The Bay of Islands, New Zealand
By Eva Nichols

Trip report from 10 days in The Bay of Islands, New Zealand

Just wanted to share some of Jan's and my experiences during our recent trip to New Zealand, where we had booked a 10-day kayaking and hiking trip with New Zealand Sea Kayak Adventures in Paihia, Bay of Islands.

After corresponding last summer with the owner Mark Hudson and his wife Pauline about what we were looking for, we decided to go with Mark's suggestion of doing a 10-day tour with him, which would include a 2-day hike out to Cape Brett Lighthouse, where we would spend the night at a hut, instead of the original plan of 6 days kayaking and camping only. We told him that we were intermediate kayakers, paddled mostly in Monterey Bay, had been on a couple of 6-day kayak trips with other outfitters in Costa Rica and Everglades, and that we were interested in bird watching, wildlife viewing, loved paddling, but were not into "adrenaline pumping" paddling.

We met with Mark the night before our tour started, and were introduced to a young French guy, Erwan, who had also signed up for this kayak tour – I got the impression that he had not heard about the 2-day hike, however, until that evening! We discussed preferences for food, etc. got our dry bags (which were stuff sacks lined with garbage bags, except for one.) We told Mark that coffee was an essential food group to us, as well as plenty of hot sauce! He strongly encouraged us to bring several cartons of wine for the trip – I guess that was an essential food group to him. We hadn't really planned on bringing any, but thought ok, no big deal. It's not that we don't drink, we just don't HAVE to.

The next morning we were picked up by Mark, his wife and Erwan, the French paddler, who was bringing along his own Greenland paddle, which he had carved himself. Our launch spot was north of Waitangi golf course, at Wairoa bay. The weather was not too good, cloudy, very windy, and building swells, but we waved goodbye to Pauline and set out anyway.

It was definitely a challenge, especially since we had a reef on our left, where the swells were breaking fiercely. Mark didn't think Jan and I paddled fast enough, so he suggested that we got towed, and went ahead and hooked me up in between himself and Erwan, who was a more experienced and stronger paddler than Jan or me. I didn't really feel that it was necessary, but thought that I would heed Mark's advice, after all he had the local knowledge, and it did go faster that way. After we had rounded the reef and got out of the very strong headwind, we unhooked and continued over to our lunch spot on Motoroa Island without incident. Lunch was make-your-own sandwiches of cheese, tomatoes, onions, carrot sticks and apples – and that was pretty much the lunch menu for the next 10 days!! During lunch we found out that Mark was not planning on catering to us, we had to participate in food prep, and we alone (that is Jan, Erwan and myself) had to do the dishes and clean-up after each meal! Okay, not exactly what we had expected from the tour description or previous experiences with other outfitters! When we launched Mark had also shared with us that his back was in bad shape, so he would have to be really careful with lifting, hauling, etc. and leave the heavier jobs to us! Hmm!

After lunch we set out and paddled a short way over to a small rocky island, where we grouped up again, and Mark gave us a "pep talk" about the hazards on the crossing we would be doing when we left the lee of the island. We practiced a bit of low bracing and then we went for it! – Another pretty bumpy, windy ordeal, but we all made it just fine, and I must say the whole hanging around and going over all the possible hazards were more unsettling and nerve-wracking to me that the actual crossing!

We made another stop at the Te Pahi Island, which has great historic significance to the Maoris. A Maori tribe had been massacred there in a case of mistake identity. We hiked up the remains of the terraces to the top of the Island where the chief had lived. Mark knew his history pretty well, so that was interesting. We then paddled on for another bit to our campsite at Warora Bay, were we were going to stay for the next 3 nights.

It was a pretty site, but the wind was howling – we had paddled in about 20 knots, and the wind was getting worse over the next few days, so Jan and I declined going on the scheduled day trips – it was simply too dangerous for us to launch and land from that beach, the swells had been steadily building and they were breaking over a large area. As a matter of fact Mark was giving us another lengthy safety talk the next morning, because we were planning on doing rough water rescue practice. He had his back to the ocean and I was just watching the sets coming in, each one bigger than the previous, thinking: "I don't really know if I want to kill myself just yet!?" So when I got a chance I said: "Excuse me Mark, but seems to me that the conditions are deteriorating quickly, and I really don't feel comfortable going out through those breakers, never mind landing again, especially without a helmet – I think this is way over my skill level, not to mention comfort level?" So Mark says: "Good observation, Eva, I really appreciate that you have the courage to speak up; but helmets are not going to make any difference. It's up to each of you to decide if you want to go out or not." So Jan and I went for a hike in the back hills, while Mark and Erwan went out. The next day was pretty much the same; only the wind was blowing even harder, and the swells not receding, so another land-locked hiking day for Jan and myself. The following day we were supposed to do an open ocean crossing, but under the condition that was out of the question. By now the weather service was predicting 30-knot winds, so Mark arranged for a shuttle to pick us up about an hour's paddle away.

Mark was a slow starter in the morning, so when we finally got off, he urged us to paddle hard! – Heck Jan and I hadn't been on the water for 2 days, and really would like to enjoy paddling, not participate in a race! This was a point of contention throughout the trip for Jan and me, breakfast and lunch dragged out, and then Mark wanted to go "straight across" or "paddle fast" – we wanted to have time to bird watch, enjoy the landscape, take a few photos, etc. and didn't mind being in the boats for 3 hours or more, as long as we could paddle at a pace that suited us, not constantly have to try and keep up with his pace! After a few days it really started to irritate us, and we did rebel a bit – not that he ever really got the point, mind you!

Our next campsite was Orehei Bay on Urupukapuka Island, and because of the windy, rainy weather Jan and I opted to go for a cabin that night, get a warm shower, and we all had dinner at the restaurant there. Mark had already from the start stated that he intended to eat there, and if anybody wanted to stay back in camp and eat, they were welcome to do so, only he also pointed out it would be a cold meal, since he did not allow anybody else to light the stoves, due to fire hazards. The manager was kind enough to cook for us, even though they were technically closed at 5 pm – what a sweetheart! Maybe he knew that our Mark was not exactly the most creative chef in the world! – Yes, I know it says sumptuous meals in his brochure, but don't believe it!

Urupukapuka Island was lovely, we actually got a few rays of sunshine, and the little bay was very protected so the water looked deceptively calm. The next day we paddled around a point to get to the next campsite in Cable Bay. – Boy, the minute we rounded that point we really had to paddle hard to make any headway through the wind! Jan and I quickly decided that we would hike back over for our re-supplies of food instead of paddling. – Yes, hauling the re-supplies was our job! We were beginning to realize that even if we were not slave labor we were definitely guest-labor, and really just accompanying Mark on HIS vacation! Well, the hike over was beautiful, and we actually snug in a double cappuccino and a Cadbury chocolate bar at the cafeteria, yum!

From Urupukapuka Island we paddled out to Deepwater Cove, where we were going to camp for a couple of nights, and that's also were we were going to start our hike from, to get out to Cape Brett. This was probably the most enjoyable paddle of the whole trip, the weather was fairly nice, the wind had receded, and Jan and I insisted on the longer route along the coastline at a reasonable pace, so we could actually enjoy the experience of being in these beautiful surroundings, and savor them! What a novel idea! We refused to go through narrow passages, or try to make it over shallow reefs, but stayed in the nice, calmer waters. A real chicken paddle I guess, but boy did we love it!

Deepwater Cove was beautiful, but the campsite was not that great. - A pretty short, steep beach, very tall grass, and lots of sand flies! My poor ankles can still attest to that. After setting up camp Jan and I went on a little paddle to explore the cove, and had a nice afternoon and evening, we even went for a swim, and just enjoyed the surroundings.

The next day should have been the hiking day, but since the weather was finally giving us a respite, Mark decided we should do the paddle out to the Hole in the Rock, and postpone the hike a day. There was a bit of conflict with Erwan, since he really did not want to spend 2 days on a hike he had known nothing about. I can't blame him, poor guy gets stuck with two middle-aged women, who are definitely not looking for adrenaline rushes by near-death experiences, but who get really excited when they spot a Pukeko! (That's a bird!)

The paddle out to the Hole in the Rock was beautiful, challenging in places, but worth it. As we rounded Cape Brett the ocean was alive with schools of fish and thousands of gulls and shear-waters – quite fantastic! The ocean got pretty rough at this point, and when we rounded the Hole in the Rock it got really rough and confused, and Jan and I were not about to go through the Hole, just wanted to go back to more sheltered waters ASAP. So Mark just set off with Erwan, and Jan and I made it back around the side of the island, where we waited for the guys to appear, hoping we would not be run down by The Excitor or any of the other tour boats that frequent the waters there at neck-breaking speed. Mark had already entertained us with a story about how a couple of his kayakers almost got killed by one of those boats! Very reassuring! As you can see, we lived to tell! The paddle back was nice, but then anything after that ordeal felt like no big deal!

That night it rained hard, so we had nice, soggy tents to pack up, but got everything back in the boats and paddled a short distance to the trailhead, hid the kayaks, donned our hiking gear and set out on our hike. It stayed dry and the sun did break through occasionally, so it was a beautiful hike, but strenuous, good thing we had brought our hiking poles. After about 3 hours Jan and I made it to the Cape Brett Lighthouse. The guys were way ahead of us, but then they didn't see the Fantails and the Silver Eye, etc.! (I am talking birds again!) We all got settled in the hut, picking out our bunk bed for the night. The views were stunning, and we could look down on the waters we had paddled the day before. – Pinpoint the places where we had been scared S....less! Quite a difference looking down on the ocean from way up high to being in the middle of what seems like mayhem!

The next morning we got up, it was rainy, no coffee, because we were running out of coffee!! Cereal with milk powder and water - absolutely delicious (just kidding!)– and then off on the return hike on the slippery slopes. We wanted to get an early start so we could paddle back to Urupukapuka Island to camp there. Jan and I agreed with Erwan that there was no reason to spend two full days on the hike, especially in the light of the fact that Jan and I had not gotten as much paddling in, as we would have liked due to the weather conditions, and Erwan thought he had signed up for 10 days paddling only. I don't think Mark was too thrilled with our little rebellion, but he knew he was outnumbered, so he agreed. We had lunch when we got back to the kayaks – please pick through the moldy bread, and make yourself a sandwich! After a 3-hour hike and no coffee in the morning!!! Yes, this was definitely a deluxe outfit with sumptuous meals all right!

It was raining and misting, but the wind wasn't too bad, and it was at our backs, so it was a nice paddle despite the weather. Along the way Mark spotted some penguins – the first on the trip! Do you think he stopped, so we could get a glimpse of them? Heck no, he just powered forward – it really irritated me! Luckily one little penguin must have felt my frustration, because it popped up right beside my boat, so I could get a good look before it dove again!

We were happy to see familiar Urupukapuka Island in the distance, and soon headed up the beach in search of shelter from the increasing wind and rain! We set up camp, and Jan and I snug out for another hike. Goal: The cafeteria on the other side, and a glass of wine - just "the girls"! Mission accomplished! When we came back we found that Mark was not planning on setting up the tarp for our usual common gathering spot, because of the wind. That was about it for poor Erwan, he got really upset, he was wet, cold, and I don't think he felt like spending the last night of the trip eating alone in his tent – can't say I blamed him! Anyway, I went and talked to Mark, and Erwan and I set up the tarp, it didn't blow down, and we could have dinner together – spaghetti. It wasn't bad, (but no parmesan cheese to put on?) I think it was the 5th or 6th pasta meal out of 8 cooked by Mark, so let's say a little more variety would have been appreciated! But what the heck, I was hungry, because moldy bread wasn't exactly my cup of tea, and we had hiked 3 hours, then paddled a couple, set up camp, hiked some more that day, so pretty much anything would taste good, as long as it wasn't moldy or rotten!

That night the wind howled, the rain gushed, and I think we were all praying that we would be able to get off the island, and out of the rain! Well, it was windy, and it was rainy, but we could pack up camp and paddle back to the van – Hallelujah! No more listening to Mark's perverted sexual fantasies – let's just say they involved fishnet stockings, high heels, French maid outfits, and a whip!! He also suggested that one of the things Jan and I should definitely make time for during our brief stay in Auckland was a visit to the Mermaid Bar – I believe it revolves around diving strippers, who can perform amazing things under water – really brilliant suggestion for two straight middle-aged women, don't you think?

We all said "Thank You, but No Thank you" to Mark's offer of a farewell lunch and paddle before heading into Paihia – I don't think any of us could face another tomato sandwich on either moldy bread or crackers, and then have to do the dishes again!

Back in Paihia, we enjoyed a shower, getting all our wet stuff dried, and headed for our favorite restaurant in town - Tides – where we enjoyed a fantastic meal – amazing what 10 days of so-so food will do for your appreciation of even the simplest things!

The next morning we decided to take a quick ferry ride over to Russell – New Zealand's first capital, a lovely little village – it reminded us a bit of Carmel 30 years ago! In the afternoon we hopped on the bus back to Auckland – enjoyed the lovely landscape as we drove south, and looked forward to hooking up with our friends in Auckland, who had opened their home to us while there. They were really relieved to hear that Mark was American and not a Kiwi, when they heard of the not so great food, etc. In their home we were spoiled rotten and pampered like queens!

Before we had to go back to the US we spent a day out on the Island of TiriTiri Matangi, which is a bird sanctuary. – They replanted the entire island with native trees in the 1980-ties, and since then native birds have been reintroduced. Some naturally as the forest has matured, others have been set out and they are now thriving there, because the island is completely free of any foreign predators. The weather was beautiful, and we saw a lot of rare and beautiful birds – definitely worth a visit! We spent another day taking the ferry out to the young volcanic island of Rangitoto, which was created only 600 years ago, when the volcano erupted. We hiked up to the top, and then took the trail around the crater. We were surprised at how much vegetation was there, but it made for a nice hike, and an enjoyable way to spend our last day in Auckland. Unfortunately we ran out of time to visit the Mermaid Bar!!

Conclusion: New Zealand, and more particularly The Bay of Islands and what we saw of Auckland and it surrounding areas are definitely worth a visit. The people are very friendly – we did have to put up with a bit of teasing about ol' George W and Arnie – but all in friendly jest! The scenery is beautiful, even in rainy weather. However, as I am sure you can gather from my report, I cannot really recommend going with New Zealand Kayaking Adventures – at least not with Mark as the guide. The equipment, such as kayaks, paddles, etc. was fine, he does have a lot of knowledge of the area, but the service level is nil. Mark is definitely NOT geared for the more laid-back paddler, and his campsite manners are appalling. The food nothing to brag about, seems like it is very much low budget, no imagination. However, the biggest minus was really his inappropriate – I hate to use the word, but here it applies – male chauvinistic jokes and comments. It really doesn't make you feel comfortable in the camping situation, where you have to be a bit closer to strangers than you might feel comfortable with to begin with. Sad to say but true, in spite of Mark, it was a good trip that could have been a great trip with the right guide.