Row, row, row your boat on the Waikato

By MEGAN SINGLETON

As the mighty Waikato River meanders from Lake Taupo north through Hamilton and all the way into Auckland's taps, it glides through scenic manmade and natural wonders.

Kiwi River Safari's 3km kayak trip has plenty of highlights: park under the platform of the Taupo Bungy and watch those daring enough plunge headlong toward the river; pull over and take a dip in geothermal hot springs just off the Huka Falls walk; float over trout being fed by visitors at Cherry Island; follow swans training their cygnets to paddle upstream and make sure you stop before the Huka Falls. Actually, there is no danger of careening over the edge because the long and leisurely journey ends at least a kilometre upstream.

Professional guide Vanessa Clayton met me at a reserve just outside Taupo centre where I parked my car under the trees and hopped into a van towing a trailer-load of kayaks for the short journey to the foot of the river.

Today it was just the two of us and the weather was perfect.

I donned a lifejacket and safety helmet (put to good use under several branches along the route), pulled my hot red kayak into the water and climbed in.

The first thing I noted, as I worked my way through the reeds and into the main current, is how wet you get from plunging the paddle in and out of the water. Vanessa had one of those proper kayaking skirts attached to her smaller, professional kayak, hiding a cell phone and first aid kit. I was glad my togs were under my shorts because pretty soon a small portion of the Waikato had joined me inside the craft.

The river was flowing at about 200 cusecs, so it did most of the work. I used my paddle mainly to steer, only occasionally using elbow grease to pull over and watch the bungy jumpers or check out the hot springs. Vanessa was good at manoeuvring around me, keeping us together should I shoot off at a tangent.

We paddled under towering cliffs lining the river and saw the wild goats that live along the grassy verge. We chatted to people enjoying the river in huge black inner-tubes as we drifted past a child's birthday party at Cherry Island. About 20 people were delighting in various degrees of warmth in the natural hot spring which runs from a rocky stream into the river.

Vanessa gave me the option of parking the kayak and jumping in for a dip, but I was enjoying the paddle too much to get out. So an hour after we began she phoned ahead for us to be collected at the finishing point of Reid's Farm, and it didn't seem possible that we'd just kayaked 3km.

The trip is tame enough for the whole family and is an easy paddle for competent young rowers. For small children, a seat can be fitted to a rod running down the centre of the kayak in front of the rower. Or for larger groups, especially with children, one of the Kiwi River Safaris guides will paddle you all in a raft so you can sit back and watch the scenery drift by.

Contact

Kiwi River Safaris, ph 0800 723 8577,
email rafting@krs.co.nz

Trip times and costs

9am and 1pm. Late-afternoon and evening trips available on request.$40 adult, $25 child, $115 family (two adults, two children).

What you need

Meet at the reserve beside the Control Gate Bridge. Allow two hours' trip time (includes time for the hot pools or a cliff jump). Wear clothes that are okay to get wet, and take a towel. Door-to-door transport available.

Other kayak companies in the area:

Kayaking Kiwi,
ph 0800 529 255

Tongariro River Kayaks, ph 0800 10 10 24

Rapid Sensations Adventures, ph 0800 35 34 35

Kayak NZ, ph 0800 529 25