NZFF

I went with my family up to Goat Island today, about an hour and a halfs drive north of Auckland near Warkworth- brilliant sunny weather, picnic food and clear blue waters made it an ideal day trip.


We spent our time taking a ride around the 'protected marine reserve' on a glass bottomed boat and saw heaps of huge Snapper and Blue Maomao- which unfortuantly I didn't get any decent pics of 'cos they were moving too fast Later we went snorkeling and then for a walk around the bay where I took this photo:


And here a panarama version from the same spot.


I put a video of the boat going in a cave on Goat Island on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUv9L2RV_lc

Another cave nick named the Sharks Mouth:


Random rock pools:


Hen and Chicken islands:


'Queen Streen' Warkworth, not the one in downtown AKL


Cheers

Goat Island is a nice place eh? We stayed a couple of nights up there a few years ago.

Alex

should have taken your camera snorkelling

mm actuly looks quite nice man those rocks look like so much fun to climb

That water looks warm, is it? the second to last picture looks cold thow...

btw the panarama one looks prety good!

If I remember correctly Goat Island is where I did my first ocean scuba dive on my PADI course...
That was a few years ago and there were heaps of snapper and eagle rays...

Craig

should have taken your camera snorkelling

I did actually see a guy with an underwater camera there!

That water looks warm, is it? the second to last picture looks cold thow...

Yea the water was about 26 degrees I think, a really nice tempreture. That second to last picture was taken from the boat around the far side of Goat Island- we wern't swimming that far away from the beach.

heaps of snapper and eagle rays

Yea, we saw some huge snapper on the boat, and a few from the rocks. Apparently the rays were off in another direction, apparenty quite harmless (my ass! see steve irwin incident ), so we like many others just hung around at the eastern end of the bay with the maomao.

Howdy,

That shot of the Hen & Chicken's takes me back a few years. I used to sail that area of the Gulf any chance I could get (back in the early 1980s). Can almost taste the salt sea air again. Arrrr, my hearties!

Thanks for sharing, Trolly.

Matlo wrote: If I remember correctly Goat Island is where I did my first ocean scuba dive on my PADI course...
That was a few years ago and there were heaps of snapper and eagle rays...
Craig

Yep me too, don't get me started I can go on a bit.
Diving is the closest you'll ever get to flying, as an individual.
This includes all manner of airborne stuff, including falling out of aircraft.

A few years back the water became extremely turbid from all the visitors feeding the fish.
Now it's not permitted, and it's a diving paradise
One can rent an underwater camera quite reasonably from one of the Dive Centres too.

Awesome looking spot.

I plan to go snorkeling down Wgtn way when I get a holiday in a couple of weeks. Crays and Paua mmmm.....

Photo's show something I haven't seen in a while - Blue sky.

I spent a couple of days up in the Ruahines over New Years and had to wear full storm gear including gloves, gee I love Summer. We did see 4 deer though and it was still better than being at work.

Looks like a great part of the country, Shark mouth cave is interesting. Nice pics Trolly, well done.

Looks sweet Trolly, did you go into that cave?

is still good weather up there - I spent yesterday with the family up at my brother in laws place on Kawau Is - brilliant wx and the water nice and warm - a ray swam past the beach about 6 feet ( thats FEET ) from the shore and was about 4 ft across from tip to tip, the water was clear enough to see it easily.

great day