Testimonial

WALKING ON SUNSHINE WOW, what a beautiful experience we had. The yacht was amazing, with lots of options such as snorkeling, kayaking , donuts on board. The food was absolutely delicious with even a desert after. These guys fully look after you for the whole day. Great value for money, one of the best excursions we’ve had in New Zealand. We were lucky enough to see lots of dolphins. Would highly recommend over any other experience in the Bay of Islands !! Very special day out , if you chose this experience you won’t regret it

SUNKISSED GOURMET DINNER CRUISE We booked the sun kissed evening gourmet dinner cruise after sorting through about 5 or 6 evening cruises around the Bay of Islands and it was a fantastic experience. Communication was superb and Russell was happy to pick us up from our accomodation and as we were allowed to bring our own alcohol it meant I could have a wine with dinner and not worry about driving home. He is a gourmet chef and avid yachtie and has a huge luxury sloop. He limits numbers and there were only 6 of us on board. He introduced us to his partner Karen, and a gorgeous Tibetan terrier called Woody. Then it was 3 hours of unbelievable good food cooked for us on board while cruising and a little bit of sailing around the Bay of Islands. We cast off and motored out of the marina and soon the food started. Soft Brie cheese, hot smoked Marlborough salmon, hot tiny sausages cooked on the Weber bbq hanging in the stern, and more. Downed with a gin and tonic we bought with us. Then as a light breeze in the right direction prevailed it us up with the foresail unfurled and a pleasant sail past russel and along the coast. Once we anchored there was swimming for brave souls and just yakkityyaking for us others. Dinner was a slow bbqed butterflied lamb, green beans, potatoes etc all just perfectly cooked and served by the galley below. The best dinner I think ever at least for a long time. And with a 3 gold Taylor’s Shiraz we brought with us. Delicious. The wine flowed the talk flowed as the scenery turned gold from the setting sun. Soon it was getting dark and we motored back to the marina with Russel producing a special treat to eat a gourmet chocolate blueberry cheesecake smothered with fresh Kiwi cream. Then Russel drove us back too our Airbnb. Without a doubt the best ever experience in my memory bar none

BEAUTIFUL DAYS We chose to spend 4 days in the Bay of Islands literally *on* the Bay of Islands and it was absolutely the right decision! Russell & Karen have been sailing Northland for over a decade and they selected an itinerary that suited us perfectly: - private times on private islands - snorkeling pristine waters - kayaking sandy bays - dropping us at one spot to hike to a new pick up ... nothing was too much trouble. We felt like we had known Karen and Russell for years as we glided through our days. Gourmet breakfasts, warm salads for lunch and amazing dinners all prepared from scratch; we even got to sample freshly-caught snapper! We particularly loved the shade cover that kept our loungers out of the mid day sun, and the bean bags on the bow were the perfect spot for drying off after our frequent swims from the yacht. Our cabin (the "Captains Cabin" in the front of the boat) was comfortable, spacious enough, and had a private bathroom. I highly recommend an overnight trip like the one we took: sink into that “chilling out” feeling while listening to the Chills (a local New Zealand Ban