Crossing the Waitemata

Article by Natalie Smith, photography by Ken Downie. Reprinted with permission from ACP Media. (Metro)

Greg Dixon talks about hangovers and fellow sufferers in the December Metro, on sale from November 26.

“‘Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing,’ he went on dreamily, ‘messing about in boats.’”

As the Water Rat in Kenneth Grahame’s children’s book The Wind in the Willows says, there is nothing quite so lovely as boating - and where better to do it than on the Waitemata? The harbour isn’t solely the playground of the rich. All you have to do is jump on a ferry from the city to Devonport, Bayswater or Birkenhead. Fullers ferries to Birkenhead, for example, cost from $4.70 for an adult fare, and run approximately every half-hour at peak times, and hourly at other times, leaving from the Ferry Terminal at 99 Quay St.

Fullers also runs scenic trips around Auckland Harbour, viewing Devonport, the Harbour Bridge and the New Zealand Naval Base in a 1½-hour tour. The cruise includes a full commentary, coffee and an open return ferry ticket to Devonport. They depart daily at 10.30am and 1.30pm. Call 0800 FULLERS. If it’s a special occasion, it makes sense to charter your own boat — there are a multitude of options available from Miami Vice-type launches to old-style yachts. We like the sound of Arcturus, a classic Alden schooner which can take you on a two-hour harbour cruise, for $75 per person (minimum 6 people), during the day or at sunset (bruce.dunlop@xtra.co.nz).

For something a little more physical, hire a kayak from Ferg’s Kayaks (12 Tamaki Drive, Okahu Bay, www.fergskayaks.co.nz). No bookings required, and prices range from $10 for a one-hour paddle in a single “sit-on-top” kayak to $100 for a day in a double sea kayak.

For those rolling in dough, why not just lay down the cash and buy your own yacht? Sounds easy, but it’s not quite as simple as it seems to master all the aspects of safe boating. We recommend joining the nearest branch of the Auckland Yachting and Boating Association (www.nzyachting.org.nz) so you can learn everything from capsizing safely to trimming, tacking and jibing. Qualifications such as the Day Skipper and the more advanced Boatmaster Certificate are also important — contact the Coastguard for more information. And if none of this tickles your fancy, why not just swim out to one of the 200-metre buoys that dot the main bays — it’s free, after all.

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