The Ohiwa Harbour is a large natural inlet situated between Opotiki and Ohope in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.

It is where the boat I built, Beach of Matapau, was launched. Not long after that I returned by myself to the spot where she was launched, near Kutarere, to take her out “for a spin”, so to speak. While the weather was still mild and sunny and the tide was still coming in it was all very nice, but not quite guessing the size of the inlet, it wasn’t long before I was not too far away from where the harbour was emptying itself out into the Pacific Ocean. That what it was starting to do. The tide had turned and the wind from the south had picked up too. With no set of sails yet I had to work on the oars like the devil not to be pushed over the bar. After quite a while I made it back to Kutarere, relieved I’d say.

The boat returned there, with a skipper now a bit wiser, for fishing trips with friends and one time with my sons. We caught flatfish, other fish, crabs, found cockles and what have you. The boys played on the mud flats and the caves. We had a whale of a day. As it was in the month of May it was getting chilly so at the end of the day we returned home and after a warm bath and a spruce up we cooked up the catch of the day. Great fun.

Photos copyright © to ACW ten Broek