Day 4 was probably one of the highlights of my entire time in NZ. We went sailing on the Phantom with Rick and Robin. Rick is a Kiwi and Robin is a New Yorker and they raised their son on the Phantom. They now live in Russell and rent out their boat to people like us to tour the Bay of Islands. They were such cool people and really welcomed us into their world. Strangely enough, one of the couples we sailed with had a son who goes to Mines and the other couple lives just a few hours from my hometown! And Rick and Robin said they had actually visited Bellingham a few weeks before. Such a small world.
We sailed out of Russell to a less popular island hidden among some volcanic rock formations. Once there, we got the chance to swim and hike up a ridge with a stunning view of the entire bay. The weather was so perfect and we had the most lovely time. Robin even cooked us a homemade lunch with homemade rye bread, cookies, frittata, limeade, and locally made cheese. We did a lot of sunbathing on the deck and spent most of the time chatting with the other passengers and with Rick and Robin about traveling and all the wildlife in NZ. If you are ever in the Bay of Islands, I would highly recommend sailing with Phantom!
After our sail, I said goodbye to Kamry and headed towards Cape Reinga where I would camp that night. I stumbled into a street festival in Kerikeri on my way and stopped for some blueberry softserve, seafood paella, and music!
For sunset, I hiked up Ohakiri or St. Paul's Rock. The view from up top was stunning. 360 degrees of ocean, islands, and farmland.
