SUP at Poor Knights, New Zealand

Cruising the world with our SUP boards and two-man kayak are the must have toys on this journey. Combined with our bicycles, we can pretty much explore any location that Sea Child takes us to. In Northland

, NZ, there are a series of islands just offshore, call the Poor Knights. These rocky islands are clustered, two major islands with several smaller peaks and rocks throughout the chain. About 5 miles long total, the Poor Knights makes for a wonderful day destination from Tutukaka, about 12 nautical miles across the South Pacific Ocean.

We were determined to explore every cave and crevasse of Poor Knights, by SUP boards and our dinghy, lovingly called the "kid". After our arrival, around noon this third visit, we immediately launched the two SUP boards, one an Ali'i and the other a Naish which we recently picked up in Tutukaka marina. We were told there that no one had SUPd the Knights, and boy were they bummed to hear that both Eric and I had done just that the other day.

This time, though, we took two boards, Eric's brother and his wife, and with effort and determination, we were set on passing through all the arches on Arches Island, the most southern group in the Poor Knights chain. We suited up, in our 3m wetsuits, as the water here is a bit chilly, much cooler than even what we experienced in the Galapagos. Away we went, toward the smallest arch nearest Sea Child, through the rocky cavern about 10 meters long. Emerging from the other side, we encountered the agitated waters of the center of the southern end, the open ocean just beyond the eastern arch, the current and waves pressured through the narrow arch openings.

Around the corner, and the giant arch, tall enough for most boats to drive through, awaited us as we continued our focused efforts. Just staying on the boards without a fall took all our attention, the agitated water more pronounced as the water would bounce off the sides of the the arches. The water would come at us from all sides, making no sense of its movement, as we continued onward. Exiting the arch, we rounded the corner to the lee shore of Arches Island, just another km to reach Sea Child and the completion of the first circle of Arches Island. Our adrenaline was spiked, our legs were aching to stay steady, and at last, after what seemed an eternity but in reality was maybe 40 minutes, we had done something no one else could claim to do. SUP the giant arches at Arches Island, Poor Knights, NZ.

While cruising the world is the most exciting definition of any life, ours is blessed by these momentous occasions. We are bound to Sea Child by our love of the sea. We are sailing the waters first documented by Captain James Cook. We have our tales to tell. And now, we have our firsts as well.