I wondered, as we rumbled along the sand and pebble coast of Cape Kidnappers, if it was a day very much like this when Captain Cook first saw the coast he described as having steep white cliffs and two rocks resembling haystacks at the end. Of course when he was here it was in October, which is spring, while today is a perfect late summer’s day with sun peeking through morning clouds and turning the sea from steely grays to deep blues.

I tried to imagine what it must have been like to stand on the deck of the Endeavor that afternoon in 1769,  and nervously watch the Maori canoes approaching, hoping to broker a trade. Then, the shock and panic when, instead of coming alongside to trade, they grabbed the son of Cook’s Tahitian interpreter, hauling the boy into their canoe and paddling like mad for the shore. Cook’s men opened fire. Two Maori were killed, another wounded. The boy leapt into the sea and swam hard for the boat, evading his captors.

Gannet Beach Adventures is a family run business.

It began over 60 years ago with some young brothers picking up tired walkers along the 8 km track back from the point and delivering them to town for pocket change.

It’s now the best way to combine a visit to the Australasian Gannet colony, which nests and rears its young on the rocky outcropping of the cape, and a cursory lesson in the geology and history of this unique corner of the world.

The birds are a big draw for birders and naturalists in the area, but they are far from the only reason to visit. Our boys have been over the moon about the prospect of tractoring down the beach, and I can’t imagine a better place to discuss rock formation, erosion and plate tectonics than standing beneath a crumbling sandstone sea cliff, can you? Our friends went with us, and even their two year old loved the excursion. If you’re looking for really good local fun, with an educational twist that supports the local economy and also supports ecological awareness, this is an excellent half day adventure with kids of any age.

We learned so many things about gannets that we did not know:

• They mate for life… sort of… if half of a pair is late returning, or dies, they’ll remate for life!
• They are diving birds, plunging from great heights into the water to capture fish.
• They have a filmy covering over their eye that keeps water out and allows them to see prey whilst under water.
• They have a serrated bit at the end of their beak for grabbing hold tightly to a fish they’re capturing
• The males and females look exactly alike and share equally in nest building, egg hatching, feeding and care for their young.
• Gannets have been known to live as long as 25-30 years, but 20 is more common.
• They begin mating and attempting to rear young at about five years of age, but often their first few hatches are a fail, because they don’t take care of early hatchlings very diligently.
• They are a protected, but not endangered, bird.
• There are three sorts of Gannets around the world the other populations live in South Africa and Scotland.

It was a long hike up to the lighthouse at the top of the cliff.

I carried 4 month old Flynn so his mama and daddy could tag-team wrangle his two year old brother, who’s a double handful of fun. It made for a peaceful hike through the sheep fields, switchbacking up the face of the sandstone hillside with a snuffly baby snoozing in a sling. It reminded me of long hikes through other wildernesses with my own babies tied on my hip. Now, mine ranged far ahead and behind, collecting feathers and fossils, occasionally hollering for me to, “Come see,” something or other. The metamorphosis of a human being is a stunning thing to observe in motion.

Elisha sat up on the tractor and talked Ron’s ear off the entire way back. The aging nephew of the fellas who started the business still enjoys running his tractor up and down the beach, over the big rocks to make the boys laugh and into the edge of the surf to splash his passengers, doing donuts in the wide spots, trailer and all, “Just because I can.”

He was a wealth of information on the geological history of the area, stopping to point out fault lines in the cliff face, and to explain the different colours and striations in the rock. Layers of clay and composted plant matter, lake bottom and river bed, wavy sections that indicated a flood and layers rich with shells and the remains of sea life that the ocean contributed over thousands of years. He broke off a piece of a layer of volcanic ash, approximately 900,000 years old, and the kids cracked it, releasing it to the wind after it’s long hibernation. The world is a wonderful place, with so many mysteries to unravel.

I left this morning in yoga pants, a tank top, my new merino wool sweater over that, a scarf around my neck and my corduroy jacket on top, head covered with a scarf, wishing I’d remembered my socks. By the time we rounded the last curve in the coast and the town of Te Awanga came into view my pants were rolled up above my knees and I was down to the summer top, enjoying the sensation ow warm sun on my skin for the first time since we’ve been in New Zealand. After so long at the equator, it’s going to take us a while to reacclimatize to cooler weather! I laughed with Kim, who runs the welcome desk for Gannet Beach Adventures, asking her what else we should see in the area, “Well, maybe the water park won’t be at the top of your list then.”

Indeed, I think not.