Matakana Island Adventure

I was up at 4am on the 23rd August to pick up a group of 17 from Germany from the Auckland International Airport who were about to commence twelve months of volunteer work around New Zealand. The flight arrived at 5.15am and by 7am we were all on the bus and heading back to Tauranga. Feeling pretty tired they were happy to hear that once in Tauranga they could relax for the rest of the day. However they had to be up by 6.30 the following morning as we were off to Matakana Island. We woke to a beautiful Tauranga winters day and were soon heading off to Omokoroa to catch the ferry across to the island. When we arrived at Omokoroa we were treated to a beautiful sunrise and then we were on the ferry heading over to our destination. On arrival we raced off to help put down the hangi before receiving a traditional welcome by our hosts who went on to tell us about life style on the island including the history, culture farming and schooling.

After morning tea and informal introductions and then the school children arrived to preformed a kupa haka show for us, all kitted out in the traditional Maori dress. Our visitor then performed the haka and sang their National Anthem before interacting with the school children where a challenge was laid down for a game of soccer. We then took a quick trip on the bus around the island and taken to one of the highest points to get a panoramic view of the area.




Around 11.30 we headed back to lift up the hangi then settled in for the feast. There was plenty of delicious food and just as well because pretty much everyone went up for seconds and even thirds. Just as the food had settled in the children returned ready for the challenge. We ended up mixing the teams to make it fair and off we went. Everyone had a huge amount of fun but it would not very Kiwi like if a rugby challenge wasn't laid down also. It was suppose to be touch but the traditional tackle version soon came into play.



With everyone a little bit tired we hopped back on the bus and headed to the beach. The bus ride in itself was something to remember with rough, narrow roads showing the way. The last kilometer or so was a narrow forestry road and as we got to the top of a mall rise the Pacific ocean welcomed us with an awe inspiring view resulting in everyone expelling a sound of amazement. With Tuhua, Karewa, Motiti Island and Mount Maunganui in the background and not a soul in sight it was an incredible sight. Our guests couldn't get over the beautiful sunny day and enjoyed a releasing time beach combing the shoreline and taking plenty of photos.


It all ended too soon before we were back on the bus and heading back have another tour around the island, this time by Clydesdale drawn carriage and also a bit of clay bird shooting. The day went far to quick and with the last ferry was leaving at 4.30pm we soon had to say our goodbyes and headed back to the jetty to catch the ride back to the mainland. By the time we got back to Omokoroa the sun was beginning to set. Everyone had had a great day but were looking forward to a hot meal and getting some well earned rest.




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Wildlife Adventrue

It was the last week of the school holidays we decided to take the kids for a kayak out around Rabbit Island and then lunch on Matakana Island. Although it is the middle of winter Tauranga is blessed with a very mild climate and the conditions were perfect. With two adults and four children we took a couple of doubles. We have seats made up that fit into the middle storage compartment so the two smallest kids rode first class. With six pairs of eyes scanning the terrain we were hopeful of spotting plenty of wildlife. There was a nice small wave washing into the Mount Maunganui main beach so at the kids request we had a bit of a surf before heading over to Rabbit Island. Here is where we got our first big surprise. A rather large seal was sunning himself on the rocks on Rabbit Island. With a large hawk over head scattering smaller sea birds it was an amazing site. The seal was unperturbed by our presence and after a few large yawns and several attempts to get comfortable he lay down and went back to his sunbathing. We carried around Rabbit Island and then the kids spotted another seal. We went in closer and to our surprise there were a total of 5 . All in the same mood as our first big male around the corner. We could have stayed there forever but after taking a few photos we headed off towards Matakana Island. The tide was coming in so once we got into the entrance we had an easy paddle to Matakana, after a short stop to watch some penguins bobbing up and down. We set up for lunch, closely watched by a couple of Oyster Catchers as the kids went off exploring the New Zealand Dotterel nesting site and with previous explorations of the island they scanned the shoreline for any ocean life including octopus, fish and stingrays. However as always it all went to fast and we soon had to head back. Tide assisted we gently paddled back and enjoyed another encounter with a small group of curious penguins. An amazing day and something the kids will be telling for news when they go back to school.

Our trip to Whakapapa Ski Field

We tried out the snow scooters last week at Whakapapa on Mt Ruapehu. The first time I have ever been in the snow I was looking forward to see how it would go. And I am happy to say it was awesome. As soon as jumped on the snow scooter I was able to balance without any problems whatsoever. After 10-15 mins I had learned how to turn and stop and I was carving up the slopes. When you consider this compared to up to 2 to 3 days
to learn how to ski or snowboard this is incredible. We had a meeting with Management at Ruapehu and hope to be offering tours for corporate, educational and tour groups on the mountain shortly. Visit www.snowsportz.co.nz for more info on the snowscooter.