Heading for Tauranga on State Highway 2, nearing Bethlehem motorists cross the broad, slow-moving Wairoa River. To the right, you can glimpse past a gradual bend, some jetties and the bright colours of a climbing wall. It’s just a hint of some fine waterborne (and land) adventures hidden away up the valley at Waimarino Adventure Park. The multi-award winning park is a kayaking nirvana, with add ons like a kayak slide that provide real ‘family day out’ appeal. Waimarino runs a number of kayak tours and one that’s drawn rave reviews from travellers is the Glow-Worm Tour at nearby Lake Mc Laren.
Bruce Elder’s blog in the Sydney Morning Herald captures the mood of this guided night paddle particularly well:
It is hard to capture the magic of an experience when the only sources of light are glow worms and the southern sky on a perfect, cloudless night. This was an unforgettable experience. Just truly unforgettable.
People make suggestions when you are travelling. Some you embrace with enthusiasm because they sound like fun. Others you wonder about. The thought of kayaking up a river in the middle of the night to see some glow worms really wasn't doing anything for me. It would be cold. I'd get wet. The kayak would probably turn over. I couldn't take any photos. And I didn't even know if NZ had strange aquatic, nocturnal creatures with a penchant for devouring over-large Australian visitors. So it was with more than a little trepidation that I met Blair Anderson from Waimarino (it's a kayak theme park on the edge of Tauranga on the Bay of Plenty) but, the moment you meet Blair, you are swept up by his intense, almost crazy, enthusiasm for all things kayaking. His father started Waimarino thirty years ago - he struggled for years until it became financially viable - and today it is a successful kayaking theme park on a river. It offers lots of kayaking experiences and, although I haven't done the three hour kayak down the river, I would reckon the night time glow worm experience (which, by the way, costs $NZ90 - and comes with a glass of wine and some NZ cheese and nibblies) has got to be their highlight.
Around 7.30 we made our way into McLaren Falls Park, found a suitable launching point on the edge of Lake McLaren, and, covered with dozens of layers to keep out the wet and the cold (I will point out at this point - lest you think this story is heading towards a wet and uncomfortable end - that I came back absolutely dry), we started to row up the lake. It was already dark. The stars were just beginning to appear. You could still see the skyline edged with trees and, when we rowed a little too close, you could see logs and snags in the lake. We made our way slowly across the lake and entered a very narrow gorge. Now this was truly, for want of a better cliche, mind-blowing. Both sides of the gorge were alive with glow worms. There were literally millions of them. Great washes of tiny sparkling lights, a little like the Milky Way, covered the gorge walls. Of course it was so dark you couldn't actually see the walls. All you could see were the glow worms. And above us, in perfect harmony with the gorge, were the stars of the Southern Cross and the real Milky Way. It was one of those experiences that will live in the mind's eye forever and one that no amount of cliched hyperbole - gobsmackingly beautiful, it took the breath away, an awesome and totally seductive experience - can ever do justice to. All I can say is that, along with the Sculpture Park, this is a must. A truly wonderful, unique and magical NZ 
experience. If I had only experienced this one glory then this two weeks in NZ would have been justified. And, as I said before, I landed safely back on the shores of the lake a little cold but totally dry. It is an experience for everyone. And Blair's enthusiasm was catching. He loves his kayaks and says, with great pride, "Welcome to my world" as he enters the gorge.
The superb pictures, courtesy of Waimarino, were taken by award-winning international freelance photographer Andy Belcher, a specialist in travel and underwater action, who lives in the Western Bay. Catch some of his work at www.andybelcher.com
Waimarino Fact File…
The Glow Worm Tour has two price options, the ‘Snack’ option costs $110 per person and the Gourmet Catered option $155 per person (with an additional cost of $55 per vehicle if you require a local pick-up and drop off).
Also popular, the Wairoa River Trip (Waimarino translates as tranquil waters) is a 3-hour easy cruise in sea kayaks from the lower Kaimai Ranges, back down the river with the tide, to the adventure park. The $75 per person covers the transport and all the gear (an additional cost of $55 per vehicle if you require a local pick-up and drop-off). Waimarino also runs guided sea kayaking trips between Waimarino and Pilot Bay at Mount Maunganui – or the reverse to run with the tides.
There’s plenty to appeal to all ages at the riverside complex itself. Thrill-seekers can try New Zealand’s only 25 metre-long kayak slide – that spits the rider out over the water two metres up. There are pedal boats, a thermal pool and rubber slip ‘n’ slide that keeps littlies engaged for hours. The adult supreme pass costs $35, children $28 (under 16 years of age), and a family pass $120 (2 adults & up to 3 children). The prices include day long unlimited use of kayaks and activities, from pedal boat usage to rock climbing.
Waimarino is the Western Bay’s largest kayak specialist shop, making it a great ‘try before buy’ venue. It’s open year round, 7 days in summer, from 10am to 6 pm. For more information: www.waimarino.com
