A weekend of wonder MINI-BREAK in Waikato
Waikato
Silently slipping through a canyon in a kayak at nightfall while beholding a natural light display is one of Waikato’s best-kept secrets.
Up a tributary off the shore of Lake Karapiro, thousands of glow-worms put on a nightly show.
Local kayak tour company Lake District Adventures run small group tours to this magic spot. Starting on the glassy waters of Lake Karapiro, best-known for spawning some of New Zealand’s champion rowers, the trip is an easy paddle over the historic sunken Horahora power station (it was dammed in 1947 for a new hydroelectric power station) and up Pokaiwhenua Stream.
It’s a picturesque paddle punctuated with commentary on the local history by experienced guide Steve Hastie and the whirring wings of papango (scaup), whose wings beat against the water like tiny helicopter blades.
The tour begins in daylight and just before dusk we settle on the riverbank. Here we enjoy savoury and sweet snacks, and a warming non-alcoholic hot toddy as we await nightfall,
