Sea Kayaking in New Zealand
After a few days in Auckland and time spent cooped up inside our campervans, I was excited about the chance to go Sea Kayaking.
Getting out in nature and the great outdoors and experiencing the scenery first hand is what New Zealand is all about.
The landscape is well known for it’s natural beauty whether it be the mountains, bays, or coastline and sea kayaking is a great way to get out on the water and close to nature…
Our guides from Pacific Coast Kayaks put us through the usual safety briefing, and then it was time to grab a paddle and a kayak and hit the water.
Kowharewa Bay area
Pacific Bay
We spent around two hours kayaking and with the strong taste of salt water spraying into our mouths we explored the Kowharewa Bay area and also the nearby Church Bay and Pacific Bay.
The Northland region in which we were kayaking offers diverse opportunities to explore coves, white sand beaches, and spectacular coastal formations in clear subtropical waters in what is the countries warmest region.
Pacific Bay
Pacific bay
You can paddle single or double kayaks and Pacific Coast kayaks runs local half day tours and full day tours to suit every level of ability and age.
double kayaks
The Facts:
Location - Pacific Coast Kayaks is based at Onerahi next to the Waikaraka Marine Reserve and Limestone Island with easy access to theWhangarei Heads.
What to Bring – Waterproof bag for your camera and suitable clothing, you will get wet. Also, wetsuit booties / ‘rock shoes’ or jandals or sandals or running shoes are good choices for your feet.
Plus, don’t forget a sun hat and sunglasses and a change of clothes and a towel for afterwards.
Website - www.NZSeaKayaking.co.nz
QUESTION….Have you been sea kayaking before? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below…
My trip to New Zealand is courtesy of Qantas and the Great Crusade tour, however all opinions are entirely my own.
Craig
Craig Makepeace is the co-founder of yTravel Blog and has been traveling and living around the world since 2002, first with his wife Caz, and now with his two daughters Kalyra and Savannah. Don't miss his 9 best tips to help you travel more. Follow him on Google+
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33 comments on “Sea Kayaking in New Zealand”
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That is my HEAVEN!! Jealous!
I looked at those photos and thought it looked like paradise – of course the Whangarei Harbour is my family’s playground – so grateful! It’s amazing how quickly the kids pick up sea kayaking too. Such a peaceful thing to do on a nice day to get in touch with the beauty of NZ coastal. Thanks!
Hi Keryn,
If that’s the case then your family has a great playground
That looks beautiful!! Can’t wait to get up there and try. By the way sorry about Ireland this week! I’ll be seeing the Wallabies this Friday in Wellington! But supporting the USA.
Hey Bobbi,
Don’t worry too much about us Wallabies supporters. We always bounce back! Hope you make it up this way for some kayaking.
Looks amazing! Must have been a good way to get your mind off the Wallabies loss.
Yes Pete, it was amazing and a great way to forget about the Rugby World Cup for a few hours
I have only had the opportunity to kayak in the ocean a couple of times. I loved it, and I look forward to doing it more.
Stephanie that was only my second time also. The first was in Thailand. If you come to NZ add it to your itinerary!
I was looking for a website to book new zealand experiences and stumbled upon these guys. http://www.travelsavernz.com. They seem fairly competitive and offer discounts on NZ experiences.
Hey Jamie,
Thanks for the link. When are you visiting NZ?
I have signed up to go Kayaking when I reach Kas next month. Is it hard to stay balanced? What are the chances of the boat flipping over?
Hi Natalie,
It’s very easy to stay balanced. The kayaks are pretty stable and you have an oar that helps you balance also. I wouldn’t worry about flipping unless you had extreme choppy water. By the way, where is Kas?
That has eased my mind Craig. Looking forward to it now. – Kas is on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Quite nice from what I have heard. While us Brits tend to gather on the Aegean coast, I have heard the Americans head for Kas.
Ooh, reading this post makes me wish that we had the chance to kayak in New Zealand when we were there. We had it all lined up and booked, but then the weather was terrible and it was cancelled. Oh well, it is just another reason to go back to New Zealand!
Yes Deb, it’s a shame you couldn’t do it then but there’s always next time
That looks amazing. We own a canoe, which we dont use enough! But havent tried a kayaking before. Your photos are gorgeous – love how you take them!
Cheers
Lisa
Thanks Lisa. You should give kayaking a go. It’s another great way to get out on the water!
Glad to see you’re still having fun on your group holiday
New Zealand is a beautiful country, I hope to see it one day.
I love kayaking! I did it twice when I lived in New Zealand to Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach in the Coromandel. Beautiful and so much fun!
G’day Rebecca,
There are many opportunities in NZ. Next time I visit will make time for more of it.
Love kayaking but haven’t made it to New Zealand yet. One day, fingers crossed…
Abi,
Let me know if you ever need any New Zealand tips? Happy to help
New Zealand has been high on our to-do list for a long, long time. The long flight has kept us from that part of the world so far, but we’ll be making the trek soon.
In the mean-time, we found a totally incredible place to sea kayak closer to home. Pictured Rock National Lakeshore in Michigan is over the top. We’ve got some photos posted here http://wp.me/pWKMo-TL It’s a place that’s worth a stop when you don’t have the time to get all the way to New Zealand.
Happy Travels,
Brian
Hey Brian,
Thanks for the tips on Michigan. Have heard about all the lakes up that way. Hope you make it to NZ soon!
Ahhh – that water looks so refreshing! I love that about NZ
…and not as cold as I thought it would be
Looks so beautiful there! I went sea kayaking in Ha Long Bay in Vietnam few weeks ago, It is a great way to see the place! highly recommend.
Hi Jarmo,
Ahh…Halong Bay. I have done a cruise but not kayaked there. Sounds cool.
BBRRRR are you not cold? It is still much too cold around Wellington for water sports!
Jade, it was actually not too bad. But white water rafting, that was a different story!
Wow what colors! This looks like so much fun and beautiful scenery.
Hey Laura,
Yeah the scenery plus good weather made for a fun day.