By Chris Allen
New Zealand has long been the object of fantasy, think of the recent Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, and its coastal settings are no different. Sea kayaking off its shores offers something for everyone, at any skill level, and in any shape.
Even though the Abel Tasman National Park is New Zealand's smallest national park, it is famous for its golden crescent beaches and wildlife. Striking granite and marble rock outcroppings push their way from a jungle swiftly recovering from heavy clearing. Internationally renowned reefs of bryozoan coral just off the park's coastline have been included under national park protection.
Captain Cook was the first European to visit New Zealand and the Bay of Islands is where the first settlement was built. Today the Bay of Islands is one of New Zealand's most popular destinations for sailing, kayaking and big-game fishing. Created by several estuaries that reach inland; the Bay of Islands sports inlets, peninsulas, and islands waiting to be explored. As a tourist destination, accommodations range from simple to more-than-comfortable in some of New Zealand's oldest European buildings.
If it is modern comforts you need, then perhaps kayaking around New Zealand's largest city would best suit you. On an isthmus connecting Northland with the rest of the northern island, Auckland can provide for any kind of adventure you might want. Several large islands are within easy paddling distance for shorter trips while other islands with picturesque bays and scenery await those wanting to escape the city.
About 90 kilometers northeast from Auckland is the Great Barrier Island, so named because it provides protection for the Hauraki Gulf. You can paddle to the island and explore it on a multi-day trip, or you can take the ferry to the island and kayak from there. The coastline here is filled with small coves with white sandy beaches; the island itself is sparsely populated and gives a feeling of solitude.
Marlborough Sound can provide a trip for those more inclined to solitude. Located at the top of New Zealand's South Island, Marlborough Sound is an ancient system of drowned river valleys that provides a vast maze of bays and hidden coves. Dolphins and seals are common sights in the Sound, while island sanctuaries make it possible to see all major species of seabirds as well as kiwis, saddlebacks and tuatatra. The Department of Conservation has established a network of campsites and accommodation houses with regular water taxi service allowing adventurers the ability to taxi in and out of remote areas.
Nearby Cable Bay is a kayaker's paradise. Part of an igneous formation extending from the mainland, the boulders and cliffs reaching into the sea have been carved and shaped by wind and water. Most of the caves and islets are accessible only by kayak. Those willing to paddle will find themselves exploring a wilderness filled with gulls terns and penguins as well as seals and brightly colored fish. On land, Cable Bay offers intimate sandy beaches and miles of jungle recovering from years of harvesting.
Kaikoura, on the east side of the south island, is on a peninsula extending into the sea and has long been famed for its marine mammals. It is included in the Southern Hemisphere Whale Sanctuary and the Marine Mammal Protection Act completely protects all the whales, dolphins and seals in the area. It is common to see the flukes of sperm whales rising to the surface or the dorsal fin of orcas cutting through the waves. The constant presence of dusky dolphins and fur seals is punctuated with occasional visits by pods of pilot whales.
Otagi Peninsula on the southeastern part of New Zealand's South Island provides explorers with a rich tapestry or wildlife and scenery. The peninsula extends into the clear blue-green waters of the south Pacific; small islands are sprinkled around a quiet bay leading to Dunedin. Sandy beaches protected by rocky cliffs dot the coastline while snowcapped mountains in the distance complete the vista. This area is home to playful fur seals as well as the world's rarest penguin: the yellow-eyed penguin. Blue penguins and albatross, as well as a wide variety of wading and cliff-dwelling birds, call this area home.
To experience the most primal trip you should head to the Fjordland National Park on the west side of the southern island. Fjordland National Park is one of the largest national parks in the world and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Area – Te Wahipounamu. This area's 26,000 square kilometers of glacier-formed cliffs, lakes, valleys and 14 fjords are covered in a jungle containing 800-year-old beech trees, the only alpine parrot in the world, and endangered large flightless birds called takahe. Marine mammals abound in this unique habitat while a variety of aquatic birds enjoy a bounty above the surface. This truly is a primal trip.
So, are you ready to go? Here's some other information you will probably need:
Kayaking trips are fairly easy to arrange either before you get there or after you land. The going rate for kayak rentals is roughly $35 US per day; if you go on a guided trip expect to pay another $60 US per day for their services. There are generally boat shuttles to more remote locations to get you started away from a city. These can be arranged after you get to New Zealand.
Be sure to check with the Department of Conservation. Often times there are established campgrounds and accommodation houses for explorers to stay in. Much of the country is in a state of recovery from heavy forest harvesting and camping in undesignated areas is frowned upon. The severity depends on the area you are traveling through.
Obtaining a visa is relatively easy, and made easier through New Zealand's "visa free" program. Check New Zealand's website to see if you are a citizen of a "visa free" country. If not, there are some requirements you have to meet, including proof of plans to leave the country, a passport valid three months after you plan to leave, proof you have the funds to support yourself in New Zealand, and are of good health and character. More information can be found on the New Zealand immigration website.
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