Explore National Parks With a Kayak.

Most guides share the same opinion: the best place to practice kayaking in New Zealand is Abel Tasman.

Ideal for beginners, this national park offers 55 km of sandy beaches, turquoise water and splendid animal reserves.

It's not a surprise if Abel Tasman ranks first in our Top 10 of the kayak in New Zealand.

But before giving the final ranking, I would like to introduce you to the usual course of a kayak trip. I will then help you to choose an itinerary with a local guide.

I know from experience that some beginners are afraid to try kayaking for fear of capsizing.

That's why this article is devoted to the two-seater kayak model, deemed the most stable of all. It is available at every kayak rental companies that I recommend.

If any sporting activity naturally carries a share of risk, the kayak practiced in the company of a guide is a unique and safe experience not to be missed!

Over time, the design of kayaks has improved with the arrival of new materials such as fiberglass and kevlar. Equipped with a rudder, sea kayaking today has many similarities with traditional ships.

Convenient, the deck net keeps at close hand the accessories that do not need to be stored in the watertight compartment (where supplies and cameras are being kept safe from water).

The presence of a ring on the front makes it easier to tow if necessary.

Formerly precarious, the safety of kayaks has been strengthened with the addition of a lifeline that can be gripped.

More importantly, the watertight compartments and the foam have made the boat almost unsinkable and able to withstand the weight of the passengers even under the hypothesis of an ingress of water!

Increasingly handy, the kayak can reach a four knots (7 km / h) speed when the two passengers combine their efforts.

It is precisely on a sea kayak that you will sail in tandem, the majority of agencies offering no other type of model to rent anyway.

Feets with sand between the toes facilitate the birth of blisters if the foot holds are improperly set up.

Do not take any risks, and come with beach sandals or wear waterproof clothes for prevention.

Some people do not pay attention to the safety rules, but they feel more concerned when the monitor presents the maneuver to escape from a kayak in case of emergency. This is an important matter, and I will address the subject later.

You will first learn to settle yourself properly on board. Place your feet on the wedges whose positions are to be adjusted according to the length of your legs. A waterproof elastic skirt adjusts around the waist and then adapts to the opening of the hull to prevent the water from rushing into the kayak (don't panic: you just need to pull on a tongue to detach the skirt in the blink of an eye).

Boarding may be a challenge! If the first place is already occupied, it is up to the second participant to put the kayak afloat using the handles fixed on the hull. It is a team effort, and the front passenger has to paddle in the sand to stabilize the kayak (your guide will help if necessary).

Maneuvering the rudder is child's play, but it takes practice to paddle and distribute tasks efficiently properly on board.

Synchronization and steady rhythm outweigh strength. Disordered movements waste energy and give blisters to the hands.

On the contrary, you should avoid placing your paddle too deeply in the water and keeping it as close as possible to the kayak.

As for the disembarkation, it is of all the most amusing maneuver. You just need to accelerate to the maximum until your kayak come to run aground in the sand in the middle of the waves.

Check out the nearest iSite before departure and do not give exaggerated confidence to the weather forecast of the previous day: a distant rain can turn a peaceful river into rapids in a few minutes.

But it is time to talk about the subject that you all expect: what should you do if the kayak capsizes! Of course, kayaking would not have become so popular if it was implying a constant risk to drown.

However, the maneuver to follow in case of emergency can’t be invented at the last minute and must be repeated beforehand on the beach.

One presses the palms of the hands on the hull behind oneself without turning around and one pushes on the arms. The body of the passenger follows naturally and is freed from the kayak. The simplicity of the maneuver and its speed of execution almost always reassure beginners. But do not forget to detach the elastic skirt by pulling on its tongue!

Anyway, the kayak is stable enough not to capsize easily even when a curious fur seal invites himself on board (which sometimes happens in Abel Tasman National Park). The weight of the passengers brings a real stability, but one must always adopt a calm behavior by fixing the horizon. And one do not need to turn himself to communicate with the rear passenger!

In reality, the worst enemy is basically the sun... The ozone layer is thinner over New Zealand. Sunburn grows faster without cap and sun cream because the sea breeze provides an illusion of freshness.

For it is precisely the panic which is the origin of accidents.

How to behave if a fur seal invites itself on the kayak?

What if the current drives the kayak offshore? Only sailors with at least some experience will know how to react in such occasions.

Bad reflexes and inappropriate postures can spoil the experience!

A half day of kayaking with wrong paddling movements is more than enough to give body aches and blisters.

Although not necessarily refractory to the presence of a guide, some people prefer to avoid group visits.

There is nothing to fear, however, because the kayak excursions take place in small groups so that the guide can intervene quickly if needed.

In addition, the kayak instructor does not just teach the maneuvers!

He is an expert who knows the region perfectly and can tell many Maori legends. One often learn more about the culture of the country during a kayak excursion than during the visit of a museum!

But if one has already practiced the kayak on numerous occasions, it becomes possible to do without a guide. A freedom that implies a greater responsibility.

It is necessary to study the route carefully, and to ask to the rental company where the marine currents are located and their advice about sailing in the region.

Note that for navigation on a river, the starting point is usually set at the level of the rental shop. On the other hand, in national parks like Abel Tasman, you have to take a water taxi to get to the starting point with the kayak and return it at the end of the day to a meeting point agreed in advance.

All excursions take place with a maximum of ten participants, and with the presence of a professional kayak instructor. In the event that an organizer is fully booked, I also give you the names of a competitor who proposes a similar activity.

Because they constantly vary according to the seasons and the number of participants, you will forgive me not to reproduce here the schedules of these activities. But you can find them easily on the official websites of the companies.

If you must do only one kayak excursion during your stay, this is the one! Beaches of orange sand, lagoons, spectacular rock formations and even fur seals!

Abel Tasman Kayaks offers many outings that can mix hiking and kayaking. The water taxi boat shuttles are an ideal solution for the traveler who wants to explore a specific part of New Zealand's most famous national park. Even on a half day, it is an activity impossible to circumvent.

Kayaking on the Milford Sound gives the feeling of living a dream awake. The presence of dolphins and sea lions brings a touch of magic, but it is necessary to take into account the capricious weather of the fjord: It falls seven meters of rain in the Fiordland every year!

The excursion is very likely to take place in the rain.

Never mind ! The Stirling and Lady Bowen falls are even more beautiful in these conditions and you can count on the team of “Rosco Milford Kayaks” to spend an unforgettable day.

However, you need to come early in the morning. I don't recommend the “Easy Rider” formula, with has an unbeatable price but which lasts only two hours! Even if it means to paddle under the rain, you should book a longer excursion.

The kayak tours in the Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve alternates coastal sailing along limestone cliffs and exploration of marine caves! Some visitors even report having seen orcas swimming in the turquoise water of the Coromandel Peninsula!

The highlight of the visit is the beach ofCathedral Cove and the discovery of its arch sculpted in the rock. It was here that the opening sequence of the “World of Narnia 2, the Prince Caspian” was shot. Once the kayaks are stranded in the fine sand, the guide from “Sea Kayak Tours” will serve you hot chocolate and cappuccinos.