22 Hours on The Rock

A couple weeks ago we headed up north to Paihia with some friends, KS and J, to check out The Rock Houseboat, which KS had had on her NZ To Do list for years.  It ended up being the best 22 hour experience ever, resulting in what may be the most picture-heavy blog post yet!

We drove up Friday night after work, stopping for dinner next to a liquor store that turned out to have an expansive craft beer selection. We stocked up for a "beer tasting" and accidentally stayed up until 3am trying them all. Probably not the best idea considering the day we had lined up, but a hearty breakfast and a pot of tea later and we were ready to go!

The top two beers inspired our evening - we did a blind taste test to pick our favourite. Surprisingly, New Zealand won out for 3/4 of us, with Rob being the only one who liked the USA version better. Bottom: That's a lot of beer!

Our boat didn't leave until after 4pm, so we had all day Saturday to explore the area. We headed over to Kerikeri to check out the Stone Store, which is New Zealand's oldest building. It was built in 1819, which serves as a reminder of just how young New Zealand is. We also found a waterfall and the infamous Destroy Wild Gingers! sign.

Shortly after that, it was time to set off on our adventure on The Rock!

Our home for the next 22 hours.  Ain't she a beauty?

The Rock is a floating hostel in the Bay of Islands. It's built on an old car barge, and it's not fancy or luxurious (only has 2 toilets, both of which are downstairs while all the bunk rooms are upstairs), but it is an absolute blast.  The rock can hold up to 36 people, but we only had 13 guests and 4 crew members, so there weren't any problems with overcrowding.

We set off around 5pm, blazing through the water at a max speed of 5 knots per hour. Once on the boat, we had all kinds of activities to keep us busy - shooting at plastic ducks, Connect Four, an unsteady pool table, and, if you're me, knitting by the seaside with a glass of bubbles. Once we reached a bay, we dropped anchor for a bit of fishing. While we were fishing off the back of the boat, the crew got started on dinner (which included some of the fish that were caught).

Once we had feasted, it was time for night kayaking! We didn't go far - just far enough to get away from the light of the boat. This area is one of the magical spots in the world where the ocean has phosphorescent algae, and it lights up like fairy dust when you move your paddle through it. It's impossible to photograph, but it's something I'll never forget. When we got back to the boat we jumped in the water to swim with the fairies. Normally I would never consider swimming in the ocean at night, but I couldn't resist!

Life aboard The Rock. Clockwise from top left: Our lovely little bunk, the downstairs (with toilets to the left), some of the MANY dolphins we saw on our journey, The Rock at twilight during dinner

Fishing! KS and I both caught fish, but they were tiny so we kissed them and threw them back. I think they were perch. Our captain caught some larger fish, which he grilled up for dinner. His method of killing them (stabbing them in the gut while they were still wriggling) kind of made me miss The Judge used by Captain Harry.

Night kayaking! We were welcomed back to the boat with a toasty fire. Bottom right: These lanterns were the only lights we had after midnight other than the battery operated ones in the bathrooms. They had electricity operating from 8pm-12pm our first night, and that was it!

 The next morning we were up bright and early to watch the sunrise. Generally I'm not one to get up before 7am voluntarily, and certainly not after two nights in a row of less than 6 hours of sleep, but somehow woke up before my alarm went off.  The sunrise was spectacular, as promised, and a great way to start what was bound to be an excellent day.

After breakfast we spent some time snorkeling. We were told we might see Moray Eels like that was something to look forward to, but thankfully that did not happen. Our guide did collect sea urchins and then split them open to attract fish, so we got to see some very pretty ones.

After snorkeling, we did some more kayaking over to a beach, where we went for a bit of a walk up to the top of the island. I tried barefoot hiking for part of the trip - it was all fun and games until the path turned into gravel. Thankfully I had sandals with me, so was able to put them on for the rest of the walk - and was rewarded with some stunning views!

Finally, we headed back to the boat for lunch and a rest before heading back to Paihia. The crew gave us the option of trying some sea urchin, which apparently is a delicacy in some countries. I can't say I cared for it - and no combination of breath mints, beer, fish, or avocados could get the aftertaste out of my mouth - but I'm glad I tried it once!

Sunrise outside our cabin

Snorkeling - love our underwater camera!

Hiking along the beach

Some activities aboard the Rock, including pool, paint ball shooting, hanging out and playing Connect Four, and sampling the sea urchin (blech)

We arrived back in Paihia around 3pm.  We were exhausted but exhilarated - I felt like I was leaving summer camp. If you're ever in New Zealand, I can't recommend The Rock enough.  We did so much in 22 hours without ever feeling like we were rushed or pressed for time. My only complaint about it is that we had to leave. I'd love to go again and again and again  - and thankfully - we can!