Anchored in Whangārei: Yoga for the Cruising Community

For many who arrive in Whangārei by sea, The Loft has become part of their journey, a space to reconnect, move with ease, and meet others who share a love of adventure and the ocean.

Helen & Steve - Sailing Toward New Horizons

Helen and Steve have spent years chasing horizons under sail. After crossing oceans and exploring faraway shores aboard Cerulean, their 43ft yacht, the sea remains an essential part of who they are. Now settled in Whangārei, they stay closely connected to the cruising community, welcoming new arrivals, sharing stories, and helping others discover what makes this harbour such a special place to drop anchor.

Life on the water has taught them presence and patience, reading the wind, moving with the weather, and finding calm in constant motion. That same sense of balance is something they’ve found on the mat at The Loft. It’s also where they’ve built new connections on land: the community they’ve found at The Loft, a mix of fellow sailors, travellers, and locals who share a love of movement, adventure, and wellbeing.

Steve Gurney - Adventure Meets Stillness

Steve Gurney is another who understands the pull of adventure. From conquering the Coast to Coast to exploring jungles, deserts, and mountains, he’s spent a lifetime chasing challenge and connection. Now, the ocean is calling. Having purchased a cruiser boat, he’s renovating in Whangārei. Steve is preparing for a new kind of journey, one shaped by the sea. A regular at The Loft, he believes yoga and Pilates are vital for strength, flexibility, and focus, something he’s shared on the Between Two Beers podcast. For Steve, adventure isn’t only about endurance; it’s about balance on land, on water, and within.

For more information, click below

Steve Gurney | Resilience, Mental Strength, Motivation

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Phillip Zisaakis - Waves, Wheels, & Wellbeing

Phillip Zisakis is a name well known among the cruising community. Having sailed to New Zealand from the U.S., he saw a gap in services for cruisers and founded Cars for Cruisers, a clever business model: offering boats arriving in NZ a car for local use, then buying it back when they leave. His business earned him respect and connections throughout the cruising network. Now based in Whangārei and still maintaining a mooring in the Bay of Islands, Phillip continues weaving the sea into his life. As a member of The Loft, he’s found in yoga and Pilates tools that support his body, resilience, and connection to the community, something he values as much as he does the wind in his sails.

Bruce & Alene - Ocean Flow to Studio Flow

Bruce and Alene have spent years living aboard Migration, their Cross 46 trimaran, sailing tens of thousands of nautical miles across Polynesia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Japan, and Alaska. Life at sea has shaped their calm, grounded outlook, one that translates beautifully to the mat. At The Loft, they use yoga and Pilates to maintain strength, balance, and focus between voyages, and to connect with a community that shares their spirit of exploration and love of movement.

For more information, please click here Migrations

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Move Together

Yoga and Pilates aren’t just for individuals, they’re shared experiences that bring people together. Whether you’ve arrived by sea or settled here for a while, The Loft offers a space to stretch, strengthen, and reconnect. Practising alongside other locals and fellow travellers alike builds more than physical strength; it creates a sense of balance, belonging, and shared wellbeing.

Step onto the mat. Feel the difference.

Whether you’ve arrived by sea or call Whangārei home, The Loft offers a place to steady your balance, reconnect your breath, and build real strength, the kind that carries you through every journey.

Guided by experienced teachers, not screens, The Loft Yoga Studio is here to support you on land or between adventures.