13.01.2018 - Whangarei, the 2nd day

Although we had to get up early today, it should be worth it. We were scheduled to go kayaking at 9:00 a.m. and still had a 1.5-hour drive to reach the meeting point. Fliss, our guide, was unexpectedly punctual for New Zealand standards. With her, Hala, and Sandy, who joined us for the kayak adventure today, there were 6 of us with two single and two double kayaks. After driving a few more kilometers and taking a short ferry ride, we finally arrived at our starting point in Langs Beach near Russel.

After safety instructions from Fliss, we quickly got into the kayaks and ventured far out into the beautiful Bay Of Islands. It consists of 144 islands, some of which are privately owned and used as holiday homes by wealthy New Zealanders.

We didn't visit all of the islands, but we did see many of them and visited almost 3% of them, which is 2 islands. ;-)

We had been on our way for quite some time when we reached the first island, Moturua. Once we arrived, we could enjoy a beautiful view of the bay and one of the neighboring bays after a short walk. Back on the beach, we went into the water for snorkeling. Jana quickly emerged from the water with a surprised face as she had spotted a large stingray, which can be deadly for humans if stung. Fliss reassured us that these are shy animals and that we should just avoid stepping on them, as they would then attack and sting.

The second island, Motuarohia, was soon reached, and there I, Joachim, went up the mountain to enjoy the view. We also took a long break with a picnic in the shade, which Fliss had brought.

After having a satisfying meal, we started the return journey. If you're lucky, you can occasionally see dolphins or even orcas between the islands. Unfortunately, not today.

We all landed safely and smoothly without much wave action and had another wonderful day. Kayaking is truly an unexpectedly beautiful way to explore the world from the water.

On the way back, we took a little detour by car to the Haruru Falls. There was also a smaller kayak tour offered there, but we were all very glad that we had booked the large kayak tour.