The Maori Carvings Half Day Kayak

This was such a great experience and one we’d happily do again. Sarah, our skipper, was knowledgeable, funny, and full of energy. She shared so much about the history of the lake, the area, and the history behind the Māori carvings, making the trip so much more than just a boat ride. Her crew member was equally lovely, checking in on everyone throughout the cruise and making sure we were comfortable. They had thought of everything, blankets to keep warm, colouring for the little ones, and refreshments along the way. It made travelling with young kids so much easier and everyone felt well looked after. The Ernest Kemp itself is such a charming boat. You can tell it’s been really well cared for, and travelling on a smaller vessel with so much character felt much more personal than being on one of the larger tourist boats. It really added to the experience. We were lucky enough to have beautiful weather, and the views across Lake Taupō to Mt Ruapehu were incredible. Seeing the carvings up close while learning about their creation made the whole experience really special. If you’re visiting Taupō, I’d definitely recommend adding this to your itinerary. A fantastic few hours on the water with a wonderful crew.

This was an incredible experience and I recommend it highly. Everyone was so friendly and the coffee was amazing.

A really wonderful experience - a sunny and calm day in June. Knowledgable and friendly guide; we were able to get close to the carvings to see them clearly. The guide even had tea and a snack!

Amazing! Only accessible by water, 4k round trip. Overcast skies kept the jet skiers away, so we practically had the lake to ourselves. The kayaking was easy, only a little rough on the way out but smooth on the way back. Guides Tehu and Conlan were skilled and knowledgeable, giving us history and stories along the way. All great is included. So much fun. I highly recommend this trip.

Great day out on the lake. Be prepared to give your arms a work out. Our guide was super friendly and very knowledgeable, very easy to chat to and made the trip very enjoyable. For the money you have a great 4 hours in some amazing scenery.

What a beautiful day to spend the afternoon kayaking on Lake Taupo. Even had an opportunity to go for a lovely swim. This is a must do when you’re in Taupo. Ask for Eloise. She was the best!!

This is a fun and safe adventure - suitable for all levels of kayaking (in)experience. Our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. We highly recommend this experience.

So amazing, but it is weather dependant, so you might not get to see the Carbing Rock as it might be too chopping seawise. Thankfully we were borderline and got to see the Carving which is great!!!!

The staff were really friendly. We received excellent advice on how to use the kayaks. The various stories about Lake Taupo and the surrounding area were very interesting. It's an experience to enjoy alone or with family.

The guides were very unprofessionel. The store was closed when we turned Up at the scheduled time. The cars and equipment was not ready. There was No presentation og the guides. The were conflicting instructions. We were told to leave our valubles in the store, but No lockers were provided. The instructions given regarding the kayaks and equipment were spares. Even though one of the instructions was not to godt more than 20 m ahead og the Group, the guides didn't take notice of this, and would row way ahead without recognizing the group was coming more and more apart. At one point the guide in charge gathered the group - rafting up- to give a speach about the landscape, bur was so caught up in himself, that her put the whole group at risc for flipping and crashing into the shoreline rocks, because of the high wind and current. During our "break" at the beach, it was revealed that there was No drinks, since the guides had forgotten to bring cups. Then the guide in charged left the goup, to take to people in the group for a photoshoot, him tagging along on top og the kayak only bringing a swimsuit, making it impossible to her in touch with hun. The "break" was extended for a longer period of time, because of this, leaving the rest of the group as hostages on the rocks. The paddeling in the Lake was wondeful, but everyone should know that the carvings are made in the late 1970's. They are being sold as something sacred and ancient.