The Abel Tasman Kayaking Trip

Kayaking, I know, it is so not me. But i wanted to see the Abel Tasman before i left so i asked Ruth if she would like to join me. Kaiteriteri Kayaks, they picked us up at the clock tower and dropped us off at the beach. We were rather nervous. We met our guide (Shane). He was great. There was about 14 of us and we all jumped into double kayaks. I was at the back so i had to steer the thing as well. And after a night on the tequila this was not coming to me naturally. So off we paddled, bout 500m to a couple of seals sitting on a little island just of shore. Camera's out, clicking away. The i realized that Ruth couldnt see them, ha ha so had to try and turn the thing around for her to have a look. Shane said come on then we're off. So we followed him between rocks(hitting every single one as we went)and off into the open water. Let me tell you it was a picture perfect day. We paddled up the coast where he told us stories about the history of the place as we went. The next little bay there was a house built on the beach, I kid you not. IT WAS ON THE SAND. Then we paddled up to Split Apple Rock. We stopped here for an hour or so then back into the kayak. Well I managed that but Ruth decided to put her wrong leg in first and just fell straight into the bloody water. Well fuck did I laugh...and laugh... and laugh... It looked so funny. Then all she could do was laugh, I think we held the group up for 10 mins while we composed ourselves. We paddled out and shane made us get up on the kayaks and do the haka. Lucky no one fell in. A very nice and relaxing paddle back to the beach followed. A water-taxi awaited us and took us up to the seal colony up the coast(there wasnt a lot of seals there) then dropped us on a beach near by. From here walked 2 hrs over the Abel Tasman Track, what a beautiful area of the world. Reflecting on our day as we walked and laughing more about the falling in the water thing. Ruth doesnt like to call it "falling out of the kayak" because she said she wasnt even in it. We walked to Bark Bay where the boat picked us up and took us back to Kaiteriteri. What a great day we had. But i can still say that the whole kayaking thing is still very foreign to me.