Day 29 - Awanui to Tokerau Bay and Maitai Bay (Karikari Peninsula)

On day twenty-nine we saw Don and Val off to Cape Reinga for the day then we drove twenty kilometres to the beautiful Tokerau Bay. We had decided to put the kontiki out and have fish for tea. We arrived early, had a cuppa, bought some bait, then prepared the kontiki for launching. We sent out about twenty hooks and had lunch while waiting for the fish to hang off the hooks.

After a good amount of time we started to wind the line in. The line was very heavy and the winch was having difficulties so we helped by hauling the line in and letting it thread on the winch. While hauling in the line we could see a big fish flapping out at sea. Our hopes went up. Slowly in came a small snapper, undersize! and we were pinning our hopes on the big fish. Suddenly the line lost the weight pulling on it and the line came in with no more fish, just one missing hook. No fish for tea. This effort had drained the power in the winch batteries so we couldn't put the kontiki out again.

Ian went and checked on Maitai Bay to see if there was less wind and a decent place to park. There was so we drove the 10 k and parked up in a DOC camp beside a beautiful beach. Look out tommorrow fish!!!

                                          Adding hooks to hook the fish!!!!!!!!

                                          Maitai Bay - checking it out