Paddling near Ruakaka, Northland

Ruakaka sits on the Northland coast roughly 20 minutes south of Whangārei, where the Ruakākā River meets a broad estuary and wildlife reserve at Bream Bay. The estuary is the centrepiece of local paddling — a calm, sheltered waterway through mangroves and pōhutukawa-lined banks that suits kayaks and SUPs at any tide.