Time Zone: GMT+12

Latitude: S 35 43                Longitude: E 174 19

Primary Languages Used: English, Maori

Nearest Port of Entry: This Port

Attractions:

Wide range of marine and other goods & services

Accessible downtown

2 hours from Auckland

Great touring options both nearby, and throughout NZ

Formal Requirements for Yachts Entering/Departing

When arriving from within country:

None

When entering from another country:

Check NZ Customs website to ensure you have the latest information:

You are required to provide notice prior to arrival.  The required forms can be emailed or faxed.  If you don’t have on passage email (eg sailmail), you can provide this from your port of departure.

You can provide a range of dates that you expect to arrive.  On your passage to NZ, you may get “buzzed” by a NZ Orion SAR plane who may contact you on VHF ch 16 regarding your ETA.   Upon your approach to Whangarei Heads, please contact the Harbourmaster on channel 16.

Your quarantine officer will ask that you surrender any eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables remaining, and may ask for other products depending on where you have been.  S/he may also wish to ensure you aren’t bringing in other “hitch-hikers” with you by inspecting hiking boots, bike tires, etc.

Departure requirements:

Check with NZ Customs for current requirements:

Currently you are required to notify NZ Customs at least 72 hours prior to departure, OR prior to expiration of your Temporary Import Entry permit if you are waiting on a weather window.

Officials: Locations & Requirements

Immigration:

Provided by Customs (nearest immigration office is in Auckland)

Customs:

Ensure Customs is notified 48 hours prior to your arrival to confirm your ETA. This can be done by email (yacts@customs.govt.nz), Taupo Radio (NZCG on 4125Khz or 6215Khz or VHF Ch 16) or Des Renner (Opua Offshore Communications) if you are on his net. Bruce Cooper is usually on duty.

Yachts@customs.govt.nz

+64 0292509305

Harbormaster:

Hail on channel 16 if this is your port of entry.

Health Authorities:

MAF.  They will be notified when you confirm your ETA, and will come to your boat.  Brian or Helen are usually on duty.

MQSWRE@maf.govt.nz

+64 09 4307848

Police (other than Immigration):

Dial 111 from any phone for emergencies.

The new station is on the corner of Walton and Cameron Street in

Whangarei.  09 430 4500

Attitude of Officials to Visiting Cruisers:

Friendly and generally helpful.

Berthing & Hauling Options

Marina & Mooring Field Options :

Town Basin Marina

Riverside Drive Marina (haul out available)

Marsden Cove Marina

There are some smaller and/or private options available as well.

Pumpout facilities at Riverside Drive Marina

Anchorage Options:

Off Norsand; Parua Bay; Urquhart’s Bay.  None near town center

Yacht Club facilities available to cruisers:

Hauling Options and Shipyard Trades Available:

Dockland 5 Services

Norsand (can accomodate larger cats)

Riverside Drive (see above)

New Zealand Yachts and Ship Repair New Zealand may be of interest

to larger yachts or those with special needs.  There are a number of individual tradesmen and firms available to meet a variety of needs.  A good place to start is the Whangarei Marine Promotions directory.

Talk to other cruisers, local boat owners and facility managers (eg Town Basin Marina) in researching with whom to work on your refit projects.

Informational Resources

Helpful Websites

www.whangareimarine.co.nz

www.noonsite.com/Countries/NewZealand/Whangarei

www.whangareinz.org.nz

Map: maps.google.co.nz/maps?hl=en&q=google%20ear&um=1&ie=UTF- 8&sa=N&tab=wl Zoom to 4 clicks from the + or 200m scale to get a good map of downtown.  Maps are available at Town Basin info center, next to the marina office.

Useful Cruising Guides

Northland Coast Boaties Atlas

Destination New Zealand

Royal Akarana YC Coastal Cruising Handbook (North East New Zealand)

Northland Coast Boaties Atlas

Recommended Sailing Directions, Charts, other govt. pubs:

US 76506 Approaches to Whangarei

NZ 5215 Whangarei Harbour

The Hatea river gets quite shoal at low tide, so stick to the channel and plan your transit up the river at high tide.

www.metservice.co.nz/public/marine/tides-marsden-point.html

Directions to Marsden Cove Marina from the main Whangarei River channel, heading up river:

* Follow the buoyed main channel markers in as charted, passing the refinery and the commercial wharf. If approaching in the dark, proceed with caution, as the plethora of lights make it difficult to distinguish nearer from further channel markers – and straying outside the channel could result in grounding.  On our 2006 version of Cmap, the channel was generally where marked, but the buoys were not always where marked on the chart.

* Just upriver from the commercial wharf, you will encounter a quick flashing red buoy, followed by a quick flashing yellow buoy (approximate GPS location 35 49.75S 174 28.72E).  Once you have passed the yellow flashing buoy, turn to port and head for 35 49.839S 174 28.53E, which is the entrance to the marina channel. Your course should be approximately 234T.  Be careful to approach from this location on the main channel and don’t cut the corner, as there are shoals and unlit moored boats on either side of this approach.

* The marina channel is lit by small red and green buoys which you can line up as you approach. Small finger piers protrude into the final section of the channel, which is not very wide.  At present they are not occupied, but it is to be expected that they will become so in future, so continue to proceed with caution as you approach the marina.

* The quarantine berths are on the end of B dock, which is marked with a large Q on the second pontoon as you enter.  The outside berth can accommodate one large or 2 medium sized boats, and there are two inside berths suitable for small to medium sized monohulls.  There are water and power hookups, and MAF will take your garbage.  External access is restricted by a locked gate, until you have finished your clearance.

* Once you are at the quarantine berth, inform Whangarei harbor radio and they will contact Customs and MAF to come down and do your clearance.  If you arrive late in the day or at night, this won’t occur till the following morning.

* Should you wish use of the marina facilities, contact the office on:

email: marsdencove@xtra.co.nz

VHF: channel 64

telephone: 64 09 432 7740

SSB & VHF Nets serving the area (CH or Freq & GMT Time)

Opua Offshore Communications (Des Renner)

(A $50 subscription fee is requested to cover costs – can be paid at Opua marina)

118 Te Haumi Drive, Paihia, BOI, NZ

email: opuaoffshore@xtra.co.nz

+64 9 402 7574

A VHF net for the area may be established if there is sufficient interest.

Locations & Availability: Other Facilities & Services

Potable Water (quality & access):

Available at marinas and haulout facilities.

Fuel (diesel & gasoline):

Marsden Cove Marina

Fuel is no longer available at Riverside Drive Marina

LPG (propane and/or butane):

The Gasman 22 Porowini Ave 09-438 1623

Town Basin has organized a weekly pickup service for its customers

There are other places that will fill propane.  If you have a fibreglass tank you may need to ask around.

Chandlery Sources:

AllMarine, Lower Port Road

BurnsCo, Riverside Drive

Stanley Marine, Town Basin

Recommended Marine Vendors (sail loft, rigger, etc.):

Trevor the welding wizard at Norstain in Dockland 5 09 438 5070

Renfred at Compass Computers for computers, radios, tuners, etc 09 438 8776

Northland Spars and Rigging at Dockland 5 09 430 0298

Bruce at Wyatt Cranes for mast stepping & other heavy jobs 09 438 2045

Wynn Fraser Paints, Okara Drive 09 438 3740

Mark at Nortec Engineerng, welding & other metalwork, 021 714 576

Marine North for outboard engine parts 09 438 8927

Chains, Ropes and Anchors in Auckland for .. chains, ropes and anchors.  Knowledgeable and responsive, will arrange delivery.  www.chainsropesandanchors.co.nz

All About Sewing, 36 Kiorera Rd, 09 438 8698 is recommended for cushion covers, odd shaped mattress pads, etc

Bank & Cash Machine Services:

Widely available in central Whangarei, grocery stores etc.  If you plan to spend several seasons and/or lots of $$, opening a local account may reduce your banking fees.  Online only accounts offer free EFTPOS (use of debit card)

Shops & Markets:

Pak N Save, right next to TB marina (you can borrow the trolleys to provision, but please bring them back!)

Countdown at Okara Park

New World at the top of Bank Street

Woolworth’s up the hill in Kensington

Saturday morning year round grower’s market, parking lot between Walton and Water streets 5:30 AM to 10:30 AM (eggs, cheese, baked goods, meat, fish etc in addition to produce)

Bin Inn bulk on Walton (has Dutch, oriental, brewing supplies)

Oriental Market on John (for paneer, fried shallots and bits and bobs you can’t find in the supermarkets)

A Taste of Europe on James (European specialties)

Putiputi Ra Health Food & Organics store on Walton

Arthur’s Emporium on Clyde Street is funky, cheap and has a little bit of everything

New Zealand’s answer to Ebay is Trade Me

Postal Services (availability & reliability):

NZ Post shop on Rathbone – good

We have used US mail for small-medium parcels from the states with good results.  Others have had good results with Fedex.  Make sure the parcel is marked “Yacht in Transit” and your boatname to receive your duty exemption.

For larger/heavier items, cruisers have used DGX shipping.  Allow 2 months for transocean trips.

Hotels & Restaurants (suitable for visitors & new crew):

There are a number of accomodations in and around town, including regular hotels/motels, B&Bs and flats available for longer stays.

Marina Court Motels & Apartments is next to Riverside Drive marina and has been favorably reviewed.

Reva’s at Town Basin has yachtie happy hour on Tuesdays with $12 meals 5:30-7:30 PM.

Amici on Quality street has a nice terrace, good bruch and ongoing specials nights (eg pizza night on Thursday)

McMorrissey’s Pub on Vine has hard cider on tap and All Blacks games on the big screen.

Other restaurants that have had good reviews include Shiraz (Indian); Hell Pizza (takeout); and Pinarn Thai on Rathbone.

Internet Facilities (to include Wifi access):

Igrin currently offers the best deal in quality and cost -$30/month.  They also run an internet café in town.

Other providers include Pacific Wifi, only option @ Norsand.

There are 2 Internet cafes on John Street.  Klosenet, run by Tom and Lesley, is a bit more expensive but offers more software (including a computer with Photoshop and Acrobat writer).  Tom is a good go-to guy for sorting out computer issues, installing

software, etc.

Phone Options (mobile/cell and landline):

The simplest option is a rechargeable phone card, such as Yabba, that can be used at public phones which no longer take coins.

Wifi and other internet are generally good enough for Skype.

Telecom and Vodaphone are the two main vendors, with an array of plans.  Telecom is introducing a new network in June 09

Laundry Services (location & cost):

All facilities have laundry machines, NZ$2-3 per each wash/dry cycle

Lifestyle Laundromat at the corner of Reyburn & Finlayson offers DIY or droff laundry, including commercial size machines. 09 430 8686.

Airport/Ferry/other transport options:

Onerahi airport provides connecting service to Auckland International.  There are daily buses to Auckland and points north and south.

Hospital & Medical Services:

Whangarei Hospital is the regional center.

There are a number of doctors in town.  We have had good experiences with Dr. VJ Harypursat, Dr. Heather Guy at Te Aroha Noa, and Dr. Alistair Whitten at Rust Avenue Medical Center.

If you have an accident, your treatment may be covered through the ACC program.  Otherwise you will probably have to pay all costs yourself.  When filling prescriptions, check first at the pharmacy to see if your medicine or an equivalent is on the government’s (Pharmac’s) list.  It will be much cheaper if so.  Sturgeron is not available in New Zealand.

Special Warnings & Recommendations:

There is a wonderful library on Rust Avenue.  Cruisers can join by paying a fee, and check out books, CDs, DVDs, magazines etc.

The Parihaka hill overlooks downtown.  3 trails reach the top, about 1/2 hour and a good workout (best done if it isn’t too wet).

The Whangarei Walks brochure details these and other local walks.

Yoga classes at Yoga Circle on John Street

Charts and copies at Copyworld on Walton Street

Civic Video and Video Ezy offer $1/DVD/week specials on Mondays and/or Tuesdays

There are a number of used bookstores around Cameron Street, from Walton on around the corner to John.  Several facilities such as TB marina have book swaps.

Other Information

Special events:

New Year’s Highland Games in nearby Waipu.  Get your haggis fix here and reunite with long lost clan cousins.

Several summer events around Town Basin Marina, including a music festival and an open air movie weekend in March

Annual thank you dinner for cruisers, hosted by Whangarei Marine Promotions (usually March).

DISCLAIMER: This Guide is provided as a free service.  No guarantee is made regarding the currency or accuracy of this information and, therefore, the author shall not in any way be responsible for any consequential, incidental, or exemplary loss or damage resulting from the use or misuses of any material in the Port Guide for navigation or any other purpose.

No publication can replace good judgment, experience, and firsthand knowledge, and the prudent mariner will not rely on any single aid to navigation.

Similarly, inclusion in this guide of such things as marine facilities and services, restaurants, places of interest, or attractions is for informational purposes only and no guarantee is provided as to their accuracy or current status, nor are they necessarily recommended.