Cruise Ship Package

14th March 2009
A few weeks ago after dropping some passengers back off at the port I was approached by Warwick who worked at the casino on the ship. He saw the smiles and excitement on the faces of the group and asked what we did. I explained to him we mainly customised our tours to suit the groups but largely dealt with the more adventurous type. So, on the 14th Warwick had rounded up 12 staff from the ship who wanted to go rafting and zorbing. first stop was Raftabout and a ride down the Kaituna. Once again I was offered a trip down the river and once again I accepted. I was placed up the front of the raft and Albie was back guiding us after being away for a couple of weeks. We had a pretty strong team and negotiated the river pretty well. Albie set me up again but testing my balancing skills on some of the more gentle rapids. To be honest I had a feeling what he was up to when his first attempt to dislodge me from the raft failed and he returned to the rapid and did it again this time with success. Always up for a challenge I remained perched precariously on the front of the raft for the next rapid which again saw me swimming. It is the type of guide I am, willing to take one for the team. Another great trip down the Kaituna. Next we were off to the Zorb. Once everyone was signed in they headed up the hill for the ride back down. They all seemed to enjoy themselves with at least one trying a couple of times to stay standing up the whole way down. Unfortunately he was unsuccessful. Time for a quick feed before showing them a few of the geothermal areas and then we had to head back as one of them had to be back on the ship by four. They have told me they will be back in April and want me to take them out again. They will be staying for a bit longer so hopefully we can show them more of our lovely country.

Matakana Extravaganza

13th March 2009
Rob and Nicola have been living in New Zealand for the last couple of years and were about to head back to England to live. After initially planning to head out in the morning, due to reasons beyond our control we had to reschedule for the afternoon. In the end it worked out great. The wind had died down and the habour was calm and glassy. It took no time for Rob and Nicola to master the art of kayaking and we were off across the harbour to Matakana Island. We had a bit of time up our sleeve so we got to explore the harbour for a little longer than usual. We soon got the call that their transport was waiting so we headed to Panepane for the pick up. Panepane is a favourite spot for fishing and great for catching kingfish. While Rob and Nicola were off on their horse riding adventure around Matakana I watched the fisherman with interest to see how they were going. They had landed a couple of big kingi's and had seen a couple of large schools swim under the wharf. A couple of hours went past pretty quick and Rob and Nicola were back at Panepane. They seemed a bit overwhelmed and told me they now wanted to stay after their tour of the island. We said bye to our hosts and headed back to the mainland in the kayaks. It was a beautiful afternoon and I think if there were better job opportunities in New Zealand Rob and Nicola would still be here.

Spanish Armada

5th - 6th March 2009
Coca Cola in Spain had run a competition to promote Fanta. The winners were able to invite a friend or two to go for a holiday in New Zealand. Peter from Elements Watersports had the dubious task of organising everything and because of my relationship with the local Maori community on Matakana Island and i had kayaks he asked me if I could help. After months of planning we were all set to provide water activities and a cultural experience for them. The plan for the 5th of March was to provide several activities down at Pilot Bay, Mt Maunganui. These included sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, paddle board, sea biscuit rides etc. There was a bit of wind which was great for the sailing but a little frustrating for kayaking although we were able stay close tot he shore and avoid the worst of it. The day went until 1.30pm when it was time to pack up and start preparing to go over to Matakana Island to set up for the next days activities. Everything went smoothly and all we had to do was wait for the next day to come round. The weather gods were not on our side and the next day brought consistent rain. As with every well organised plan there are contingencies in place and we had a few. Once they all arrived on the island we transported them to the clubrooms on the island where three Young warriors performed the Wero (Maori challenge) before the Powhiri (Maori Welcome). The school children then performed the Kapa Haka (Maori song and dance) to which the Spanish performed their National Anthem. The men then had the Moko painted on their faces and learnt the Haka while the ladies learnt how to make a Poi, how to use the Poi and sing a song. After they performed their new learnt skills to the local community their was a break in the rain and the call went up for a game of rugby. The men raced down to the field followed closely by the local community. The ladies were given a tour of the local school by the principal Jack. It was soon time to head back to the lodge where we had set up some marques, toilets, showers and the hangi. Once everyone arrived the hangi was pulled up and everyone had dinner and a few drinks. It was soon time for the group to head back to Tauranga so after a song and haka performed by the adults they were herded into the vans and taken back to where the ferry returned them to town. Myself, a few of the helping hand and the locals stayed up to the early hours of the morning singing songs and talking about the day.

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.




For all your Matakana Island Adventures visit our website http://www.adventurebop.co.nz/