Meditating in a Kayak

Launching my kayak off the shore into Lake Mapourika

When I was in Franz Josef, I was helping Bronwyn out with her kayaking company.  Since it was off-season for kayaking (as it was winter in the southern hemisphere), company employee's were limited to herself and her partner Dale.
One morning the Kiwi Bus (or the party bus as I like to call it, because it consists of young travelers who never leave their hostel without a flask), showed up with an unusual amount of individuals wanting to kayak off their hangovers.   Bronwyn called me in as a second guide to run the trip, and it was one of my favorite days in New Zealand.

Lake Mapourika is one of the most stunning places on earth.  Once you’ve seen it, you’re left with an insatiable desire to experience it again and again. Those three magical hours on the water are as much for the enjoyment of the staff, as they are for the first-timers, resulting in contagious positive energy bouncing around the entire trip.

Maybe they weren't that hungover...

One of the biggest perks of kayaking on a placid lake is the ease of it. Even if you're new to the sport, to operate it requires minimal coordination skill. Basically if you can walk, you can kayak. Bronwyn provides all the gear and transportation so all the guests have to worry about is what to bring for lunch.

Your main task as a guide is suiting people up and strapping them into their kayaks.  Once on the water I occupied myself with photography and coming up with as many annoying jingles to sing as possible. 

The lake is sheltered from harsh coastal winds and most often it is perfectly still, creating a mirror like reflection of your surroundings in the water below. Calls of the rainforest birds create pleasant background music, and the overwhelming beauty of the glacier-capped mountains has you entranced. Each stroke of your paddle pulls you deeper and deeper into a meditative state of sublimity.

Half-way through the trip we enter a creek whose shoreline belongs to a Kiwi Wildlife Sanctuary.  Unfortunately these country famous furry creatures are nocturnal, but it was still a great opportunity to see their living environment.  It reminded me of the tours they have in Hollywood, where people pay hundreds of dollars to drive by the outside of celebrity houses (but without feeling pathetic).





Before I knew it, I was heading back to shore cursing Einstein’s Theory of Relativity; three hours have passed in a flash.  Then I remembered the best part of living in a vacation destination: I can do this everyday!

Myself venturing out of the Sanctuary