Phil’s Sea Kayak picks us up from our accommodation and takes us for a short drive over to the boat sheds in Golden Bay. We love kayaking and often do tours when we are on holiday. I did a lot of last minute booking on this trip and was grateful he could fit us in today. We get kitted up in all the gear, have a safety briefing and some training on paddling, then, we are ready to go.

We launch into the sea and paddle out towards 3 small islands, known as the Three Sisters: Faith, Hope & Charity. We paddle around them, taking a passage between 2 of them. Phil tells us that at high tide, the 3 islands become 4 islands, Faith, Hope, And, Charity.

This afternoon we are exploring Paterson Inlet. It’s a very large Inlet with over 100km of coastline. While we explore by kayak, Phil shares some of the history of the area, the Norwegian whaling boats, the people and the tribes that have lived here. We also learn about the incredible Tītī (muttonbirds) that call this place home. Each year, they fly 1,000’s of miles to Asia and Alaska but they always return to the very same island they were born, in order to breed. Their feathers and meat were an important trade item for Rakiura Māori. I didn’t like the story about how they are harvested when they are just chicks.

While on this tour we are shown a plant called muttonbird scrub. This particular plant has very large leaves that don’t go brittle or break when old. They become leathery and more like paper. It was common to stamp them and use them for writing your letter on, back in the days, how fascinating!

As we kayak, we have great views of the forest from the water. Most of the forest is uniform in height, but every now and again we see a grand Rimu standing tall above the rest of the forest. These trees were used for timber, but some of them have trunks that split early and so they were left. Their trunks were not straight and long enough to make it worth harvesting. It’s sad so many were cut down. They are impressive trees that really have a presence. They say if an adult can’t wrap their arms right around it, then it’s over 100 years old. Some of these trees have been here for a very long time.

Some of the inlet is very calm with easy kayaking, other parts are very exposed and rough with waves that rock our kayak up and down. I am in the front of our kayak and each time the front slaps down into the water, I am sprayed. It’s all part of the fun right? Daniel is quite happy that I am taking the brunt of this. We see a couple of albatross in the distance and look back to watch them. They are so impressive to see sailing in the sky, they have an enormous wingspan and are really quite breathtaking to watch.

We then kayak past a beach with several sea lions on it. Something I learn is that fur seals hang out on rocks, but sea lions head to the beaches. They are quite active and Phil said they were in the water and followed the kayaks around on the morning tour. No such luck this time, but we still have a great view of them. We hear one roar and watch a couple frolic about in the waves before we head back.

By the time we arrive at Golden Bay, the wind has dropped right away. The water is flat and still. I never get tired of this peacefulness. We had a great time with Phil on this tour. He is an expert guide with a lot of local knowledge. I loved learning more about the area.

Dinner is at the pub again and we are pleased to get a prime seat in the window with views out over Half Moon Bay. But this is short lived as we realise that with minimal lights, as soon as the sun goes down, the views go with it. Rakiura is showing me glimpses of what our world was like before technology, cars and lights. I quite like it.