Have a swell time landing the kayak: Anxiety-inducing swells are no trouble at all, really

The cool, foaming surge swept through at neck height – but luckily didn’t knock me over

My Europe-based daughter Ruby Bos Johnston and her partner Keenan Wollheim, both superyacht crew, have been holidaying in New Zealand for the summer and bought an inflatable kayak as a vehicle to access snorkelling spots.

Ti Point on the east coast, north of Matakana doubles as a destination for rock climbing and spear fishing. I made the 30-minute walk out to Ti Point on a hot December morning with some climbing mates and my non-climbing partner Kaz Bos. Ruby and Keenan paddled round from the car park, their first kayaking adventure together. They left a bit later than the walkers so once they had texted that they were on the water, I kept peering around the point, between climbs, to see if they were near.

Some of the climbs are very dependent on tides and swells. I should have taken more notice of that while I was climbing The Fang, so named for its overhanging tooth of rock: a friend had to rescue my walking shoes before they were lost to the sweep of a rogue wave.

Ruby was keen for a climb too, so there was a vague plan to land on the bouldery beach, on which a halfmetre swell was breaking with anxiety-inducing force.

When the green kayak hove into view, it was riding front up like a drag-racing car; Ruby, in the rear seat, was paddling alone and Keenan was snorkelling nearby, towing a small floating flag.

I improvised semaphore signals, pointing to a gap between boulders, and nipped down to the shore while Ruby paddled into position.

No sooner had I waved her ashore, and set myself steady between stones in ankle-deep water ready to grab the bow, than I saw it: another rogue wave. The cool, foaming surge swept through at neck height – but luckily didn’t knock me over.

We got the boat in, Keenan following from the deep, and Ruby climbed Suicide Wall.

I had just dried off in time to get a fresh but lesser dousing when helping them to launch for their return journey.