25 – 29 March, 2018
This weeks forecasts showed guaranteed paddle days on Tuesday and Wednesday with surf subsiding from 1.8m on Sunday and Monday to less that 1.0m and calm conditions. From Wednesday the surf would be rising to 1.8m again. However with the week off work we made tracks north in the hope of getting as many days on the water as possible. With two good long paddle days on the cards my hopeful target destination is Shipwreck Bay, Ahipara. I know by now, that although targets are necessary, the obstacles are always dynamic. Every day is so different that you just don’t know where the week will end up. It turned out to be Hukatere this time …….
THIS TRIP: Glinks Gully to Hukatere 4 paddle days
Overall Distance 174.4km Time 28hrs Speed 6.23km/hr
Sunday, 25 March, 2018 Glinks Gully
Shaz and I arrived at Glinks mid morning in the hope of getting a partial days paddle to Bayleys beach or Aranga to break up the potentially 11 hour trip to Waimamaku River. As forecast, the surf was up. I didn’t bother trying to launch but we hung around the afternoon at Glinks to see if conditions improved enough at high tide to have a go at launching. They didn’t! Got talking to a beach front bach owner who let me leave Secala on his lawn at the top of the beach. An early start was planned with a slightly improving swell forecast tomorrow, and if successful, to head for Waimamaku river which would be about an 11 hour trip.
Monday, 26 March, 2018 Glinks Gully to Waimamaku River
Up early in our railway carriage cabin in Dargaville about 25km from Glinks. Down to the beach by 8am. Surf was still up and only marginally better than yesterday. Worth a go this time as I didn’t fancy another landlocked day. The ebbing tide (LW 1240) may offer some current assist north for a few hours. With timing and luck I got through the surf on the first attempt but not before cresting a couple of decent waves just before they broke. Shaz said that the bach owner looking on said “Well, he made that look easy!”. I can confirm though that there was a good amount of timing and luck involved. Having a light kayak, compared to my previous attempt out of here, was most likely a factor in achieving good acceleration when required, and the buoyancy to ride over, rather than through, cresting waves.
Got to Bayleys within a couple of hours and checked in by VHF with Shaz. Headed for the next checkpoint at Aranga but missed linking up with Shaz this time as I was later than expected. It was 1500 at this stage and starting to feel it after 7 hours paddling and another 4 hours to go to Waimamaku. This would have me arriving just before sunset at 1930 at my current pace although conditions were still calm. Considered calling it a day at Aranga, as with current against me now, and if wind conditions developed and also worked against me, I could be arriving in the dark. Thankfully just around the Maunganui bluff a light SW sea breeze stayed with me for a couple of hours which cheered me up and gave me confidence to push on. Looked like a great section of coast between Aranga and Waimamaku with many rocky outcrops amid tiny beaches. Expect this would be a good fossicking and camping area. With some relief I got hold of Shaz on the VHF an hour before my arrival at the Waimamaku River mouth. Conditions were calm again now as Shaz guided me in with her signal mirror and said I needed to paddle up the river a little to where the ute was parked at the end of the road. I was pretty poked after this trip and very glad to see Shaz and get out of the yak. The swell had dropped considerably during the day so the landing was pretty smooth but I was too tired to care. A short paddle up the river and a 15 minute drive to Opononi camp ground to fish and chips at the local pub, a shower and into bed.
Lesson: It’s a bit tough on this old bugger doing a 10.5hr day after over 5 weeks off the water. Preferably get a shorter paddle day under your belt before doing the bigger days.
Tuesday, 27 March, 2018 Waimamaku River to Mitimiti Beach
Decided to shorten today’s paddle and head for Mitimiti instead of all the way to Ahipara. Didn’t want another long day in a row and pressure was off a little with the “bonus” unexpected full day on the water yesterday.
Decision made; a later start at the river was in order. Chatted to a local squatter on the Waimamaku river bank and headed down the river to a forecasted very low surf at the beach.
Paddled past the Hokianga harbour wary of the bar but had nothing to worry about in the calm conditions. Google said there was a beach guest house at Mitimiti but the Opononi Information centre couldn’t confirm this. After phone calls went unanswered, we decided to wing it.
Shaz headed back through Omapere and Opononi to the Rawene car ferry, crossing the harbour and headed for Mitimiti to try and find the advertised beach guest house.
When Shaz arrived at Mitimiti it became apparent that the guest house had closed down so we decided to camp above the beach. This would allow an early start in the morning for the longer paddle to Shipwreck Bay. Was very pleasant roughing it in sunny warm conditions with a great view, cattle grazing the edge of the beach, a very cool sunset and friendly locals. Some cars went up the beach below us to baches (and/or plantations) further up the beach. It seemed, as I paddled past the next morning that these baches could only be accessed along the beach. After organising Secala and ourselves for an early morning start, Shaz and I snuggled into our tent which was warm and comfortable. Sleep was in short supply for both of us however. We decamped for a sunrise launch at high tide and very low surf; as forecast.
Wednesday, 28 March, 2018 Mitimiti Beach to Shipwreck Bay
Very easy launch at sunrise. Not much sleep for either of us in our little tent. Shaz tired but not complaining. Good calm paddle conditions on an interesting and remote coastline past Whangape and Herekino Harbours. A friendly local fisherman in his boat called Bluey came alongside for a good chat about what I was doing. He was solo on his marlin fishing boat and said it was a slow season this year.
Was feeling good and strong today being the 3rd conservative paddle day and a short “recovery” paddle yesterday. A couple of hours before Tauroa Point a 10-12kt Northerly kicked in making it tough going. Progress was slow. Figured conditions should be more in my favour as I rounded the Point. At low tide now I needed to be watchful of breaking reefs off the Point. There was a line of interesting cribs and huts along the northern side of the Point that exposed a continuous shoreline rocky reef. Many locals were driving their vehicles along the beach or out on the reef gathering shellfish.
As I headed across Ahipara Bay towards Shipwreck Bay I found myself directly downwind of a large rain squall. I raced to get to Shipwreck Bay to avoid being engulfed and losing visibility. In the end I beat the squall to an easy landing in the surf of Shipwreck Bay. Shaz arrived at the beach just as I did after booking into a motel. We were both looking forward to a good night sleep. Having now reached my intended destination this trip, I was not too motivated to get on the water again tomorrow.
Thursday, 29 March, 2018 Shipwreck Bay to Hukatere
Was intending on a rest day today until Shaz suggested I look at the sea conditions after breakfast. Conditions looked so good I changed my mind and decided to do a shorter day to Hukatere. The next beach access point beyond Hukatere was at Te Wakatehaua which was a 10+ hour paddle away; and with no preparation it would be mid morning before I got on the water.
Found a great B&B lodge online at Hukatere which was 30km up 90 mile beach, so booked it for the night.
The trip was pleasant in easy variable conditions but the flood tide slowed things down for the last couple hours. As I exited Ahipara Bay, the swell increased and really started pumping as forecast. It was difficult to gauge where to aim for along the uniform beach line. Eventually figured that Hukatere was at the base of a round hill which was the only conspicuous land mark for miles around. With big ocean swell sets rolling under me now, I was getting anxious about the prospect of landing. After chatting with Shaz by VHF, I found what I thought was the best surf landing which was about half a kilometre down the beach from Shaz at Hukatere . There was a big outer break a little further north that I really wanted to avoid. I judged my run well before getting hung up in the swirling shore breakers that appeared to be coming from all directions. Managed to get turtled in a hole within a few meters of the beach but was relieved to get away so lightly with this landing. On the beach at low tide it was impossible to walk anywhere without standing on tuatuas and pipi’s.
Unless the swell decreased overnight (as forecast) I would be unlikely to be getting out in this surf. The surf seems to be much more messed up here than down the Muriwai or Kaipara coasts. Could be stronger currents and rips?
Hukatere lodge is a jem run by Gabby and is located a couple of hundred meters behind the dunes. Welcome retreat and were made to feel at home. Nothing was too much trouble.
Speaking with Gabby about our plan to paddle to Te Wakatehaua (The Bluff) the next day she said she thought the access road there was blocked by forestry. After several enquiries and confirmations it turns that she was right. We are very lucky to have found this out as we would have been caught out big time if we had kept to our original plan. If we had had a rest day in Ahipara and paddled direct to The Bluff, we wouldn’t have known and Shaz wouldn’t have been able to make contact with me; and I wouldn’t have had my camping equipment to go solo!
Without pre-approved road access to The Bluff our only options were for me to go solo from here around Cape Reinga or call it quits. I didn’t want to go solo despite the weather conditions being ideal for the next couple of days for the Cape rounding. As I had never been to Cape Reinga before, I really needed to do a reccie of the area before attempting this on a kayak. I also wanted Shaz to be with me all the way now. Decided not to push things on this critical part of the coast, and enjoy a couple of days camping at Spirits bay and check out Cape Reinga before heading home via Whakatane.
Despite not getting around the top and clear of the West coast this trip, I was more than happy with progress after 4 conservative days paddling, and our prudent decision to leave the Capes for another day.