SAVEwith a - Canoe & Kayak

LAKE KAYAKING
Three days kayaking and
fishing around Lake Taupo
by Andrew Canning
I have lived in Taupo for a few years
and have often entertained the idea of
a kayaking trip around the whole Lake.
A clear long range forecast and the “Go
for it”!! thumbs up from my lovely
partner Rachel, meant it was all on.
Pulling out of Whakaipo Bay at 5pm my Tasman
Express was very low in the water with enough
food for a week aboard!
The lake was like glass and it was an easy paddle
to Kawa Kawa before dark. It was a late start due
to a stag do the previous night. A tree ‘slightly
rooted’ to the cliff and hanging perilously out over
the water, reminded me how I felt. Monday
morning the welcome sound of the lake lapping
gently on the beach only metres from my tent
woke me.
My harling rod was quickly in the rod holder and
I was quietly cruising along. My senses dined on
a smorgasbord of natural sights and sound
including tuis, bellbirds and the occasional plop
of a trout. And then!! ZZZZZ—ZZZZZZZZZZ—!!!
Magic to my ears. Yee Haaaa. Numero uno. A nice
4lb rainbow hen, given the kiss of life and
quickly released.
When harling I find it helps significantly to
exercise some self- control by hitting the rudder
hard left or right before lunging for the rod. I can
then play the trout over the bow rather than
awkwardly back over my shoulder.
A quick stop at Boat Harbour and then off again
past the breathtaking scenery: native bush,
towering cliffs and waterfalls as a backdrop to the
deep green/blue of the flat lake.
About 2pm I discovered a little bay surrounded
by cliffs with a small stream, the Waikino flowing
into a sandy bay that dropped off deeply about
100m out.
After a quick lunch I was in my hammock: rod out
(heave and leave) and I was lost in the pages of
Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code oblivious to the
changing weather.
Alerted by the noise of my paddle washing across
the ledge I scrambled for my gear just in time to
stop it getting wet. Up the lake white horses were
building. Within an hour the lake had changed
from flat calm to very rough. Waves slammed onto
the ledge, but thankfully the wind leap-frogged it
before screaming up the towering cliffs behind
me. I was here for the night whether I liked it
or not.
Annoyed for dropping my guard I concentrated
on catching dinner and landed 5 trout, using the
waves to pull them over the 3m ledge. I kept one
and filleted it into steaks, rolled in flour, fried in
butter and served with asparagus and mash.
Despite the wind I had a very sound sleep, apart
from being woken twice by the noise of my reel
screaming out from my ‘heave and leave’ fishing
technique.
At sparrows fart the lake was virtually flat again. I
harled close in under the cliffs, enjoying the
sunrise and a cup of left over luke -warm coffee
from my thermos.
I landed a nice trout, keen to put in a big day,
stashed my rod and paddled past the lovely
settlement of Whanganui. Over the next few hours
trout broke the surface very near my bow.
Temptation got the better of me and out went the
weapon again, but to no avail. Rounding
Tangingatahi Point the Northeasterly wind and
waves rebounding off the cliff base (clapatis)
made me wind in my line to concentrate
on paddling.
After 7 hours paddling I pulled into Te Hapua bay
for lunch and a quick nap in my hammock. Setting
off into a southeasterly head wind and making
slow progress I decided I might as well be fishing.
I tried different flies and lures over the next few
hours without a catch. The weather deteriorated.
Consistent white caps encouraged me to put the
rod away and resort to paddling for distance.
Reaching Kuratau mid afternoon, the wind was
even stronger. I cut the corner and headed straight
over to the Tongariro Delta, landed, quickly
changed into dry clothes and attended to a king
size dose of the munchies.
Eating so much I was surprised to fit back into my
kayak! After a total of 11 1/2 hours paddling I
arrived at the Waiotaka River mouth where
Rachel, bearing fish-n-chips and a bottle of red,
joined me. After dinner we had a quick fly fish in
the river mouth and I couldn’t help but laugh at a
French fisherman who waded so far into the rip
that the trout were rising behind him. But we all
caught trout whilst enjoying a spectacular sunset.
Next day I hugged the shoreline most of the way
up the lake to Motutere Point, then paddled to
Motutaiko Island. Within 20 minutes I caught 4
prime trout in about 50 metres of water. I knocked
a 5 1/2 pounder on the head for dinner with
Rachel that night.
In a light Northerly, I paddled due north from the
island up to the middle of the lake. After a few
hours I passed well to the west of Horomatangi
Reef, - Rangatira Point looked barely closer. The
Northerly picked up and Rachel rang to warn that
the forecast had changed to “thunderstorms over
the central North Island”. They soon became very
obvious. Thunderbolts and Lightning - very
very frightening!
About 6 kilometres south of Rangatira Point a
swiftly rotating funnel of wind sucked water off
the surface of the lake. It sounded like a truck on
State Highway 1 at Hatepe. It grew louder and
louder and 200m away was coming straight for me.
I paddled rapidly in the opposite direction but ran
low on energy. Figuring that at worst it could only
tip me out, I sat and watched as it passed very
close by and disappeared. I drank a cup of coffee
whilst buzzing on the wow factor. I later
discovered that water- spouts are rarely seen on
Lake Taupo.
Carrying on almost to Rangatira Point before
heading east, I had a quick jig on Mine Point
where I touched a couple of trout but failed to
hook them. A strong South-Easterly set in and with
a tail wind behind me I paddled into Whakaipo.
My abdominals, shoulders and arm muscles were
aching after another 11 1/2 hours of paddling with
only 15 minutes out of my kayak all day. Rach was
waiting patiently on the beach. As I pulled in I
had a huge grin from ear to ear, let out a hoot of
excitement and was engulfed by a great sense of
achievement. Bring on the next adventure!!
yippee-I-aye!!!
6 ISSUE THIRTYthree • 2005