15 – 16 February, 2019
Another quick weekend away to maintain momentum while we can. Thursday (14th) evening travel to Whangapoua before a possible two and a half days on the water before returning home. Weather forecasts are inconsistent after Friday. With plenty of road access to this Coromandel coast, there will be no need for contingency of solo camping gear this trip.
THIS TRIP: Whangapoua to Onemana – 2 paddle days
Overall Distance 72.1 km Time 14.1 hrs Average Speed 5.1 km/hr
Friday, 15 February 2019
Whangapoua to Pauanui
Arrived late at Whangapoua Holiday Park, which is just a few minutes down the road from our launch tomorrow. Was after 2200 before bunking down to a fitful sleep.
After an early (0530) cooked breakfast for a possible longer day; down to the beach about sunrise and dragged Secala through a lot of spongy decomposing seaweed to find hard sand. Launched through low surf and off by 0700 having said to Shaz that I would see her at Hahei Beach for lunch. Another day on her quest to find the best coffee shop in the country 🙂
Rising sun in my face and the tide ebbing behind me for the first two hours until rounding into Opito Bay.
Got a VHF call from Shaz as I crossed Opito Bay which was a nice surprise. Good paddling conditions across Opito Bay and into the “Hole in the Wall” passage that I know well from my past.
Conditions are still favourable until entering Mercury bay for the two hour crossing to Hahei. The tide has turned and a light SW’ly is also slowing me down a little.
Shaz directed me into the beach beside a bunch of kayaks that were being prepared for tour groups to Cathedral Cove. After a relaxing lunch on the beach I was in no hurry to get on the water again. Checking the forecast, tomorrows weather was not promising and during lunch the wind had backed around to the East stiffening to 10kts. This made the decision easy to use these conditions for easier paddling, and push on to Tairua. Launched easily avoiding dumping surf then realised my front hatch lid wasn’t secured properly. Landed again to secure it.
Enjoyable coastline paddling all day and although feeling lethargic (tired bugger!) at lunch time, am feeling strong now after 9 hours . Shaz called to say she had booked at Pauanui instead of Tairua which was only an extra 30 minutes or so further to paddle.
Rounded Tokaroa Point and was taken by surprise at the break over the bar at Tairua Harbour entrance. There were no boats coming or going to give me pointers so sat at the edge of the bar and watched the sets for some time. Spotting a gap I managed to sprint through to the harbour entrance where Shaz was directing me where to land. After anxious moments, a flat landing and good yards made today.
Once on the beach, with tomorrow in mind, I took note of the path a couple of boats took through the bar.
Shaz ……. Up early and drove Brent to Whangapoua beach so he can start his next leg of his kayak adventure. We stayed at Whangapoua Beach holiday park in a cabin, very nice! Upon arrival I noticed that there was a whole lot of something all over the place, some sort of sea weed I think! You could see where the tide came up as it was even on the grass in car park.
We had to walk through it, I nearly slipped and it was smelly! It was all around the high tide mark, looking at it it was old carpet! Getting closer to the water the smell was awful, smelled like sewage and the sand was really soft I stuck one foot in completely covering my sandals! OMG the smell, shit did it smell literally!! Brent was on the water by 7am, heading for Hahei.
Back at Whangapoua I packed up and set of for Hahei, where I was going to meet Brent for lunch. On the way I decided to take a drive to Opito Bay for a look. Stoppped for coffee at ‘Trading Post’ cafe in Kuaotunu Bay. Busy place, not many places to sit, this lady asked me to join her as she was on her own also! We got talking, she was impressed with what Brent was doing. Her husband wanted her to circumnavigate NZ on a bike, but she isn’t interested. We were around the same age and our husbands are both 60. As a family they had just returned to NZ on Wednesday from doing some Missionary work in Guatemala, building houses for the needy. They took their 2 kids with them, aged 14 & 15 they started late in life! Son was over it very quickly but daughter love it. She was from Auckland but here staying with friend in Kuaotunu Bay and was on her way to Tairua to stay with her mother. Drove over to Opito bay for a look and to see if I could see Brent at all.
Beautiful and yes I did and made contact with him. From here I headed for Hahei to meet him for lunch. What a lovely place, beautiful beach lots of tourist in campervans. Bloody hot today, I hear that it’s raining in New Plymouth they could really do with some rain up here.
Brent arrived around 1.15pm, we had a picnic lunch on the beach under a tree in the shade. Watching all the tourists gearing up to go kayaking to Cathedrel Cove with their prospective tour guides.
Brent is nakered, deciding whether to continue or not! He looked up the weather report to check the weather for tomorrow. Not so good tomorrow, so made the call to continue on today!
Brent launched again around 2.05pm for Tairua, only to come back ashore again a minute later as he forgot to close one of the hatches on kayak. Finally got away at 2.15pm, he will call me later on about where he wants to come in.
I headed off for Tairua, arriving there I brought a takeaway coffee and looked around the town and the art gallery. Some great art, but prices were out of my league! I sat under the trees in the park next to the beach, and decided where we were going to stay for the night. Holiday park in Tairua is not good, so made the call to stay in Pauanui at camp there. I made contact with Brent and told him to go straight to Pauanui rather than Tairua. Booked into camp in Pauanui, really nice cabin same price as last night but bigger! Brent arrived at Pauanui beach at 6pm.
Saturday, 16 February 2019
Pauanui to Onemana
Wasn’t in a hurry this morning but still got up at 0530. Really hot night but still a better sleep than the last couple of nights.
Cooked breakfast dispatched and down to the Pauanui boat ramp. Flat launch at the boat ramp into Tairua harbour at 0800 with ebb flow out through the entrance. With a bar to negotiate everything was battened down. The tide was 4 hours into the ebb which was a little more advanced than my arrival time last night. Glad to have watched a couple of boats negotiate the bar last night that gave me some glues on the best channel to take. Without the speed of a boat I was still going to rely on timing and luck as breakers over the bar were big. Heart in mouth moments as I lipped over a couple of large waves before they broke. Happy to get out the back in one piece. Headed south in easy conditions until I passed Storm Beach when a southerly kicked in with some venom making it a grind. Was happy to grind it out knowing that I had a couple of handy exit points at Opoutere and Omemana within a few kilometers.
Headwinds were steady 15kts gusting higher. Eased my aerobic workout by hugging Opoutere beach trying to avoid the worst of the chop. What a great beach spot this is. Will return.
Stopped to ring Shaz to say I would pull in to Onemana for lunch and reassess the day. The conditions made it difficult to stop for more than a few seconds . In one extended stoppage I opened the day bag to get a banana and gel pack, consume the gel pack and take a pee and lost 100m of ground. Needed to take care not to loosen my grip on the paddle in the air.
Eventually turned into the beautiful Onemana Bay. Always surprised at how different these places are from what you imagine.
Contacted Shaz on VHF to get a surf report. There was clearly sandbank, in the middle of the bay, shoaling a fair way out. Shaz said the best spot was at the south end of the beach where the surfers were and that she had her video ready as I was going to get smoked this time for sure ……..!
Approached cautiously letting a couple lip under me before sprinting for the shore and being chased by the tumbling surf. Braced and washed ashore in one piece. I think Shaz was impressed, but I sense some disappointment that I didn’t offer up some carnage for her amusement.
During lunch the white caps off shore had intensified (earlier than expected) so decided to call it quits for this trip. The forecast for tomorrow was worse.
Shaz ………. When I got up this morning, I saw Brent sitting in the chair with his back to me looking like Nana wrapped up in a blanket typing on his iPad. Couldn’t resist taking a photo!
Later start today Brent waiting on weather conditions! He has decided to go for it, not to sure how far he’ll get as the wind is likely to pick up! It’s another beautiful day up here, they could really do with some of that rain they had in the ‘Naki’ yesterday.
Brent launched from the Pauanui Boat Ramp at 8am, heading for Whangamata where I’ll meet him for lunch. On my way back to Pauanui Glade Holiday Park I went to Twin Palms Cafe for my morning coffee, great coffee by the way! Shower, pack up and head towards Whangamata around 9.50am. Road seems a little quieter today, even know that it’s Saturday.
Driving along I decided to turn off and go down to Onemana only 3km and check it out! As I was driving down the road Brent rang. He is coming into Onemana as the wind was making his progress too difficult. Weird, I know as I was just pulling into Onemana! Plenty of parks near beach.
Access for Brent getting Secala up isn’t going to be much fun! Lots of soft sand! Had a walk along the beach, if it was’t so windy it would be a perfect day! As luck would have it, there is a cafe just across from the car park! Very nice, beautiful music (almost Italian sounding, except they are Indians running it), coffee was so hot that I burnt my tongue! Let it cool down, didn’t taste so good scolded milk taste yuck! I’m sure they had heated it in the microwave as it took a long time to get it! I complained and asked for another one, which they did!
Sat in the Ute and started reading our information pack from NZMCA, which we have joined since we are getting a camper. Saw Brent in the distance through the binoculars, and followed him until he got closer. Then I called him on the VHF, and told him the best place to come in and wished him all the best! The waves were dumping onto the beach, some real big breakers. Told him to go to the south end of the beach where the surfers were! I managed to video the whole ride in! He managed it really well, and landed on the beach at 12.20pm.
We had some lunch and Brent needed to decide whether he was going to continue or not!! Checking out the weather report and seeing the white caps on the waves way out he decided not to continue. Now he needed to get Secala up from the beach to the car park, soft sand and up hill!
What to do now, stay or go home! Go home wins, and our own bed!