CAMPING THE KIWI WAY

Imagine an idyllic campsite on a secluded beach. You are sipping a cold drink in your deck chair, enjoying sunset views, a pleasant ache in your arms and shoulders. Your kayak is pulled up just beyond the gently lapping waters of high tide. Welcome to the world of kayak camping!

Packing up your camping gear into a kayak can let you access an enormous variety of coastline and lakeshore that most people, even in other boats, can’t reach. However, kayaking on open waters is not a proverbial stroll in the park. Specialized skills and equipment are required to navigate safely in a marine environment, and these can be difficult to acquire for many people. Women, in particular, face challenges in developing the technical and leadership abilities necessary to step out from the shadow of male paddlers and confidently lead such journeys. The Wāhine on Water Sea Kayakers collective has been recently developed to address these issues.

We offer a means to meet other like-minded women kayakers, monthly online talks from speakers describing expeditions or skills such as packing for kayak camping trips, and in person events. Three weekends in Raglan, Marahau, and Dunedin will feature instruction from qualified coaches. Registration will be open shortly at wowsk.nz website. So if the idea of camping via sea kayak appeals to you but you don’t know where to start, or if you are a woman sea kayaker who wants to expand your horizons, please join our WoW SK community. 🏕️

Dallas Veitch dallas@wowsk.nz | Rose Campbell rose@wowsk.nz