Waka Abel Tasman — Local services in South Island

I was spending Christmas with my daughter & family, who live in N.Z. and she suggested we have a waka experience from Kaiteriteri to Split Apple Rock. Lee-Anne, who, with her husband, organises these trips, is an amazing person. Both being of Maori descent, their knowledge of the language and culture is truly outstanding. Lee-Anne's calm, knowledgeable presence made the whole experience utterly memorable. There were 2 Scandinavian families on our boat, along with my daughter and her 2 older sons and Lee-Anne's 2 daughters. Lee-Anne spoke Maori to us on the beach and we all had to introduce ourselves, using a few Maori words that she wrote in the sand. I found her informative, kind and inspirational. In fact, the whole experience was very moving, to discover a little of the Maori language and culture. I have huge respect and fond feelings for both Lee-Anne and her husband, and recommend the experience wholeheartedly. I look forward to another waka trip when I visit my daughter...

My friend and I had such a great time doing this kayaking experience. Unlike other similar tours we’ve done across New Zealand we felt our tour guide, Thomas, really made an effort to incorporate us into his culture. I liked that when he spoke in another language he would always translate what he had said so we could understand what we were hearing or repeating rather than just trying to learn the sounds. He was just generally an interesting person and made sure we all had an amazing experience. He explained stories, plants and their herbal uses, answered questions and even gave us recommendations of places to go in the Abel Tasman (separation point was a great recc by the way!) Despite the not great weather so glad we did this and would definitely recommend. Also you could really tell when he was paddling in the kayak because boy did he make it move. Thanks so much for such a...

My wife and I did a waka tour in December 2017 with Lea-Anne. The tour was great. We learned a little Maori, including how to salute from the waka, learned the way to paddle as a waka team, and spent 2 hours on the Tasman Bay coastline, seeing it and learning some of the Maori history and traditions for the area. The owners, Lea-Anne and Todd, are wonderful people with great spirits, very open, welcoming, and kind. They are major players in strengthening their communities and empowering the youth to be proud of the Maori culture and the land on which they live. We had been looking for something Maori that was not propped up as a pay-for-show experience. I contacted Waka Abel Tasman, and Lea-Anne went out of her way to orient us, beyond setting us up for the waka tour. I'm really glad we were able to be a part of the Waka tour and would...