Sailing Paradise Falls
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Sailing Paradise Falls
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Blogs & Videos
  • Gear we love
  • Destinations
  • Contact Us
  • Our Boat
  • Guest Info
  • Safety gear we love

Country #10 New Zealand

    Bay of Islands

    Arrival Oct 29, 2024

    Anchorage

    We anchored right outside the Omata Winery near Russel for great holding in about 10 feet of water. This is the perfect anchor spot as it is a 5-10min dingy ride to both Opua marina and Pahia ferry dock.

    Activities

    Several hikes including Waitangi to Haruru waterfalls and the Opua to Pahia track. We also enjoyed the Omata Winery several times. Give them a call and they will pick you up in a van from the ferry dock. Don't miss the Waitangi Treaty Grounds to gain a better understanding of the Maori culture. 

    Shopping

    Several grocery stores located on Noforeignland. I preferred the Pahia dock and walk to Woolworth's or the nearby Four Square. If you have a car, a short ride to Kerikeri has bigger stores such as The Warehouse, Mitre 10, Bunnings, Briscoes and Woolworths. 

    Whangarei

    November 16, 2024 - May 1, 2025

    Marina / Mooring

    Paradise Falls was docked at the Whangarei Marina at the Town Basin for four months. This location is perfect right in the middle of town with easy walking access to shopping, restaurants and more! Only downside to this marina is that you definitely will need to haul your boat to have it sprayed or fresh paint as the barnacles and marine life are very abundant. 

    Activities

    The Hatea walking trail is all around you and a great 3.8km walk across two bridges and passes several playgrounds. Whangarei falls is a short drive with beautiful scenery. Waipu Glow worm caves are a 30min drive south. 

    Shopping

    SO many places to choose! For my fellow Americans - The Warehouse is like Wal-Mart, Kmart is like Target, Woolsowrths is like Publix, Pak N Save is a huge inexpensive grocery store, Noel Leeming is like Best Buy, Torpedo  is a great sports store, Farmers is a department store and there is even ad Costco down in Auckland!

    Tips

    For the low price, Whangarei marina is great being centrally located to so many places! We booked a pile mooring which was cheaper than tying to the dock.  Secondly, you really don't need a car as this city is very walkable. If you need to go further out, try the Intercity bus to get you to destinations such as Auckland for very cheap. 

    The South Island

    March 3 - 14, 2025

    Van Life

    We rented a van through Camplify.com and explored the amazing South Island of New Zealand over 9 days. In total, we drove over 2,200km averaging 3 hours a day but we saw A LOT!

     Here was our itinerary:

    Day 1: Fly into Queenstown (Skyline, Fergburger)

    Day 2: Glenorchy (Paradise Zipline, Mrs. Wooleys)

    Day 3: Milford Sound (Mitre Peak cruise, Key Summit hike)

    Day 4: Wanaka (Lavender Farm, tree, Rob Roy Glacier hike)

    Day 5: Lake Tekapo (Camelion Stargazing)

    Day 6: Mt. Cook (Tasman glacier track)

    Day 7: Mt. Cook (Hooker Valley Track)

    Day 8: Arrowtown

    Day 9: Queenstown

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