Posted By Rayglass | July 12, 2019
Our ideal trip involves seven days off work when the weather’s clear, a brand new Rayglass 3500, calm seas and sunshine. To make the most of the weather, we’d head up to one of the country’s most scenic boating locations – the Bay of Islands. Here’s how we’d make the trip:
It’s time to gear up for a week on the water. The Rayglass 3500 has a 24-volt inverter onboard so you can bring all the comforts from home aboard including your coffee machine, hair dryer and anything else you can’t go without.
Head north once you’re all loaded up and hug the coast until you reach Kawau Bay. Move on to Bon Accord Harbour on Kawau Island from there – here you’ll find countless white sand beaches and quiet anchorages. If you’re feeling adventurous, take the dinghy onto shore at Mansion House Bay and check out the historic museum on the beach.
When the sun goes down, head to your spacious, head height cabin and let the sea rock you to sleep.
Get up bright and early and throw your line off the 3500’s expansive duckboard. If you get lucky, fire up the onboard BBQ – there’s nothing better than fresh fish for breakfast.
When you’re ready to go, keep heading north along the coast – you’ll see stunning beaches like Ruakaka and Mangawhai on the way. It’s a three hour trip but it’ll feel brief thanks to the class-leading ride quality and comfort of the Rayglass 3500.
In Tutukaka, you can take a break and check out the area’s bars and restaurants (our favourite is Schnappa Rock). Just make sure you book ahead of time to secure a spot at the marina. Otherwise, you can pick between Tutukaka harbour and Matapouri to anchor for a peaceful night on the water – both are excellent spots but Matapoouri is generally quieter.
Continue your journey north in the morning, hugging the coast until you reach Cape Brett then make your way into the beautiful Bay of Islands.
If you need to anchor for the night, head to Waipao Bay on Moturua Island. It’s calm in most weather here, there’s a beautiful sandy beach to swim to and the bush off the shore is reportedly home to several kiwis. You might even be able to hear them if you sit quietly on your deck at night.
The Bay of Islands is one of the world’s most stunning marine playgrounds and you’ve got three days to kill here.
If you enjoy getting in the water, there’s great snorkelling and diving around the two small islands near Waipao Bay. To see a little history and experience one of NZ’s most charming small towns, why not drop into Russel? Here you’ll find a handful of boutique wineries, several beaches and some great restaurants and cafes.
If it were us, we’d spend the whole time at sea cruising around the islands in the bay, dropping the line in the water to catch dinner and entertaining on the 3500’s expansive deck space. After all, the 3500 feels like a luxury beach house on the sea, and there are few better backyards than the Bay of Islands.
If it were us, we’d spend the whole time at sea cruising around the islands in the bay, dropping the line in the water to catch dinner and entertaining on the 3500’s expansive deck space. After all, the 3500 feels like a luxury beach house on the sea, and there are few better backyards than the Bay of Islands.
That’s our perfect week-long trip on the Rayglass 3500. What does yours look like? If you’d like to see more of the Rayglass 3500, or just talk boating, drop in to our Mt Wellington showroom soon and tell us about it.
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