Kayak Duder to Clevedon - sea to river, walking in embarrassing shoes and rain

Who: Shirley and Annette in Ciao
When: 27 October, 2013
(Written in August 2014, in retrospect)

Horrible weather and busy lives had stopped us from hitting the water for months, so this trip was going to happen, no matter what!

The weather was iffy - windy with the chance of rain, but no matter. We had wills. There was a way.

We'd kayaked the Wairoa River at Clevedon before, but wanted to round the peninsula at Duder Regional Park and enter the mouth to the Wairoa River, paddling to town.

For this, we needed two cars. We parked Annette's at the bridge at Clevedon, where we would end up, then drove up to where North Road meets Maraetai Coast Road, right at the sea. The plan was to sail down to Annette's car, then I would drive hers up to get mine, swap, bring mine down, get Ciao and her, drive back and pick up her car again. Complex? Well, we had it sorted in our minds.

All excited to get on the water - that water, far away!

The tide was low when we started, because we wanted to come in on the incoming tide. (The Wairoa River gets VERY low and VERY muddy if the tide is too low - we will save how we learned that for another post.) It was a bit of an effort to drag Ciao, about 30kg, across the mud to get to the water and we started paddling just after 9am.

It's a sailor's life!

A decent wind meant that we could put the sail up and fly around the peninsula. Nothing beats the feeling of racing across the water, sail full and line (that's the technical word for the rope tied to the sail. I had to Google it. Don't tell my sailor dad,) pulling your hand. Fabulous!

Rounding the point

We rounded the peninsula in record time, well aware of the people watching us from the hill. ("Yes, we are flying. Yes, we are fabulous.") It was about then that we both realised - Annette's car keys, the ones we needed for her car at the end of our trip, were in the glove box of my car. The one parked at the beginning of our trip, a 'fly-at-ridiculous-speed-across-the-water' distance away.

Dang.

There was no way we would be able to paddle back effectively against such a wind, so we pulled in to Duder's and resigned ourselves to having to walk back to the car. I drew the short straw, so got to walk while Annette kept guard over Ciao on the beach. (This is South Auckland, after all. Not the best idea to leave the boat unattended.)

Not having planned to walk today, my shoes were at home. I would like to add for the record here, that we do not think Crocs shoes are cool. Except for kayaking. They are great for kayaking! But not for public viewing or walking or admitting to owning at all. Well, having no shoes other than my dear Crocs meant that I had to do the walk of gravel and shame for 45 minutes each way to the car to get the keys. I will say no more. The memory is still painful.

After returning to the kayak and hearing Annette's woes of sunbathing, taking copious photos and boredom while waiting, (no, not sympathetic at all,) we finally got down to getting on the water again.

Annette's boredom photo 1

Annette's boredom photo 273

Just past the mouth of the river

Entering the Wairoa river, the scenery changes. It is wide and busy at the mouth. Many boats moor up-river, so a few were coming and going, including a Coastguard with a broken down boat in tow. I wasn't the only one having a rough day.

Rain is POURING down

We pulled in to some mangroves to have lunch and the skies opened. Not too heavy at first, but as we headed down-river, there was a downpour. At one point, I was blinking waterfalls. But we were outside and like water, right?

It was about 3pm when we finally got to the bridge, not long after seeing some Olympian looking kayaker racing past us. We pretended to be fit and unperturbed by the weather as he passed, of course.

After the rain

After the car back-and-forthing to get both cars and Ciao home, we got back to my place at about 4:30pm.

Despite the challenges, it was fun!

Must-haves: Both sets of car keys, raincoats, walking shoes for 'just in case'.

The route we took. The dotted lines are the walk.

Kayak Cockle Bay to Whitford - goodbye, summer holidays

Who: Shirley and Annette in Ciao
When: 3 February 2013

With school, (therefore, work,) set to start the next day for me, it was a perfect opportunity to get out for a day-trip. The estuary leading into Whitford remained unexplored and looked interesting on the map, so that's where we headed.

Parking at the beach at Cockle Bay, we quickly rounded the peninsula with a decent breeze filling the sail. It was good to see so many others on the water and around the shoreline, enjoying the sunshine.

On the other side, many boats were moored and we enjoyed some sailing with the wind for the fun of it.

Finding the branch of the estuary to lead to Whitford wasn't as easy as we had expected. We soon realised that the clear waterways on the map were muddled by mangroves in real life. Nevertheless, we found it without stress and set down among closing-in banks to explore further.

Island on the map? You mean that muddy mangrove section? This was not our most picturesque paddle, but who cared. It was outside and relaxing.

Paddling among mangroves

Mangroves - this might have been the island (?)

We explored a branch to the left that ended nowhere, then set back to go right, under the Whitford-Maraetai road and down Turanga creek.

Just before the bridge and on the right is quite a busy boat ramp. I suppose that if we had wanted a cafe experience in Whitford, that would have been a good place to get out, but instead, we kept going.

Due to the high tide, the bridge was very low for us - we realised this and removed the masts just in time!

Turanga creek is quaint, weaving between a park, then bush on the left bank and lifestyle properties on the right. We meandered down there for about twenty minutes before it ended at a golf course. A bit surreal for us to suddenly arrive at a green with golfers playing nearby.

We turned around and 'borrowed' the use of a bank at a farm to eat lunch at. Ciao decided it was time to go just before we did and we caught her starting to drift off as we went back to her. Nothing a quick wade and grab couldn't fix.

The tide had dropped significantly by the time we got back to the bridge. (Yes, we time these things well - more drifting for us!) We got chatting with an older couple, also kayaking. They were interested in Ciao and we, their paddles. We were told that they were Greenland paddles, modelled on those used by the Inuit and very light and effective. I had considered getting normal kayak paddles to replace Ciao's heavy wooden ones but knew they would look wrong. These Greenland paddles, however, look just the part.

Greenland Paddles from Google images - no copyright

With the estuary widening out again, we stopped off at the right bank before heading back to Cockle Bay. This area is known as a home for the NZ dotterel, one of the world's rarest birds, along with many other coastal wading birds. No idea if we saw the dotterel or not, but there were lots of birds and lots of mud when we put in to shore.

Tide way out as we pulled in near the bird colony

Watch out for the rare NZ dotterel - not sure what to look for though

Heading back to the car afterwards was fun. We managed to almost surf in with the wind in sail. A great day out with a good mix of sea, estuary and stream. While it was not as breath-takingly beautiful as some previous kayak locations, it was still lovely. I would recommend it as a good beginner's paddle.

Watch out for: low bridges and high masts
Look into: Greenland paddles

Our route. Pretty much the same way back, with a stop at the end of Potts / Clifton roads to see birds.

5 days, 4 friends, 3 boats, 1 lake. Much fun! Kayaking Lake Waikaremoana

Who: Shirley, Annette and two friends
When:  9-15 Jan, 2013  

Five day trip, approx. 4 hours paddling per day. 

Deep in the heart of Te Urewera National Park is Lake Waikaremoana.  This treasure is home to one of New Zealand’s great walks.  But we weren’t interested in tramping it, we were here to paddle it.  

Day One:  travelling

This is one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand, well worth the drive to get to it.  This area boasts the longest stretch of gravel road in the country. It takes time to drive with a trailer of kayaks and gear.  But let me tell you that it is worth every bump. It is about 5 hours drive from Auckland.  You can approach it from the other end and avoid the gravel road, or you can stay over in Rotorua on the down to break up the journey.  We stayed at the Mokau Landing DOC campsite.   

Tip:  We had some free time that afternoon to drive along to the visitors centre at the corner of State Highway 38 and Aniwaniwa Road.  This was a great idea as we could ask them for up-to-date weather information and also let them know our plans.  It is important to make sure that people are aware of where you plan to head in case something goes wrong.  Rescue is much quicker if people know where you are. 

Day Two: Bumpy Seas – 2 hours paddling

It took us longer to pack up the kayaks and get ourselves ready than we expected.  We have learned since we did this kayak that packing takes time.  By the time we had packed we were in need of a cuppa.  What better to use than my brand new kettle!

Tea tastes better when made in a red kettle.

Unfortunately our slow progress meant the winds picked up.  We learned from kayakers we met later on, that early morning and late afternoon are the calmest times on a lake.  If you have a difficult patch to tackle don’t do it in the middle of the day.  Unaware of this we headed off to cross a narrow part of the lake… in the middle of the day.  

Here we are waiting for the winds to die down

 across the Whanganui Inlet.

The winds dropped a bit and we decided to start our journey.  Looking back on that crossing we learned a couple of important things: 

1)      If windy weather is forecast, as I mentioned, don’t cross in the middle of the day

2)      Talk about your plans as a team and make sure everyone understands the plan – before you launch.  Once you are out in the middle of a bumpy sea it is impossible to communicate! It is important to stick together and make sure that everyone is doing okay. 

With all that said, we made it safely across and found ourselves a wonderful camping spot.  We named it ‘Best Camp’ but its official name is Otekuri Bay. 

Around Lake Waikaremoana we free camped.  This means we simply pulled into a bay and found flat ground to pitch our two tents.  We had been told about a couple of good spots that are used often, and we found a couple of new spots on the way.  Make sure you take biodegradable toilet paper and a small spade with you.  And in the absence of showers you will need biodegradable liquid soap to wash in the lake. This is a national park so putting toxic products into the lake is not a wise idea. I bought a good product from an outdoors shop that worked as a soap, dishwashing liquid and shampoo.

This is my idea of a perfect breakfast spot!

Day two: Umbrellas.  A whole day paddling.

A beautiful day awaited us so we packed up camp and headed out around the headland and through what is known as The Narrows.  This is a tricky stretch of water.  During certain times of the year this narrow stretch of water can be very dangerous.  We were cautious, but the day was lovely and our progress was good. Once we exited The Narrows, some good puffs of wind meant we were able to put Ciao’s sails up and move along at speed. We decided to try out our new toys:  umbrellas!  A good sturdy golf umbrella acts like a kayak sail. 

Mary Poppins

This was the first trip where we tried out umbrellas as kayak sails.  Kirstie achieved great success! She may not look like she is moving, but she is. 

However, we soon learned a good lesson with our umbrellas.  When holding an umbrella it is important to have this firmly attached to your kayak or life jacket by a strap.  If not, a very strong gust of wind will come along and launch the umbrella into the air and send it into the lake where it will sink to the bottom.  There it will remain no matter how hard you try to retrieve it. 

Here lies Molly the Brolly...

We abandoned Molly and headed along the coastline to a campsite we had been told about.  However, it was already occupied and those camping there were not at all keen to share it with us. This is the downside of free camping, you need to be flexible to changes of plans. So, we headed back the way we came to a flat patch we had spotted.  By the time we arrived our arms were jelly and we would go no further! 

Picture perfect?

It looks like a perfect camping spot but you cannot smell a photo… we named this spot ‘Stinky Bay Camp’. The highlight was that it was here Shirley tried out her new recipe; putting cake mix inside an orange and cooking it in the embers of the fire. Delicious!! All you have to do is hollow out some oranges, mix up a pre-bought cake mix with a bit of their juice, oil and water, (we added condensed milk too for a bit of extra luxury,) fill the oranges to three quarters, wrap them in foil and place them in the embers for about ten minutes.

Look at that intense concentration!

Night fell and we settled in to sleep.  It was then that we discovered that this is the place where the Wild Things play. Wild pigs, deer and possums all danced through the camp.  Tripping over the guy ropes of our tents, snorting and shrieking.  If you camp here then prepare yourself for a fun night!

Day three:  From Stink to Paradise – 5 hours easy paddling.

The day greeted us with a light breeze and sunshine.  Rather lacking in sleep, we packed and left our stinky camp site behind.  Hugging the coastline we explored the several tributaries off the side of the lake.  Beautiful still waters and a great way to start the day.

This bridge is where the Great Walk crosses the river.

 

After a gorgeous day paddling we found our way to a lovely white sand beach with flat ground for our tents.  What a spot to camp for the night. The definition of idyllic.

An added bonus was meeting some people on a launch who came back later on with a cooked trout for us, recently caught in the lake.  Hospitality in the wild!

Day Four: Facing the wind -  6 hours paddling

How do I describe day four?  What words can describe the feeling of extreme smallness in the face of extreme majesty? Let me try my best.

After visiting the Korokoro falls (by foot), we headed around the southern edge of the lake, hugging the shore as the winds picked up. It was hard work, each stroke of the paddles seeming to move us a tiny distance. Our only break was finding a bay that provided enough shelter for us to light the gas stove and brew a pot of tea with our lunch. It also meant riding some waves into shore, a bit of fun and exhilaration! 

We decided over lunch that we needed to push on and get through The Narrows to the other side. Our concern was that if the weather worsened we could be stuck on the Wairaumoana arm of the lake, and could wait for days for it to change. So, we worked out that we could handle it, and then headed back out into the fray.  Shirley and I were in Ciao and she does not handle a strong headwind. We were really struggling. But the day was Sunday and we were in the most majestic cathedral we knew. Tall, bush clothed mountains rising above us out of a stormy sea. So we started to sing, songs of praise to God. And as we sang we picked up pace, powering into each stroke. We discovered just the energy we needed to keep going.  We highly recommend singing while kayaking!

And then we came to The Narrows.  Facing the Panekiri bluff, we lined up Ciao, pointing her nose straight ahead.  With the waves and wind pushing us from behind we had to keep her straight and true.  And then we rode the waves! The others hugged the shore, using the hills to provide some shelter. I will never forget how very small I felt in that moment, completely at the mercy of the sea. I didn’t feel afraid, but instead in complete awe of the beauty of the scenery all around us.

This photo does not do it justice. 

Panekiri Bluff is to the right of the photo and 

is a dominating feature of the lake.

Not our best photo ever, but it captures 

the feeling of share exhilaration.  We made it!!

We arrived back at Best Camp completely buzzing. 

Day Five:the journey home - 1 1/2 hours paddling at most.

This time we faced the Whanganui inlet crossing with a lot more confidence.  We had spent five days on the lake and had arms of steel and bulging muscles!  It was a short paddle back to civilisation at Mokau Landing.  It was with very mixed feelings that we made land.  This was our first major kayak trip and the sense of accomplishment was great. We weren’t completely convinced we wanted it to end…

Tip:  We stayed in Rotorua on our way home to break up the journey.  We recommend you stay there, or at the Mokau Landing campsite, as you will feel exhausted after all the paddling.  

Evidence of bulging muscles.

Our Route there and back again:

Here’s the map we made.  You won’t see any of these names on a DOC map, but they tell our story.

What we did well:
1) We sought lots of good advice while planning this trip.  

2) We carried several copies of maps with us – laminated and in clear snaplock bags.  We attached these to the tops of our kayaks so you could access them at all times)

3) Take a copy of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ with you to read each night.  Every adventure must have a literary component.  

What we learned:

1) We can paddle for longer than we thought.   

2) When putting up Ciao’s sails it is important to avoid a sudden gust of wind that causes your boat to do a 180 degree turn on the spot.  Avoid having an audience of local fishermen watching you when you do this. Very embarrassing.