Saturday 29 December 2012

Kayak Tamaki Strait - Browns and Motuihe Islands

Who: Annette, Shirley and George, (Shirley's dad), in Ciao and Bluey
When: 29 December 2012

A sunny day with light winds, a beckoning sea and lots of Christmas dinners to work off - a perfect opportunity to take the boats out for the day.

We decided to Island hop, aiming to go to Browns, Motuihe and Waiheke. Setting out early from Eastern Beach, it was an easy thing to get started. Yay for carparks close to the water.

The tide was just turning to go out when we started, but we didn't really feel much advantage while at shore. We were in exploratory moods and I had just bought my waterproof camera, so today was as much about taking photos and going with the flow as actually getting anywhere.

Following the coastline from Eastern Beach. New camera working nicely!
Skirting the coast until we reached the headland of Musick Point, we then turned towards Browns. It wasn't the cruisiest paddle with the wind working against us. In Bluey, I loved riding the wake of the many boats that shared the water with us. Have mostly paddled in Ciao, it was a new experience to do so much on my own in Bluey, with such a light paddle.

Bluey and I take on the Strait
The Islands beckon
We arrived at Browns after about an hour of paddling, longer than it would usually take. We didn't want to round the island due to the wind and there were no suitable places to put in where we were, so we rafted together to eat our morning tea close to shore. The bobbing wasn't great for Annette's sea-legs and we decided to get back to work quickly for that reason.

Break time off Browns
Next stop, Motuihe. We were all a bit tired at this point and the wind was more than we had expected, so we spent another hour or so getting there.

Jelly arms at the beach
It was good to pull in to the beach and stand up. My arms, not used to paddling without a partner, were jellied! After lunch on the beach, including lots of scroggin and chocolate, it was time to explore. Motuihe has a DOC campground and a number of walks to explore the bush and remnants of settlements. With a history as a quarantine station for those with influenza, it was fascinating and quite sobering to visit the hilltop cemetery and read the inscriptions on the graves. So many young people.

Motuihe walk
Motuihe walk
We came from that-a-way
Motuihe walk
We didn't take too long on Motuihe. The idea of paddling on to Waiheke had been mooted long before - we were all tired and the wind was picking up. Time for home. My arms were still like jelly and I realised that I would not have the strength to safely paddle Bluey back. I swapped to Ciao, leaving my dad to be the solo paddler.

The return home was bittersweet. My dad had come for the sailing and isn't a keen paddler. Yet, he was now stuck in a kayak without a sail. Annette and I, on the other hand, FLEW back to shore with the wind filling the sail magnificently. It was so much fun - the first decent sail we've had in Ciao. So in between whoops of delight and a touch of terror, we were feeling sorry for my dad and attempting to stay as close to him in Bluey as possible. Not easy when you are almost taking off.

It was very low tide when we arrived back at Eastern Beach and, despite my dad paddling quite a different route to us on the way back, we arrived within minutes of each other. We were amazed at how he had managed to keep up.

Lots of wading with the boats through shallows later, we got to shore and realised that the paddle had taken a toll on my dad. Quite a somber ending to our adventure, with me taking him to the doctor on the way home. (All good at the end.)

What we did well:
1) Knew our limits and cut the adventure down, as well as swapping boats for me.
2) Sailing Ciao - what a rush!

What we learned:
1) My dad prefers to be a sailor, not a paddler.
2) The boats have different strengths. If we are to stay together when paddling, we need to find a way for Bluey to sail.
3) Activity is the best way to stave off seasickness for Annette. Bobbing in the ocean is not the best thing.

To figure out: How to sail a normal kayak? Watch this space...


Saturday 29 September 2012

Kayak Hoteo River - paddling under kowhai blossoms

Who: Shirley and Annette in Ciao
When: 29 September 2012

The Hoteo River, about an hour north of Auckland city and feeding into the Kaipara Harbour, was beckoning. The kowhai trees were in bloom and from a previous boat trip, Annette knew that the banks were lined with them.

We got on the water at about 9am after parking at a boat club, just to the left of the road after the bridge over the river. There is a boat ramp, but we found it easier to carry Ciao down the jetty and lower her in from there.

We had timed the tides right, coming in on the incoming tide to return on the outgoing. Today was all about relaxing and enjoying the kowhai blossoms with the occasional paddle dip in the water to feel like we were doing something.

The river is wide and fast flowing, with farmland on either side and the bush of Mt Auckland in the distance. After about half an hour, we came to the tributary we were looking for on the right. As soon as we entered it, it felt like we were in another world. Banks closed in and farmland disappeared behind native bush, especially kowhai. Birds were in full song and it was a treat to drift along and take it all in.

Kowhai trees

Like yellow confetti raining down on us

Obligatory arty shot

 

As the branch narrowed, we pulled in to a rather muddy bank for lunch. We chose the spot because it was the first place we could find with an easy bank to get on - it must have been the easiest access there because it was covered in sheep poo. Not the nicest place to sit!
Sheep poo bank. Not a long stop.

After lunch, a short paddle brought us to a pontoon and more evidence of sheep - a bloated, very dead one bobbing in the stream. I remembered my dad's exploits, throwing stones at a bloated cow and making it explode, but we thought better of it with the sheep. Tempting though.

There was not much left to paddle after the pontoon. The stream soon became a creek and the bush gave way to paddocks again. We went as far as we could and turned around, upsetting a family of paradise ducks who quacked and squawked and swam right in front of us for a few minutes. Finally they realised that turning to the side was the solution, since we couldn't go anywhere else.
Turning back

Pontoon - not much paddling after this point. See the dead sheep in the background?
Back at the pontoon, we played Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer for a few minutes and Annette got her hand jammed between Ciao and the wood. Ouch.
Bliss

The tide had turned and it was time to drift back to the starting point. It was a muddy affair to get Ciao out of the water via the boat ramp, but very manageable.
View along the Hoteo, returning back to the start

Driving back to civilisation, we felt as if we'd been in an untouched land for a real escape. Fabulous.
Good shoes for the job. No other jobs though.

What we did well: Getting the season and tides just right for a relaxing drift under falling kowhai blossoms.

What we learned:
1) Sheep like easy access to water too.
2) Hands are not good buffers between boats and pontoons.

Regrets: Not throwing a stone and exploding that bloated sheep.
The route

Friday 1 June 2012

Kayak Drury Creek and Bottletop Bay - repeat visits

Who: Annette and Shirley in Ciao
When: 3-4 times over 2012

The Drury creek is kayaked with guides and just a few minutes' drive from my house, so it was one of the first places we started exploring with Ciao.

The good thing about this trip is that it can be done on the incoming tide from Bottletop Bay down the creek, or on the outgoing tide from Drury. We usually would do a return trip and wait for the tide to turn, but for a longer, less repetitive trip, we would park one car at either end and do some back-and-forthing. (Easier to do with more than two people though!)

Sorry about the lack of photos for these trips - the waterproof camera had not yet been bought and the few photos I took on my ipod have disappeared.

Going from Drury:

Driving down Great South Road from Papakura to Drury, a small culvert runs under the road just before getting to the town centre and there is a car-park with water access on the right.
Almost immediately, you pass underneath the motorway bridge - a noisy but unique experience. From there, you meander through farm land, passing duck maimais and the occasional hand-made, rickety jetty. We've seen plenty of kingfisher and there are usually ducks. It is a peaceful trip, though not incredibly exciting, scenery-wise, unless you are crazy about mangroves.

There is a side-branch of the river that travels further south. Having seen it from the road before, we aimed to go there once, but took the first branch to the left, which led us down a tiny creek instead, skirting the industrial block of Drury. Not quite what we had bargained for! If we go again, we will take the second branch instead!

After winding along the river for some time, it opens up to a bay where you can choose to explore the Whangapouri or Oira creeks to the left. We have never bothered - they look about the same as Drury creek.

The Hingaia Road bridge is over quite shallow water, causing some small rapids in the area when the tide is moving. Annette discovered this on one trip, where I had received an unexpected, important phone call and was deep in conversation, quite oblivious to what was happening while she negotiated us single-handedly through the white water. Go, Annette!

After the bridge, the river widens to join the Pahurehure inlet at Bottletop Bay. Some beautiful lifestyle blocks can be seen along the shore, as well as one tree with so many pine cones - we did a collection once for the fireplace - from tree to our feet in Ciao!

Bottletop Bay has a car park and boat ramp that gets very muddy - I have scars.

The trip, taken in either direction, can last from a couple of hours to a full day, depending on how much effort or exploring is put in. While I doubt we would go back, since there are many more interesting places to explore, I would happily take niece or nephews there. It's a good beginner's trip.

Good for: learning the highs and lows of tidal travel.
Not so good for: scenery, especially if you take the first branch to the left. Also, you hear the motorway for much of the Drury end of the trip - not my idea of getting away from things.

The route can be taken in either direction, depending on the tide

Thursday 19 April 2012

First real kayak! Wairoa River in Clevedon

Who: Annette and Shirley in Ciao
When: 19 April 2012
(Written in August 2014, in retrospect)

The boat had been bought on a whim, after years of saying it would be nice to have one. Not technically a kayak, Ciao is a handmade sailing canoe. The maker was elderly and his wife was sick, so when I saw the advertisement on trademe's 'Cool Auctions' page, I showed it to my dad, we immediately decided to go halves and I clicked 'Buy Now'. That is the beginning of our love affair with all things kayaking.

A few weeks later, after family had tried Ciao out, Annette and I had a go. We decided to paddle / sail the Wairoa River, putting in at the bridge on the Clevedon-Kawakawa Road, about 350m from the roundabout to town.

We put in at low tide, which proved difficult. The Wairoa is extremely tidal and there was a significant drop from the jetty to the water. A lot of effort and mud later, we finally were afloat just after 10am.

Mud from getting the boat in the water!
This was a good experience - we now know to think carefully about tides - not only for access but ease - when kayaking, think of going outwards on outgoing tides and inwards on incoming. We have found that mid-tide often works well for us on one-way trips, because we can let the water help us out in both directions.

Back to the trip - the Wairoa River is pretty and quaint near the bridge. Hard to believe that it was a major thoroughfare for ferries to Auckland from the 1860s to the 1920s as we paddled between narrow banks of weeping willows and cottage gardens.

The river is starting to widen up
After about ten minutes, it widens up and we saw more farmland on either side. There was not enough wind to do anything with the sails and I had the mizzen wrongly rigged anyway, so we drifted and put the paddles in the water from time to time.

With the tide out, there was a lot of mud. The river widened and we started to see more jetties. At one point we passed a large mud flat with a tussock area in the middle - maps had shown an island, but probably only at high tide.

This first adventure consisted of a lot of oohing and aahing, very sporadic paddling, enjoying being outside, taking Instagram photos on our phones and eating the many snacks and chocolate we brought. A great introduction to kayaking!

The paddles posed more than worked
The river continued to widen and now we saw boats mooring at stakes on either side. The water marks on these were so much higher than the current level. We discovered another disadvantage of low tide here - it was impossible to get out of the boat for a needed loo stop - the muddy banks were just too slippery to get a hold of and even the few pontoons were too high.

Finally, after not being able to stop for a toilet or lunch break, it was getting rather important for us to pull alongside, however we could. We came across a group of boats around a floating jetty with a ramp to shore. Not being able to get on the jetty, we ended up pulling up to a boat and 'borrowing' its stern to get out of Ciao and cross to the jetty. A port-a-loo was at the top of the ramp on shore - yes!

We had hoped to reach the river mouth and were sure that we were nearly there, but were getting tired. Time to turn around and head home. It was amazing to see how quickly the incoming tide changed the area. There was an island now and far less mud. We also found that the water carried us, so we could just drift and enjoy. Fabulous!
Tough life on the return trip with the tide on our side

I discovered Instagram that day - worked great!
When we arrived back at the bridge jetty at about 3:20pm, it was much easier to lift Ciao out of the water. It and we were covered in mud but it was a fantastic introduction to getting outside on the water.

All that mud was from the beginning of the trip
Happy adventurers
Muddy butt
Things we did right: took a map of the river and had a good idea of where we were at all times, snacks, taking photos
Things still to learn: the impact of tides on accessibility and movement.
Our route