Bay of Islands Waterfall Cruise & Kayak

Posted by Lisa from United States on13 Jan 2021

arrow_back Bay of Islands Waterfall Cruise & Kayak

Lisa said... Fun family friendly activity for all ages and all abilities. We met Taylor at pier #6 on the Paihia wharf and set out towards the mouth of the river near Waitangi. Taylor was very personable and shared lots of fun facts about the area throughout the area. After ~30 minutes we set anchor and Taylor organized they kayaks and life jackets for us all. Most kayaks are tandem so make sure you like/trust whomever you book with! The river is mostly shallow so lifejackets are out of an abundance of caution and if you’re not a confident swimmer, you should feel safe knowing the water is only a couple feet deep. That said, you will get wet. The kayaks are sit-in vs. sit-on-top of the water and drainage holes in the bottom let in a certain amount of water so your feet and bum will get wet. Also if you attempt to paddle in to the Haruru Falls you will be sprayed and risk capsizing, but that’s really fun so don’t worry! Lastly one thing that wasn’t completely clear to me from the bookme listing or co’s website, if you have a bag or shoes you don’t want wet, you CAN leave things on the boat while you kayak. Overall we enjoyed the experience. It’s not quite as scenic or thrilling as maybe we had hoped but a great day out for first time kayakers like my partner.