Finding Stillness Between the Swells
In November last year, a few of your local Haheitians managed to finally make a trip happen that had been on the ‘Missions’ list for years – from the end of the road, Fletcher Bay, back home to Hahei Beach, via sea kayaks. We would carry everything we needed for five days and camp along the way.
There is a string of idyllic beachfront campgrounds along the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, and plenty of coastline inaccessible by road that we were about to explore.
The crew consisted of Ash, Ana and Lucrecia. Ash is an experienced sea kayak guide, Ana has dabbled, and Lu will get involved in any adventure that comes her way. We had a few weeks before the busy summer season kicked off where none of us were too committed with work, and hoped a weather window would fall within that time. Maps, advice and gear were sourced from various local sources, SwellMap and Windy were monitored, and it all fell into place. The stars had aligned for the last week of November, and we had a perfect five-day window.
Planning to leave Monday afternoon, we laid out all our gear in Ash’s lounge, organised food into separate meals, and made a rough plan of our route. By that time, it was late and dark, and we were in danger of getting frustrated with each other before we had even left Hahei.
Departure was delayed until 6.30am the next morning; gear in the boot, kayaks on the roof, a few last-minute calls to borrow essential items we’d forgotten, and on the road north.
We were a little nervous about what we could fit, and didn’t want to be too heavy in our kayaks, losing stability.
Loaded up, we dragged our kayaks down to the water at Fletcher Bay.
Ash pushed Lu and I out in our double kayak and we didn’t wobble around too much, and he launched himself without putting a hole in his lightweight kayak on the rocks. A good start! Phones in flight mode for five days, we entered our own little world of salt water, cups of tea and sleeping under the stars.
We only paddled a couple of hours the first day, knowing that the DOC campsite at Stony Bay wasn’t too far around the corner. We were all on the same page about the type of trip this should be – not an athletic feat, but a chance to spend time outside and see our backyard in a more intimate way. We hoped to get back to Hahei in the time we had, but if we didn’t feel like rushing, we wouldn’t.
Sheltered bays, only half a metre of swell, blue sky, and the wind behind us. The first few days are a blur of coffee and oats in the morning, weaving through rock gardens, snack and swim breaks, rays of light through blue water, salami wraps, wet bums, and pretty sophisticated camp dinners.
We had a couple of days when we decided not to paddle in the afternoon, and just set up camp where we’d landed for lunch. Sunbathing, reading, and naked bodysurfs in paradise were far too tempting.
Our fourth day we were all up for more of a challenge and made a big push. We didn’t really know how far we were capable of going in a day, so we just had to give it a crack and have a couple of backup options along the route. Rain and strong winds were arriving mid-morning Saturday, and we wanted to get home before the weather packed in.
We pulled into camp happy with our eight-hour paddle, while also feeling a little weathered. Old shoulder injuries were protesting and skin was permanently damp from only washing in salt water for a few days. Everything was just a little bit wet and salty.
Our last morning brought grey skies and glassy seas to cross the bay.
The rain started and the wind picked up about half way across, and after a couple of hours we pulled our kayaks up the Wigmore Stream, cold and wet and satisfied. We’d deal with the unpacking later; long, hot showers were calling our names!
Arriving almost to our doorsteps, it was at the front of our minds how lucky we are to have adventures like this, right here.
Words by Ana Keelty
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