March 20, 2013
Some bays don’t reveal their beauty until you get up close to them, but not Waewaetorea! It’s a standout any way you look at it.
I first spotted this bay as we motored by en route to Urupukapuka Island and said, “What is that?” I did some research and found it’s called Waewaetorea Bay, and it sits in an area nestled between Okahu Island and Waewaetorea Island. On one side those islands come very close together, nearly enclosing that side. The other side is open so boats can easily enter. It’s a little shallow, and it’s recommended as an anchorage for settled weather; so we would need good weather to be able go.
Our good weather was now here; so after our hike on Motorua Island, we pulled up the anchor and made the short trip over to that magical area between Waewaetorea and Okahu Islands. The two islands are close enough together they pretty much make one big bay; so it doesn’t matter which one you anchor closer to.
Waewaetorea Island is the more beautiful island, with green grassy hills, a gorgeous white sand beach, and clear aqua water. It looks like it could just as easily be in the tropical South Pacific as New Zealand. Okahu Island is more brushy, and its beach is more gray and rocky, but for all we know may be a very nice place to explore. With our limited time, we opted for Waewaetorea Island.
We landed on the beach and our feet sunk into the soft white sand. We decided to climb the hill, which is a long, steep grassy slope. It’s not an easy climb, but the views from the top make it well worth the effort. Once we reached the top, we walked out along the top of a long, flat hill for a view of the isthmus between Waewaetorea Bay and the facing bay on the rugged east side of the island.
After a long climb down the hill back to the beach, we took a swim. We noticed the water was cooler than it’s been but didn’t know if it’s from an upwelling of cool water somewhere or a sign that fall was around the corner. In spite of the cool water, it was a wonderful swim. We ended up in a small cove between the rocks just big enough for the two of us, resting there until some biting sea creature (fish, shrimp?) chased us out. We were starting to get chilly anyway and headed back to Legacy.
As the afternoon went on the conditions began picking up, and it was starting to get rolly as the ocean effects were sneaking in through the Okahu Passage between the two islands. We decided that it was time to move on for the night, but it had been well worth coming to this place even just for an afternoon.–Cyndi
Click on any picture in the gallery to enlarge, then on the right side of the picture to scroll through them. Click the X in the lower right corner to return to the regular-size photos.
