Sea-kayaking near Whangaroa |
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It was a great delight when Richard, our host and a laid-back Hawaiian ex-pat, showed us the cabin we were to stay in for the next two nights; a rustic, non-electric, character-filled timber hut, perched in beautiful bushland above the rocky coastline, its picture-window framing the bay and off-shore islands, the bracing cold shower and loo a few paces away in a grove of tree ferns with the sky for a ceiling - what exquisite seclusion!
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After a candle-lit dinner, we sat on the sofa watching the sunlight fade and the moonlight bathe the bay and islands in a pale, cold light and wondered where we might be heading the next day. Sea-kayaking is not like walking - where you go depends on the winds and currents and tides and Richard would decide our destination in the morning. The morning dawned to a still, slightly overcast day, with calm seas. With a forecast of sea-breezes in the afternoon, the conditions were right for us to head off-shore and visit Stephenson's Island, whose rocky shoreline contained a variety of cliffs, curious formations, inlets, channels, arches and sea-caves. After a revision of basic kayaking skills we were soon off and paddling, Richard in his single kayak, the fair Nello and myself in a double. We soon passed around the rocky outcrop of Oruatemanu Island, 350m offshore. A lone geologist was working there, having been dropped off by a boat to carry out his studies of the complexly deformed strata of this island, which comprise the oldest rocks known in New Zealand.
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Once past, we settled into a steady rhythm for the 3 km crossing of the open sea, slowly approaching Stephenson's Island with the steady rise and fall of the 1m swell. Near the island we made a slight detour to get a better view of a small group of blue penguins, feeding out at sea, before heading into a small inlet with a pebbly beach. From here we could climb up to a point with sweeping views back over the mainland coastline. |
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Another spectacular rock formation |
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