"We know we're not going to be winning medals, but we want to be the best we can," Birgit said. "If anything we're probably most concerned about the conditions in Hawaii. We're going from the middle of winter to virtually the middle of summer."
The group have a week to acclimatise to the tropical environment before the race on August 31.
The Rei Girls are aiming to complete the race in less than 3 hours and maintain a minimum speed of 10km/h.
The three-day race weekend has grown to accommodate competitors of all kinds; the first day consists of the single-hull races, followed by the singles and double-hull races on day two and then the Ali'i challenge concludes the weekend.
Parihaka Waka Ama Club chairperson Ngarie Rae-Pehi is proud that there will have a team representing "little old Whangarei".
"They've trained really hard and and I'm sure they're going to do really well.
"It's an amazing race," said Ms Rae-Pehi, who has done the race before and is excited about the journey the group is about to embark on.
"They're going to have a blast - I'm jealous!"
The team have fundraised over $3500 through catering and a trivia night, but have to pay most of the cost themselves
"We really just want to thank our family and friends who have allowed us to take time out for the training," Birgit said. "It really means a lot to us."
The Queen Lili'uokalani race has been an annual event in Hawaii since 1972 and has flourished to attract paddlers from all of the world.
The competition was named to honour the memory of Queen Lili'uokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawaii who passed away in 1917.
The Rei Girls have been paddling and individually for years but this will be the first time they have competed together as a group.