Marlborough Sounds is an amazingly beautiful place to kayak. It’s a bit off the beaten track, so if you enjoy a bit of peace and solitude it’s a great alternative to some of the more popular kayaking destinations in the South Island.
Neil giving us last minute advice at Elaine Bay, Tennyson Inlet
In late December we rented a couple of kayaks from Neil in Elaine Bay, Tennyson Inlet and spent 4 days kayaking around the area. Tennyson Inlet is off the Pelorus Sound and has large areas of unlogged forest.
Neil rented us the kayaks, lifejackets and pump and provided invaluable local knowledge about campsites, conditions and winds so strong that it was tough just lifting a paddle against them.
As the weather forecast wasn’t great and it was grey and threatening to rain, we decided to stay in the inner sounds and camp at Tawa Bay, an hour or two’s paddle from Elaine Bay. When we got there the DOC site was occupied, so we set up in a nice sheltered position in the middle of the beach. The forest there is superb. The beachfront is fringed with flax and ngaio, with groves of tall kawakawa behind and then giant matai, miro and kahikatea, turning to beech forest on the hills.
Tawa Bay, Tennyson Inlet
The dawn chorus was beautiful, and we saw many tui and bellbirds on the flax flowers, though investigation of bellbirds calling in alarm revealed a stoat busily hunting its breakfast. There were also many stingrays (some quite large) gliding through the clear waters of the bay. We kayaked north along the coast into a rising chop and headwind until a mussel farm provided a convenient place for lunch and a turn around. Coming back into Tawa Bay we encountered the fearsome wind gusts that Neil had predicted. It’s easy to see them coming over the water and they don’t last for long but really have to be experienced to be believed.
Matai Bay, Tennyson Inlet
On our third day we paddled south to Matai Bay, a place of such wild beauty that words fail and photos are inadequate. It has a DOC hut that you can only get to by sea. The hut key can be picked up from DOC or various locals. After exploring Matai Bay we paddled round to the bay that shelters World’s End, another campsite in beautiful bush, but as the wind was picking up we decided to head back before the going got too tough and returned to Tawa Bay.
Weka
On our last day we were visited by a weka which peered inside our tents and checked out our gear. I was delighted as we don’t get them in the North Island much and it was my first close encounter.
We packed up our wet tents and kayaked across past the island reserves in the middle of Tennyson Inlet to Sheep Point (gotta love that name) and back down to Elaine Bay. We’d seen very few kayakers – most arrived late and departed early, and only a couple of boats. I’ll definitely be back.
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What a great post! Looking forward to more off the track postings about NZ, we are planning to visit in Feb and March and love to kayak without crowds! Any other suggestions would be appreciated!