The Sea Kayak Company said they’d send their van to get us at reception at Old Mac’s at 8:45am.

When we arrived at 8:30am, there was another couple waiting and very shortly a woman approached us, asking if we were taking the kayak tour. But as she started talking about the trip, something didn’t seem right and we realized she was with another company. Our Kate picked us up promptly at 8:45 and we picked up one other couple on the way to Marahau beach.

Marahau beach is underwater the majority of the time. It’s really a long stretch of sand that I wouldn’t really consider a beach. We were loaded, with others and 6 kayaks onto a water taxi on a trailer – while it was still on land. Then a tractor took us out on the sandbar and launched us. It’s quite a sight seeing all those kayaks loaded on the back of a water taxi!

It was a speedy, but scenic, ride to our unloading point at Onetahuti Beach. Our kayaks may have been already there because it didn’t seem like it took long at all for Kate to be gathering the four of us around to familiarize us to our kayaks. The trip led us around the seal colony at Tonga Island and down the shore to Bark Bay where we had lunch.

Kate stated that it looked like Fred and I had kayaked before, as we were fairly in sync with one another. I won’t comment on the other couple. However, I’m glad we opted for the half-day of kayaking. My arms were tired!

We had lunch at Bark Bay, where it seemed many of the other kayakers had settled. Lunch consisted of a huge sub sandwich for each of us, plus side dishes. Fred and I ate half and saved the rest for the next day. Meantime, Kate commented about the weather deteriorating and how this was unusual for the area.

We hiked the track to Anchorage Bay, having to use the high-tide route. There was stunning scenery at each corner. We laughed each time we heard the rushing of a waterfall. You could hear them but not see them because they would be behind huge boulders and overgrowth. I liked this part of the track because it passed over Falls Creek on the swingbridge and we could watch the kayakers below us.

There was an option of a 45-minute spur track to see Cleopatra’s Pool, but we decided against it because of the cloud cover looming over us. We must have made good time because we were at the appointed pickup point about a half hour early. It was just starting to drizzle and one of the skippers said he had room for the two of us. “Better than leaving you out in the rain,” he said.

I wish we had gotten his name, because he really took wonderful care of us. When we got back at the landing at Marahau, we asked him how we could make our way back to Old Mac’s. He did not hesitate to get a van and drive us himself! Talk about New Zealand hospitality!

And sure enough, it started raining that evening.

The Adventure Continues>>>