Boating and Kayaking
Raglan Boat Charters. If it's a social harbor cruise you're after, try a two-hour sunset sail aboard the Wahinemoe, a 70-person purpose-built catamaran. It runs daily November to April and includes a barbecue dinner (NZ$49). For a quieter, more low-key one-hour cruise, opt for Harmony Scenic Cruises, whose skipper, Ian Hardie, knows his way around the harbor's tidal inlets and bays (NZ$30). From Harmony III, you can see forest reserves, historic habitation sites, isolated beaches, the "pancakes" (limestone outcrops), seabirds, and perhaps the pod of orca that occasionally visits the harbor. This tour runs all year, with times based on the tides. Reservations are essential for both cruises. The Wahinemoe operates from Raglan Wharf, in Wallis Street, while Harmony III sets off from the Raglan jetty, in the township at the end of Bow Street. Raglan, Waikato, 3227 . 07/825–7873; www.raglanboatcharters.co.nz.
Raglan Kayak. There's no better way to explore huge Raglan Harbour than on nature's terms with Steve and Candide Reid and their enthusiastic guides. Local boy Steve searched the world for the perfect place to work on water, then realized it was back home. People of any age and ability are welcome on his daily trip, where the focus is on paddling with the tide and wind, swimming on secluded beaches, great scenery, espresso, and home-baked goodies. Trips run for three hours (NZ$75). Kayaks are also available for rent (NZ$20 single, NZ$30 tandem per hour; NZ$40–NZ$60 per half day; NZ $50–NZ$80 per day), as are paddleboards (NZ$20 per hour; NZ$40 per half day). 07/825–8862; raglaneco.co.nz. Closed Easter–Oct.
Kawhia. With time on your hands, explore the road from Raglan to this isolated coastal settlement 55 km (34 miles) to the south. It's a remote country route through forest and farmland, skirting the eastern flank of Mt. Karioi and passing the turnoff for Waireinga/Bridal Veil Falls, but much of the road is gravel. The little-developed region is steeped in the past: this was where the Tainui people, the region's earliest Polynesian settlers, first landed after their arduous sea voyage. Beside Kawhia Wharf, the Kawhia Regional Museum Gallery and Information Centre interprets this long history (open 11 to 4 daily). What those in the know come for, however, are the Te Puia hot springs at Ocean Beach, east of town. There's road access to the beach (or it's a two-hour walk from Kawhia). Ask a friendly local for directions. You can find the springs only by digging into the sand a couple of hours either side of low tide, so check the tide tables in Raglan before you set off. 3889.
