I got to explore these coastal wetlands and waterways in my own little kayak, paddling my way up streams into the rainforest. The water was so still that the reflections of the lush vegetation lining the banks were unbelievably clear and distinct. I could see whole Kahikatea trees, New Zealand's tallest and oldest native trees. They get up to 60 meters tall and their fossil record reaches back more than a million years (that's dinosaur times).