Eco Tour

Tours Activities Nature & adventure

This 3.5 hour family-friendly tour offers a great day exploring the natural wonders of the Long Bay - Okura Marine Reserve, diverse coastal areas and surrounding native forests.

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Highlights

Explore the natural wonders of the Long Bay - Okura Marine Reserve.
See and learn about some of the world’s most endangered shorebirds.
Kayak the amazingly diverse coast seeing open beach, reef and estuarine habitat.
Stroll through beautiful forest and along the coastline.
Enjoy a Devonshire tea at the historic Dacre Cottage.

Description

A day to experience one of New Zealand’s most diverse coastal areas. This Eco Tour provides a fantastic 3.5 hours exploring the natural wonders of the Long Bay – Okura Marine Reserve and surrounding native forests. See and learn about some of the world’s most endangered shorebirds including the New Zealand Dotterel, Variable Oystercatchers, Caspian Terns, Royal Spoonbills, Bar-Tailed Godwits, and more. Hear about the amazing history of the area and see how early inhabitants used to live. Your local guide will pass on many stories and even teach you how to make bush scones and a cuppa. Their knowledge of the wildlife both on land and in the sea is huge and you will finish the tour invigorated in the story of the effort that has seen decades of work in protecting this little piece of New Zealand’s paradise. How do we get around? You will kayak the amazingly diverse coast seeing open beaches, reefs, and estuarine habitats along with the wildlife that populates these areas. You will stroll through the amazing forest and along the Coast looking at a mirid of natural wonders. For lunch, you will have a cheese platter along with tea and scones at the historic Dacre Cottage 1850 and hear about the adventure of Captain Ranulph Dacre. If you want to explore and find out more about New Zealand’s coastal forests, foreshore, coastal ocean habitats, and the amazing wildlife that inhabit them, then this is the tour for you. What’s included: All kayaking and safety equipment Stable sea kayaks or sit-on-tops are used All tuition from our experienced qualified kayak guides Bird watching Lunch, tea / coffee / hot chocolate A guaranteed great 3.5 hours! What to bring: Swimming togs and Towel Warm extra layers; no cotton/denim jeans Lightweight windbreaker/raincoat is recommended Well fitting wet shoes (old sand shoes) for kayaking, and walking shoes Water bottle Sun protection, personal medication, waterproof camera, and polaroid sunglasses Spare warm clothes to change into when finished. Dietary requirements: Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements so we can cater accordingly. Tour location: The tour is based just 25 minutes north of Auckland in the Long Bay Okura Marine Reserve, which is boarded by the Long Bay Regional Park, the Okura Bush Scenic Reserve, Karepiro Esplanade reserve, Dacre Cottage Historic Reserve. Meeting location: North Shore / Hibiscus Coast area. The specific meeting location will be arranged closer to the Tour departure time due to uncertainty around weather conditions, tides etc. Duration: This is a 3.5 hour trip, perfect for experiencing New Zealand’s diverse nature with the family or a group of friends. Children: This kayak tour is suitable for children 11 years and over, although younger children over 5 are welcome if the conditions are suitable. Each child must be accompanied by an adult.

Includes

All kayaking and safety equipment Stable sea kayaks or sit-on-tops are used All tuition from our experienced qualified kayak guides Bird watching Lunch, tea / coffee / hot chocolate A guaranteed great time

Important Information

Please note: Our standard kayaks in our fleet will take most paddlers pretty well! However, if you weigh over 120 kg please let us know so we can make sure that we can best accommodate you with a comfortable time while on tour with us! A reasonable level of fitness is required i.e. happy to walk nonstop for 30 minutes and able to sit on the ground and get back up unaided. If you have any doubts about being fit enough, please call one of the Canoe & Kayak team for a chat and they will let you know if the tour is for you. Safety Terms and Customer Declaration In any adventure activity, there is an element of risk involved. Risks in undertaking this activity include drowning, illness as a result of adverse weather conditions, water damage to personal belongings, and contact with wildlife. For full safety terms and declaration visit http://canoeandkayak.co.nz/karepiro-bay-eco-adventure/