Fletchers Bay to Stony Bay

What a day. I was supposed to cross to Port Jackson in Logan's boat but the wind got up and it didn’t look like it was going to be possible until Saturday (four days away). Instead I ended up booking a flight with Fly Stark to Whitianga (via Okiwi and Pauanui). All went well and suddenly I was in Whitianga...not really where I wanted to be but at least on the right side of the channel.

I think I might have made a wrong decision turning left onto the Whitianga bypass instead of right towards the 309 road but it all panned out when I was picked up moments later by Sharpy’s son. This was the start of a series of fairly good rides which meant that I arrived at Fletchers Bay in a little over twice the time it would have taken me to drive there.

The first was Sharpy’s son, the second was to the Matarangi turnoff, the third was all the way to Colville, the fourth was to Port Jackson, and the fifth I ended up getting out of half was to Fletchers Bay so I could walk.

By this time it was a bit after five and the walk to Stony Bay (where I planned to camp) was about three and a half hours according to the signage. It was a nice walk. I was a bit worried at the start as it was a bit up and down and then it started raining but that all stopped after the first hour and I think it took me a little under three hours.

Hindsight

• I should have done the Muriwai track from Port Jackson to Fletchers although it might have made me late.
• There is an alternate stock route track that could be interesting.
• Stony bay is nice but the Coromandel walkway isn’t very long.