We paddle on a stretch of coastline that is simply not suitable for freedom rentals. Safety is paramount in our business, we specialise in small personal tours run by one of our qualified guides. We know all the secret spots out there and love to share our favorite places with you.

You can amend or cancel your reservation up until 48hours before your trip is scheduled to begin. Cancellations within 48hours are non-refundable.

Please note – if we cancel your tour due to poor weather conditions you will be refunded in full.

Yes! The great thing about kayaking is that it is easy. After a quick introduction and safety briefing you are out there doing it.. sea kayaking the Pacific Ocean! The guide is with your group the whole time and is there to make your trip safe and enjoyable.

The Cathedral Cove Classic heads north of Hahei Beach and explores the Marine Reserve and Cathedral Cove. The Remote Coast Tour heads south of Hahei and explores the volcanic coast between Hahei and Hot Water Beach including the blowhole. The full day tour is a combination of both tours. The Remote Coast tour covers coastline that is more exposed than the area explored on the Cathedral Cove Classic. This means the Remote Coast tour is more weather and sea dependent than the Classic tour.

Yes. Because you were booked on the Remote Coast tour with us you have priority to join the classic if you wish.

You need to bring your own lunch. We stop back at the starting point for the lunchtime break so you have access to your car if you wish. We provide afternoon tea at Catheral Cove on the second half of the tour.

Yes. We have dry bags for your camera and there are storage compartments in the kayaks for other items.

No. We meet beside the kayaks on Hahei Beach in front of the main car park. It just keeps things simple for you.

If the trip is cancelled due to weather conditions there is no charge whatsoever. If you have prepaid for your tour then you will be refunded in full. If you booked via a travel agent then they will provide a full refund (you will need to contact them to arrange).

You will have priority to rebook if you are staying in the area another day and wish to try again.

If you are staying in Whitianga and you do not have a car then this service is for you (or if you do have a car but don’t feel like driving!). Whitianga is a 35 minute drive from our starting point on Hahei Beach. If you have a car you just need to drive to Hahei Beach and meet us on the beach at the scheduled meeting time.

If you don’t have a car then you need to use our pick up service. You take the Whitianga Ferry accross to Ferry Landing. It is a 5 minute crossing and costs $7 return. The Ferry departs approximately every ten minutes. We will arrange a time to meet you at Ferry Landing when you call us to check the weather forecast the day before your trip. The shuttle service is $20pp return.

Our guides carry waterproof digital cameras and will be snapping a few shots throughout the trip. We post the photos that come out clearly on a dated album on our Facebook page (search Cathedral Cove Kayaks on Facebook). We can’t guarantee that we will get photos of everyone so we always encourage you to bring your camera too, we have drybags to keep them safe.

You are welcome to ask your guide if you want them to take more or less photos of you on the day.. they will do their best to accomodate your needs.

No, Hot Water Beach is a very exposed beach that often has big waves and rough sea, not suitable for kayaking.
However, it is a very popular attraction that sees people from all over the world sharing the same natural spa pool in the sand. The hot springs are only accessible at low tide so we suggest doing some reseach to plan your day.. aim to visit 1.5 hours either side of low tide. Spades are available for rent from the local cafes.

Click the link below to check tide times. You’ll be able to work out the best way to join the kayak trip AND visit Hot Water Beach on the same day.
Select location as ‘Whitianga Entrance’ and enter the date(s) that you will be in the area. The tide heights with a minus sign are the low tides that day.
https://www.niwa.co.nz/services/online-services/tide-forecaster

N.B. The tide does not affect the kayak tours.

Yes we will have some paperwork for you to fill in on the beach before your trip. A copy of our current form is below-

Cathedral Cove Kayak Tours take you into a completely natural coastal environment. The RISKS associated with our activity are REAL as with any adventure activity. Your guides are trained to explain these to you and to manage these risks. Please follow their instructions at all times during the activity. If you are concerned about anything please tell your guides.

By accepting this waiver, I hereby acknowledge that taking part in a kayak trip with Cathedral Cove Kayaks Ltd, there are inherent dangers and risks. While the staff and management of Cathedral Cove Kayaks Ltd will take all practicable steps to identify and minimize potential dangers, it will not accept liability for loss, injury or damage sustained by a participant or his/her dependents in circumstances where such an event could not have been avoided by the exercise of reasonable care. I acknowledge that I must follow the instructions of the guide and use safety equipment when instructed at all times. If I am responsible for a person under the age of 16, I must ensure that the underage person follows the Guides’ instructions at all times. I release and indemnify Cathedral Cove Kayaks Ltd and staff against any liability they incur to anyone else, resulting from my failure to follow Cathedral Cove Kayaks Ltd instructions or the failure of any underage person accompanying me to follow the Guides’ instructions.

Cathedral Cove Kayaks Ltd reserves the right to withdraw any person who in their opinion is likely to endanger themselves or others. This exclusion includes the overuse of alcohol and/or recreational drugs. I also recognize that Cathedral Cove Kayaks Ltd reserves the right to cancel, modify, or curtail any trip, if my safety or that of any other person becomes a concern.

I am aware that Sea Kayaking and participation in a “Sea Kayak Tour” may have inherent dangers and risk including but not limited to physical excursion, exposure to natural elements, boat capsize, sea-sickness, encounters with natural wild life, and possibility of emotional stress. I willingly accept all the risks of Sea Kayaking including without limitation the risks described above and the possibility of personal injury, death, property damage or loss resulting there from for any reason. I accept that all Cathedral Cove Kayaks Ltd liability for loss of or damage to my property, disruption to travel plans, or mental injury is excluded. This exclusion is subject to any rights or remedies a customer has under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, or any other New Zealand law.

If responsible for children under 16 years, a parent or guardian must add the names and associated medical information on the back of this form.

I certify that I will disclose any relevant medical information/conditions to the guide who will be leading my tour BEFORE the trip begins.

MEDICAL DETAILS

 If you answer “yes” to any of the questions please discuss the details with your guide before your trip.

This medical form is confidential and kept in a secure location on company file for health and safety purposes only

Please circle your answers: