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Herekino Harbour


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Anyone been in? Even in a fizzboat?

Wondered how much water there might be in there at high tide/low tide. 

Of course you'd need perfect conditions to get in... but if there was 1.4m over the bar at high tide...

 

 

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I grew up in Ahipara, know the area pretty well and surfed and fished that coast.

Biggish tides (3metres or so) so yes there’s water at high tide on the bar and the main channel, drys extensively just up from the entrance- used to be able to ride a motorbike across at low tide but the sand and channels move around a lot. It’s more a lagoon than harbour.

not much to see so a lot of risk for no real reward. Pub is closed down so not even that to visit.

Whangape however is much more of a harbour.

Both have closed bars with little or no channel meaning you’ll be surfing in. Also both will put you on truly unforgiving coast if you f*ck it up.

 Unless you wanted to land an illicit shipment or sneak into the country there’s no reason to visit them.

 

 

 

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55 minutes ago, Dave said:

What on God's green earth possessed you to posit this question?!

Has the Volvo clunk sent you round the bend?

hahah :) Yeah must have made me totally crazy.

I like exploring beautiful places. I know Whangape is useable under the right conditions, but yeah the Herekino bar looks like it might be safe about once every 5 years...

23 minutes ago, TazzyDevil said:

I grew up in Ahipara, know the area pretty well and surfed and fished that coast.

Biggish tides (3metres or so) so yes there’s water at high tide on the bar and the main channel, drys extensively just up from the entrance- used to be able to ride a motorbike across at low tide but the sand and channels move around a lot. It’s more a lagoon than harbour.

not much to see so a lot of risk for no real reward. Pub is closed down so not even that to visit.

Whangape however is much more of a harbour.

Both have closed bars with little or no channel meaning you’ll be surfing in. Also both will put you on truly unforgiving coast if you f*ck it up.

 Unless you wanted to land an illicit shipment or sneak into the country there’s no reason to visit them.

 

 

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1 hour ago, DrWatson said:

Anyone been in? Even in a fizzboat?

Wondered how much water there might be in there at high tide/low tide. 

Of course you'd need perfect conditions to get in... but if there was 1.4m over the bar at high tide...

 

 

Not a lot of water in Herekino, much better to go into Whangape, quite an interesting Harbour. We spent a couple of weeks in there. We went several miles up the river. You shouldn't have a problem at the entrance (keep to starboard as a rule, but no.1 eyeball will be the best guide. once you have found it) tidal of course, you need to find a hole to accomodate the keel. We used a drouge to keep us in the stream (at Anchor) on the outgoing tide. Incomng tide wasn't an issue as you were captive in your "hole" Before we learnt the drougue trick we were deposited high and dry a couple of times.As our keel is 700mm wide Gwalarn  can be self supporting.No cell or radio reception (4 years ago). Both the Hokianga and Kaipara are very do-able, just picking the conditions can be a little daunting. 1m swell is ok for the Kaipara, we have left in about 1.5 to 2m, I wouldn't cross in anything higher. Once you are in the northern channel you get "sweepers" that come in 3's on the beam, you need to turn into them, ride over them and then resume course. We learnt the hard way.you will probably get 3 sets between the entrance to the channel and poto point after which you are fine.  

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That swing  keel has got you thinking !   I will try and find an old photo of a timber ship being towed in to whangape by a steam tug ...on a fresh day .

if the old timers could do it it crap weather you would be sweet in the pogo in good weather and in good weather the diving and fishing is top shelf .

some very good surfing on that coast too that has unfortunately become very busy with jet skis on good days . Especially the spot Tamure named 

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I found a way to drive there from the south after many failed attempts and a bit of diplomacy with a local marae . That route has some very good spots too and sometimes we would stop on the way instead going on to K rua . A mate once surfed herekino bar and drove in there with his work Ute ....he looked into the beach after a few waves and the Ute was gone ....now he has a very violent streak being the smallest of 4 very large brothers , one who has played as prop for the Italian team at World Cup level .  Anyway he paddled in and walked the half hour up harbour and started door knocking ,  blowing his lid and pulling rank (his grandfather grew up in the area ) . He got his Ute back before it got damaged and still happily surfs there ....don’t upset him though ! 

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1 hour ago, 44forty said:

I found a way to drive there from the south after many failed attempts and a bit of diplomacy with a local marae . That route has some very good spots too and sometimes we would stop on the way instead going on to K rua . A mate once surfed herekino bar and drove in there with his work Ute ....he looked into the beach after a few waves and the Ute was gone ....now he has a very violent streak being the smallest of 4 very large brothers , one who has played as prop for the Italian team at World Cup level .  Anyway he paddled in and walked the half hour up harbour and started door knocking ,  blowing his lid and pulling rank (his grandfather grew up in the area ) . He got his Ute back before it got damaged and still happily surfs there ....don’t upset him though ! 

Lot’s of large toothy fish on that bar in summer.

We used to surf the left just north of there, rode our XR 250’s in from TanuTanu (which is a pretty magic place too.

You used to be able to cross a couple of metres back from the entrance from mid tide down where the channels braid out - it really is that shallow.

there is a great small swell aframe reef/ point just over the hill. This was before jet skis and life jackets and such.

 

Sailing link is a yacht called the “Erewhon” went up on TanuTanu beach - luckily on a rare calm night and at high tide. Insurance company cut a track and hired the army to drag it up the dunes and back to the road - The dunes are 150-200metres high. Pretty impressive effort to get out. Became known as the erewhon trsil and provided access to Tanu Tanu at high tide for years until the local Iwi closed it.

We used to ride down the Dunes on snowboards after it rained. Even built a terrain park one day.

Happy memories of a childhood in a truly amazing place. 
 

also nearly drowned there countless times, it’s a truly powerful and unforgiving piece of our coast.

 

 

 

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