Hi guys

Did this many year ago with a mate. We stopped in out the back of waiheke or maybe it was ponui I'm not sure.

Is this still legal no fires obviously just gas cooking

We spent many night over nighting around the bottom end of Waiheke.
 Always slept on the boat thu.
Garden cove nth side Waiheke is very nice.. just go the what seems the wrong side of the rock at the entrance.
Hooks bay, either end depends on breeze.
Even Anita .. there are couple rocks.. stay to the sth side of them..
 Opopo /Waiti bay area  watch for areas of hard bottom where anchor may not dig in.
Front and back side of Pakatoa nice. Watch the back side get a good grip with the anchor.
Rotoroa simlar to Pakatoa.
 Tuck up into Byrants bay on ponui. In the evening you see and hear the weka running up and down the beach.
There is a little bay on the nth side of Scullies reef, you go in thru the rocks.. that is very nice. If low tide do not try to get in or out from the west side .. get bit shallow

All those place we go for a walk, swam around the reefs, and choose carefully if want to sleep under the stars on the beach.
 May find, currently with current issues of pets, and stray vermin like stoats on the islands, both Auckland Council and DoC are not very tolerant these days...so stay on the boat to  maybe cook and sleep.

 Edit : When choosing your position, try to get one where the breeze comes down off the land and is bush. If flat paddock, you get far more chine slap at night. The trees tend to break the breeze at ground level.

FizFisho wrote: Im pretty sure freedom camping is illegal whether you can only access by boat or by road. But technically if you are sleeping in the boat, well there is nothing against that, which Im aware of. I miss freedom camping in the coromandel in the 60s, have a lot of heritage in dem hills. The main issue for me, is people were not carrying out their trash. Im not sure if that is the same perspective for the government, but clearly it drove people to camp in sites.  I think, do not quote me, the worst that could happen is you are asked to move along. This happened to my uncle but he was awake, fishing on a rock platform, ranger saw his car and somehow got down a track very few people know of and told him to move along, but Uncs knew he was not camping, he was fishing. :-) Don't quote me on that, just some food for thought.

Yeah I'm gona look into it a bit more I suppose anything like that is frowned on now. Another avenue of fun is closed off because of the few idiots that spoil it for the many responsible people

Dont try and camp on Ponui island,kiwi etc been released.Farm manager roams at all hours.Wont let you above high tide line.

I couldn't see why you shouldn't be allowed to drop an anchor for the night anywhere you please within reason..although I see at Tarawera, they try and charge you $5 to sleep in your boat at hot water beach..I guess to pay for the disgusting stinky toilet provided...
I have never been made aware of any regulations re achoring up..but I haven't looked either.

Stray overnight.. At least a portable toilet, one of those light brown plastic ones from burnsco. Come in 2 heights, so measure your under seat height.
Dont even consider to empty at sea.. putting aside illegal.. far better, easier and convenient doing at home on flat solid ground and the garden hose.

Ideally a standard 2 burner camp stove, with sides to stop wind that fits on the bait board...And a cast hot plate.
 Thu in saying that even when wife and I are camping, 99% of cooking is on a single burner canister type burner with a good cast iron frying pan.

 Oh Important, check weather.. wind direction and swell direction before going out.. select several possible mooring sites..
 And check them out over low tide if not familiar with the immediate area.. eg the hidden rocks in Anita ..

And if can see the Coros then you will see some impressive sun rises

Yeah... its not something we ever did.. just wrong especd around harbours.
 More than once seen where a holding tank or portable potty has been MTed  and caught in current lines around islands and even out in the Firth.
 Its sort of like throwing your rubbish over board, except more extreme.
 Just a personal thing.

FizFisho wrote: pjc wrote: Dont try and camp on Ponui island,kiwi etc been released.Farm manager roams at all hours.Wont let you above high tide line. There you go, might I add whilst inconvenient OP, this is a great thing for NZ in its Ecological fight. I guess you need to be confident if your boat can both house you and can maintain berth. 2 anchors etc. What boat is it you have?

Yeah probably not ideal It's only a fryan440 30hp merc. No canopy either I've only had it about a month got some good fish though. Slowly adding things as I can afford them

Steps wrote: Yeah... its not something we ever did.. just wrong especd around harbours.  More than once seen where a holding tank or portable potty has been MTed  and caught in current lines around islands and even out in the Firth.  Its sort of like throwing your rubbish over board, except more extreme.  Just a personal thing.

I'm the sort that picks up plastic and all sorts of crap from beaches or if I'm out on the water. Clean green NZ..... bollicks I say, there is rubbish everywhere