Hannah de Haven

Views

The views from your deck, living room and bedroom are spectacular in size and variety. The view here is alive, not a static photo view of open ocean

There is always something interesting to look at, including:

• Dolphin that visit frequently and even Orcas but not as frequently. Gannets and other sea birds are always busy feeding on schools of small fish.
• Opua Cruising Club Sailboat Races on Wednesday and Friday afternoons at 6pm and Sunday at 1pm. The start/finish line is right in front of the apartment and that's where most of the action is.
• Beautiful sunrises, sunsets, rainbows and the spectacular full moon rise over the water. The night time view of the harbour and lights on the water while lying in bed is truly amazing.

Opua is the first port of entry to New Zealand from the North and many interesting yachts of all types pass right in front of your window

There are many other types of interesting ocean traffic to keep you amused all day:

• Over 50 large cruise ships visit Paihia every summer.
• The ferries to Russell pass right in front of you every 5 minutes.
• Various types of leisure boating activities including fishing, kayaking and dinghies going to and from the many yachts moored in front of you.

Although we are very close to the ocean there is some native bush close to the house and there is some bird life including Wood Pigeons, Tuis, Rosellas and many others. There are several excellent hiking trails near-by. Also a bicycle trail along the vintage railway to Kawakawa.

Even if you happen to be here in a storm it's still an interesting place to be right on the water: watching the say the ferry deals with the wind and current, wondering if a yacht that has broken loose from its mooring will crash into the wharf, seeing the ferry scoop up a loose dinghy with its loading ramp. No matter what the weather, whether it be fog, wind, rain or sunshine it's different on the water than it is inland.

You may come to the Bay of Islands to go golfing, fishing, walking, dolphin-watching. You may spend most of your day away from your accommodation. But you’ll definitely appreciate the time you spend in this apartment. Whether it’s as you wake in the morning, when you come home in the evening or time you spend here during the day, the views are worth coming for just by themselves.