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Making our way to the tunnel
Here is Jon, Geddy & Theo making the wet trek to the tunnel leading to Mares Tail Cove from Cathedral Cove. An epic adventure in store for today - sea kayaking around Cathedral Cove. We had hoped to do this in the region but after another night with the sounds of rain pattering on the rooftop, we were afraid that this trip would be delayed again. We were delighted to see clear skies greet us in the morning. I had to walk to the end of the road to get a signal on our 2degrees mobile phone and gave the local kayak company a ring. After negotiating for a good rate for a family tour, we geared up for the private adventure.
We were greeted by our friendly guide, Nick, at Hahei Beach, just a few minutes north of Hot Water Beach. We had a trio of two-seat kayaks and decided to leave Theo with the expert and divided along gender lines in the other two boats. After getting the obligatory instructions, we donned watertight shirts and life jackets. We also had to put on the watertight skirt that would hook into the boat and keep us from taking on water.
We broke through the surf and pointed north toward Gemstone Bay, where we had hiked two days before. We
Hot Chocolate on the beach!
Nick made us hot drinks on our break. got our bearings in the water and played with the steering pedals. Suzy and I took the rear seats in our respective boats and had responsibility for steering with the pedals that controlled a small rudder. After hitting the first point of land jutting out north of Hahei Beach, we entered the Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve. This is another protected area (like that at Goat Island) that extends southeast from Hahei to Mahurnangi Island and then north, enclosing a handful of other islands and then heading back to shore shortly after Cathedral Cove. Even though this is a relatively small piece of the coastline, in the 10 years after it was established the area reported a remarkable 1600% gain in sea life. This has not only made the area a popular snorkeling & diving area, but the fishing around the Reserve has prospered as well. Talk about a win-win!
We took brief turns into Gemstone Bay and Stingray Bay before getting a "driving test" through some rocks as we continued north to Mares Leg Cove. Orcas occasionally wander into area to go after the rays. We were told the same about Goat Island. The islands further off the coast
Geddy & Suzy
The most photographed rock in New Zealand...we had to take a few pictures to add to the tally. do provide a year-round home for several pods. We passed our driving test and were presented with the option of landing at Mares Leg Cove or continuing on to Cathedral Cove. Mares Leg had quite a few visitors and Cathedral Cove isn't accessible by foot without some serious wading, so we opted for the latter. This proved a good call as we had the beach all to ourselves.
Nick took our drink orders (a hot beverage service was included with our trip!). As he set to work on our drinks with a small burner, we explored the nice little stretch. Right off the cove there was a large rock formation jutting out of the surf. This, Nick told us, was the most photographed rock in the country. Geddy, Theo and I waded through the surf south to a tunnel that led to Mares Leg Cove. We took on a couple of waves to get there, but then we had a nice view from within the tunnel looking back to the beach. The other side of the tunnel was closed from Mares Leg due to falling rocks.
We enjoyed hot chocolate and mochachinos with some "biscuits" (a less-guilty sounding
Ivy kayaking in New Zealand!
At times it was crazy to think that we were cruising in kayaks off the coast of New Zealand! How cool is that? term for cookies). This was a nice treat. Prior to heading back out to the water, Ivy, Geddy and I went to the tunnel.
On the second leg of the tour, we swapped places in our boats giving the younger set a chance for "driving". Theo acquiesced to Nick driving again. We started by heading out toward Motueka Island. This took about 10-15 minutes of hard paddling against the wind and current. When we got there, we got to paddle through a tunnel that was formed along the edge of the island. This was a really cool experience. As we came through on the other side, we continued along the edge of the island to look for some New Zealand Fur Seals. The seals are quite plentiful in mid-winter, but Nick had only seen a couple of early arrivers. We were lucky and got to see one. He even seemed to give us a wave with his flipper.
From Matueka Island, we were hoping to have the wind at our backs to assist our return but the breeze really died down so we had to work to get back. Beaching the kayaks was fun as we got to
Theo helping Nick
Theo was a pro right off the bat. ride in the waves a bit.
We headed back and relaxed for a couple of hours before heading back out to Hot Water Beach where we got a premium spot for the 5:50PM low tide. We stayed out for a couple of hours and enjoyed the soaking and people watching. I did finally give in and went for a few minutes to jump waves before we all retreated back to the hot pool.
An epic day!
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dranny
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What an adventure!
What a spectacular time you're all having! Thanks for the well-written documentary text and all the great photos. Love and miss you. xo dranny