Tauranga: Evening Glowworm Kayak Tour
Description
Mount Maunganui and Tauranga are the central areas for this kayak tour - it uses double kayaks on the calm sheltered waters of Lake McLaren. The tour operates in the evening due to the visibility of the glow worms.. As the evening unfolds, begin your journey with a short scenic drive through rolling countryside, you’ll arrive at the breath taking Lake McLaren. Here, you’ll be welcomed with “Te Reka O Te Whenua- the Taste of the Land” a curated tasting session featuring flavours unique to Aotearoa. Savour the flavours of New Zealand Cheeses, sweet RewaRewa honey, and other artisanal delights, perfectly paired with locally brewed kombucha. In the cooler months, sip on warm, spiced 0% mulled wine to keep you warm.
Tour Options
Itinerary
this meeting point is also Waimarino Adventure Park Tauranga's longest established tourism attraction where families enjoy the days activities
Enjoy light refreshments on the Edge of Lake McLaren prior to departing in double kayaks into the sunset. Here you will discover the birdlife settling for the evening and the gentle splashes of fish (trout) breaking the surface for the final evenings meal. You then paddle to the head of the lake and transition from daylight to darkness through dusk. this is when the stars start coming into view and the glow worms begin to pop from the native bush on the cliffs.
NZ's second largest arboretum. A multitude of bird life and amazing trees are seen.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required to commence a tour
Reviews(333)
Guide was wonderful, great with kids. Kayaking was easy and relaxing.
The experience was very fun and the tour guide was helpful and friendly.
We was meant to do the Rotorua tour but due to bad weather we moved it to the Tauranga big Kanu, and we’re all so glad we did. Bella & Uchie were the greatest guides, informative, funny and great to chat to. The trip was so relaxing and fun, the scenery was stunning and the glow worms amazing. Thank you both for a truly wonderful experience and evening
We're so glad you enjoyed the tour and thank you for being so accommodating - New Zealand weather certainly keeps us all on our toes :)
This tour is just lovely and a perfect combination of workout, relaxing, nature and food. Alex our guide did such a great job, entertained us with knowledge and beautiful stories. The food was so delicious and we had a great time in the hot pools. Paddelling home under the nights sky was really special.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a lovely review. We're thrilled you had a great time and we'll pass on the kind words to Alex.
We had a fantastic tour. Longer paddling than expected but worth it. Paddled to the hot spas and spent time soaking while dinner was grilled. After we paddled to the caves and the glow worms were very cool to see. We then paddled back to shore in the dark. Our guide was friendly and a wealth of information. Highly recommend tour.
Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad you enjoyed the full experience - from the hot pools and dinner to the glowworm caves. We hope to see you back again soon!
Really fun experience! Going by kayak to see glowworms was fabulous. We did Waitomo caves the day prior and this tour did not disappoint or feel duplicative, I’m glad we went. I’m not an experienced kayaker and the guide was very patient and helped me with my form to make it easier for me, now I’m an expert kayaker ☺️.
It’s fantastic to hear the experience felt unique alongside your visit to Waitomo, they really are special in their own ways! We’re also so glad to hear you’ve graduated to expert kayaker status… we’ll be expecting you back for another adventure soon!😊
Ben did a great job as tour guide for this activity and narrating the trip. It was a lovely adventure. We enjoyed delicious gourmet snacks before setting out in our kayaks with all the gear we could possibly need. We paddled out at sunset, then Ben pulled us into a narrower area where the glowworms were located. We learned about the science of the glowworms and a beautiful Maori legend. It was magical seeing the "stars" in the trees/cliffs around us while listening to gentle waterfalls. I have been to glowworm cave experiences and this is better. It was really special. My 11 year old loved it too.
Thank you for your kind words. We're thrilled you go to experience the glow worms and make lasting memories with your 11 year old!
So fun! Great guides Jack & Ewen. Learned lots.
We're thrilled to hear you had fun on our Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour! We'll pass the kind words onto our guides
Well organised, friendly, carefree and professional.
Thank you for your kind words, we're glad you had a great experience with us
I had the most amazing and memorable experience last night with the glowworm kayak tour, it’s seriously one I will never forget! We were blessed with Eoghan as our guide for the evening and he was the perfect mix of wisdom, dad jokes and incredible story telling. He has a one of a kind personality and golden-retriever like energy, and was a great personal chef, so perfect for the job! (I so wish I could’ve fit him in my suitcase back to Aus with me.😍) Anywhoo, we kayaked to the hot pools on lake Rotoiti and soaked in the glorious springs while dinner was cooking on the barbecue. Amazing service and very tasty! There was absolutely no sense of rushing or lack of time, it was peaceful and entertaining and really customer focused. The highlight for me was definitely seeing the sunset over the lake which was perfectly timed thanks to Eoghan, the glowworm cave stories and the kayak back with the view of stars in the nights sky! It was 10/10 in my humble opinion, definitely recommend for everyone to experience!!
Thank you so much for this incredible review! We’re thrilled to hear that your experience was so memorable and that the evening ticked all the boxes. Eoghan will be stoked to read this - his storytelling, humour, and energy really do make him one of a kind, and we’re so glad he made your night extra special (we wish we could send him home in suitcases too sometimes! 😄). It’s awesome to hear you felt relaxed, well looked after, and able to truly soak in every moment. Thanks again for the recommendation, we’d love to welcome you back anytime.
