With the hurdle of the capes behind him, Tauranga kayaker Tim Taylor is settling into a summer cruise of the Northland coast.

He set out today from the Pukenui boat ramp in Houhora harbour to begin the cruise out across Rangaunu Bay to round Cape Karikari.

'All is very well up here,” says his mum, Lyn Taylor.

Tim Taylor is nearing the home stretch of his attempt to circum kayak New Zealand.

'Tim did a little bit of fishing yesterday on his way to Hauhora and caught a 16lb snapper; dinner for the camp, it was a monster.

'He said it was difficult to kayak with it onboard because it was so big – so he had a good day.

'The pressure is off and he's a very happy young man; he's in a good space.”

Lyn's been shore side support while Tim rounded the three capes; Maria Van Deiman, Reinga, and North Cape at the top of the North Island.

They stick out into the Tasman Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean, creating notorious inshore conditions.
Tim's been travelling light for the first week, with Lyn transporting supplies in a ute.

It's taken eight months for a suitable weather window with calm seas on both coasts to present itself for Tim, who was forced to break his journey at Ahipara last June.

He resumed paddling from Ahipara on Sunday, round the capes on Monday. Tim's expected to stay tonight at Tokerau Bay on the southern side of the peninsula.

'I can't see a cloud in the sky,” says Lyn today.
'I think it's going to be a pretty hot day up here.”
Tim's still got a goal to achieve, says Lyn.

During the voyage around the coast he's had two 99km days, and he wants to crack the tonne before he reaches Tauranga.
'It might be on his last day into Tauranga,” says Lyn.

Tim first set out from Tauranga on November 27, 2010 to become the first person to kayak around New Zealand in a single voyage.

His attempt was foiled by bad weather last year as he had to break for several months, but he now hopes to complete the voyage on this, his second leg.