards and olive groves dot the surrounding areas.

The Tawharanui Peninsula to the north and the Mahurangi Heads to the south fold their arms protectively around the island. Splitting it almost in two is the 3km long fiord-like Bon Accord Harbour, which looks back 10km to Sandspit, the gateway to the bay. The harbour's steep, wooded sides keep its waters calm in most winds apart from strong westerlies. Over the Christmas break it gets a bit like Queen St on Friday night, when hundreds of yachts and launches moor in its sheltered waters.

Launching from Sandspit's ramp is straightforward, although you have to use the beach to the right of the ramp at low tide. The sand is packed hard, but front-wheel-drive cars with a heavy boat on the back might struggle.

Parking isn't so easy, especially at the weekend, and it pays to get there before 10 am. There's an $8 charge.

Okay, you're in the water, the bung's in and you know the motor's going to start because you warmed it up before you left home, didn't you?

Let's assume your boat is 5.5m and you carry all the right safety gear, especially lifejackets and a VHF radio. You've also told someone where you're going and what time you'll be back.

The trip from Sandspit around Kawau and out to Flat Rock, weather and sea conditions permitting, will be about 60km, so take plenty of fuel. Remember, a typical two-stroke outboard uses 35 litres an hour running flat out.

You also checked the marine forecast, which promised 5-10 knot variable winds with afternoon sea breezes. This shouldn't be a problem, although watch out for wind against tide effects, particularly in North Channel between the island and Tawharanui. I got caught there heading back to Omaha when a spring tide was running out against a 15-knot south easterly.

I knew it was time to turn around and use the friendlier South Channel when my springer spaniel Molly was sea sick all over my feet.

You want to see as much of the island as possible and it will be a good idea to get round and back into sheltered waters before the afternoon sea breeze kicks in. It wouldn't be a safety problem, but could make for an uncomfortable ride for the family, who won't be so keen to go out next time.

Lack of attention to such details is why many trailer boats spend most of their time sitting expensively in their owners' backyards.

Coming out of Sandspit we'll head across to Vivian Bay. It's worth anchoring here and perhaps have a walk to look at its lovely homes.

Then it's back up North Channel, and past the marker beacons for Maori Rock and the Fairchild Reef. Kawau Bay is littered with rocks and reefs, but they are well marked. Even so, a chart is essential and should be consulted frequently.

It's worth a detour to the left here to look at Elephant Rock - you'll quickly work out why it earned that name - and perhaps a look at the rugged Tokatu Pt, although this exposed headland commands respect. Don't venture too close to the shore in this area as there are lots of rocks.

Now we'll turn south and head past Kawau's stark seaward cliffs out to Flat Rock, a reef system about 5km off the island's southern point. Part of the reef is exposed and is marked by a light that sits on the flat rock giving the area its name. It's a rugged spot and attracts schools of baitfish, which in turn attract larger fish and flocks of seabirds such as gannets and shearwaters.

While a family day out shouldn't be an excuse for a full-on fishing trip, keeping a couple of rods set up is a good idea. If you do see birds feeding on the surface, try jigging in the immediate area and you might catch a kahawai, trevally, snapper or even a kingfish.

Last time out, we caught a 3kg trevally. Excellent sushi and it had the bonus of a shiny, near-new jig attached to its top lip, a souvenir of a former encounter.

Flat Rock often attracts dolphins, and we've twice seen whales when out fishing a little further south towards Tiri. Their waterspouts are eerie close up and you don't appreciate just how big a whale is until it's looked you in the eye. Both times we held our nerve for a minute or so, then turned and fled to a safer viewing point.

From Flat Rock we'll head for the southern point of Kawau and Burgess Bay, a small sandy cove. It's worth getting out here for a swim and a snorkel. We saw an octopus, lots of reef fish and a paua here on our last visit. We had visions of paua fritters and went to get a knife but couldn't find it again.

The next leg of our day out takes us past the southern shoreline of Kawau, and through the Rosario Channel between Beehive Island and Elizabeth Pt.

Keep an eye on the hills here. It's wallaby country and you might just spot one of these Aussie invaders. They have thrived here since being introduced in the 19th century, and a species thought to be extinct in Australia was discovered here.

About 1500m past Elizabeth Pt is a disused copper mine marked by a crumbling smelting chimney. Green stains show that traces of copper ore still remain. We usually pull up and watch other visitors clambering around. One day we'll have a look ourselves.

It's getting close to lunch and the ideal picnic spot is just around the corner in the sheltered waters of Bon Accord Harbour. Mansion House sits near its entrance and was the rather grand holiday home of Governor Sir George Grey.

Note that the wharf is reserved for ferries. Boaties can unload passengers and gear here, but must moor off the beach.

The house reeks of history, and admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children. It opens from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm daily. Weka and peacocks roam the grounds, rosellas fly between the trees and there are wallabies in an enclosure.

It's easy to let your mind wander back to the splendour of the home's heyday in the 1870s. Sir George Grey lived there and exotic shrubs and trees from Australia, India, South America, England and South Africa grew alongside the native pohutukawa and kauri in 7ha of lavish gardens.

The house passed into private hands and spent almost 70 ignominious years as a guest house and pub before being restored in 1977.

There are some remnants of Grey's glorious folly - a Moreton Bay fig, Chilean wine palms, and the giant bird of paradise flower can still be seen.

Lying back on the clipped lawn and letting the afternoon pass by is tempting, but Pah Farm down the harbour is worth a visit. You can tie up at the wharf here and stroll to the restaurant and bar for a late afternoon drink or an early dinner. Don't forget to visit the snapper breeding programme, which helps replenish stocks in the Hauraki Gulf.

Check your diary, though. Pah Farm is the venue for the Furuno fishing tournament and becomes a sort of frontier town for three days each summer. They even issue their own currency and the thousands of anglers taking part seem to subsist on cans of beer and barbecued bangers.

That's about it for one day. All that's left is the trip home and the chores that come with trailer boating - flushing the motor, cleaning the boat, and perhaps preparing a fish or two for the smoker.

Mansion House

Kawau Island