Six kayaks. One river. A story 50 years in the making.
In 1975, Barry and Barbara Anderson had six kayaks, a small wooden shed on the banks of the Wairoa River, and a belief that getting people onto the water was something worth sharing.
That was the beginning of Waimarino.
What started as a small kayaking school grew steadily, built on hard work, a love of the outdoors and a simple commitment to giving people the opportunity to experience it for themselves.
Waimarino, meaning calm waters
The name Waimarino, meaning "calm waters," was suggested by Dene Reweti of Bethlehem Primary School. It proved to be a fitting name for a business born beside the river and shaped by its connection to the natural environment.
In 1996, Blair took the helm
From the very beginning, Waimarino has been a family business. Barry and Barbara built it together, and in 1996 they stepped back from the day-to-day running of the company, handing the helm to their son Blair.
Under Blair's leadership, Waimarino continued to evolve, expanding well beyond its early kayaking roots into outdoor education, adventure experiences and guided adventures across the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua.
Committed, through every season
It began with a lifelong love of rivers.
Barry Anderson developed his skills overseas, including at the British Army Outward Bound School in North Wales. Then he came home to New Zealand with a plan to build a place where anyone could learn to paddle and feel the water.
He taught the first generations of kayakers. He went on to help develop kayaking across the Pacific with the International Olympic Committee. Paddling has never left the heart of Waimarino.
Fifty years after six kayaks first slid onto the Wairoa River, the idea is still the same. Get outside. Go further. Feel the world around you.
Something to be experienced,
not explained
Fifty years on, the original idea remains remarkably simple.
- Get people outdoors.
- Get them onto the water.
- Give them an experience they will remember.
That is Waimarino.
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