Adventure Magazine

issue #158//NEW ZEALAND’S PREMIER ADVENTURE MAGAZINE SINCE 1981 new zealand

travel issue new zealand Explore Whale Island, White Island and the Waikato River

tahiti The Butterfly Effect

hawaii The circus and the history of surfing

malepio Orlando Duque

takes a flying leap Issue 158 FEB/MAR 2010 NZ$7.90 incl. GST AUST $6.90 incl. GST USA $9.99 CANADA $9.99

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travel issue

//158 //where actions speak louder than words//feb - march 2010

Editor’s note Travel is like swimming naked in the sea at night.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine People talk about travel giving you more, broadening your horizons and expanding your view. That trip away from our shores supposedly makes you more accepting, more understanding, removes prejudices and widens narrow thinking. But what travel really does is strip you bare and it is often brutal. It forces you to trust in strangers and forsake all those familiar sights and sounds and to abandon the safety net of family, friends and familiar surroundings. True travel is taking a risk,

a risk of removal and emersion in all that is new and unfamiliar. Travel causes first hand confrontation which challenges our basic needs, and once those are fulfilled we see more clearly the value of what we really actually need. I heard it said a ‘tourist’ will tell you where he has been and a ‘traveller’ will tell you where he is going, one is retrospective; the other desiring of the continued confrontation of what is really truly valuable.

When you strip bare on a moonlight night and plunge into the seas cold embrace you travel; your senses are charged, your senses are reactive and there are no distractions apart from those of the cold, the sea and the stars. The same activity on a warm summer’s day has all the distraction of a walk down the main street; noise, weeds, birds, sun, waves and everyone can see you! But with the camouflage of night the enjoyment of the experience is ten fold; it is just like travelling. Your senses are narrowed, challenged and focused, there are no distractions, what is real and valuable is completely tangible.

Travel does not have to be to the far shores of Iceland or the mountains of Nepal; you don’t have to struggle with the jungles of the Amazon or the colds of Antarctica. The root of travel is the newness of the experience, the sensory overload and the removal of the repetitive. The process of travel can be an hour away or twenty four hours away. The key word is ‘away’. I am sure this issue of Adventure will inspire you to travel, if not to Nepal then at least to somewhere new that will encourage you to look for the next new place to voyage to and the next new challenge to take up.

Look at 2010 as standing on the beach at midnight. No one can see you so take a risk and plunge naked into the ocean of travel experience. ~ Steve Dickinson

Cover: Aboriginal shot while on assignment for Discovery Cannel Photo by Chris McLennan

Editor Steve Dickinson Ph: (09) 428 3182 (09) 428 2443 | Mob: 027 577 5014 p.media@xtra.co.nz Advertising sales Lisa Young Ph: (09) 428 3043 lisa@adventuremagazine.co.nz art director Nina Blackburn Ph: (09) 428 3046 p.media_design@xtra.co.nz Web Guru Erik Baars, erik@erikbaars.com PROOF READER Wendy Ratter Contributing Writers and Photographers Victoria Stuart, Chris McLennan, Jeremy Stephenson, Redbull, Chris O’Connell, Wendy Ratter, Tonga Tourism, Destination Rotorua, Sean Davey.

Distribution Gordon & Gotch, Ph (09) 979 3000 other publications Curl | Ski & Snow | Prime Times Publishers NZ Adventure magazine is published six times a year by: Pacific Media Ltd, P.O.Box 562 Whangaparaoa, New Zealand Ph (09) 428 3182 | Fax: (09) 428 2443 Email: p.media@xtra.co.nz Contributions of articles and photos are welcome and must be accompanied by a stamped self-addressed envelope. Photographic material should be on slide, although good quality prints may be considered. All care is taken but no responsibility accepted for submitted material. All work published may be used on our website. Material in this publication may not be reproduced without permission. While the publishers have taken all reasonable precautions and made all reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of material in this publication, it is a condition of purchase of this magazine that the publisher does not assume any responsibility or liability for loss or damage which may result from any inaccuracy or omission in this publication, or from the use of information contained herein and the publishers make no warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to any of the material contained herein.

Pacific Media publications are independently audited

by Cleaver & Co chartered accountants

ABOVE: Steve Dickinson (wearing white t-shirt in helicopter) hard at work this year in Hawaii.

www.adventuremagazine.co.nz//

//158 travel issue

14 Orlando Duque on malpelo Island 20 (sup)erstars 24 chris mclennan, photographer 32 last frontier: Heliskiing, British Columbia 42 butterfly effect: tahiti 48 glorious days: gulf of carpentaria 54 the circus and the history of surfing 64 discover new zealand 70 down the waikato 74 tonga 88 rotorua: destination playground 90 Another Week in Afghanistan 92 Following in the dinosaurs footprints regulars

//08 Just random //62 subscription //69 nikon photo competition //78 gear buyers guide //96 classifieds Photo by Chris McLennan

www.adventuremagazine.co.nz//

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//158 //just random/products/news/giveaways

Explore Great Barrier with SeaLink and OPC

Great Barrier has so much to offer – untouched native bush, 100km of walking track, plentiful beaches and inlets around the island offer safe swimming, diving, snorkeling, kayaking and great fishing. A wide range of accommodate is available to suit all budgets from camping to self a contained beach.

• Cruise to Great Barrier on SeaLink’s Island Navigator.

• Sailings depart up to 6 times a week in summer and 3 times a week in winter • See seabirds and dolphins on most trips. Orca and whales also sighted regularly.

• Vessel has two movie theatres showing up to date movies • Also onboard is a cafe / bar serving hot and cold food and drinks • Cruise up the Waitemata Harbour, past Waiheke and north along the Coromandel coastline • Crossing time appoximately 4 1/2 hours

//WHERE

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#158

Ultimate adventure weekend Getting to Great Barrier is an adventure in itself. You can choose to get there by SeaLink or air, and for this trip we decided to hop on a plane. Lifting off the runway at Auckland Airport among all the Boeing 747’s in a plane not much bigger than my car is quite the experience. However the spectacular 30 minute flight over the sparkling waters of the Hauraki Gulf to the magnificent, rugged, sandy-beached and lush Great Barrier Island eased any angst I felt. I was met at Okiwi Airport (literally a paddock) by Simon Graney, the OPC Great Barrier Centre Manager. From here we drove a scenic 20 minutes straight to Orama in Karaka Bay, where the Sir Edmund Hillary Pursuits Centre’s Marine Centre is based. This is where my adventure started.

At the Centre, I met the rest of my group and Simon went through some adventure options with us, and with the weather totally in our favour the group unanimously decided to spend the first day sea kayaking and coasteering around Green Island.

The hour-long paddle out to Green Island was amazing following the rocky, bush-clad coastline of Port Abercrombie dotted with the odd bach and heaps of boats. As soon as we landed our kayaks on one of the beaches on Green Island we all eagerly put on our masks and snorkels and got amongst the blue Maomao and kina.

After lunch and a full-on safety brief, our Coasteering mission began.

Coasteering, a new concept to me is one of the best and most fun ways to explore the marine environment – it involved circumnavigating the island by scrambling along the rocky coastline using a combination of climbing,

swimming, exploring sea caves and jumping off cliffs ranging from 2-8 metres into deep water. Team work was a must. The paddle back to Karaka Bay was awesome, helped by a tail wind. This suited us very well as we were keen to spend quality time on the deck of our hotel drinking a glass of wine and watching the sunset.

Day two started off rock climbing at Three Kings, a short walk from the OPC Centre – a natural crag over looking Port Abercrombie. This was fun, and was followed by the even better and more daring “via Ferrata” journey over the top of the pinnacles and finished up with a 30 metre abseil down the back of Three Kings into the bush below, a short walk back to OPC was followed by lunch and getting organized for an afternoon of surf kayaking.

Great Barrier is home of some of the best surf breaks in the country, and with plenty of beaches to choose from it wasn’t hard to decide that we were spending the afternoon at Maybeys Beach, part of the famous Whangapoua surf break. For those people who aren’t competent in surfing, the easier option is surf kayaking, super fun and Simon made it very quick for us to learn. A few hours of surf kayaking really takes it out of you and eventually we had to call it quits as a couple of people had to catch the last flights back to Auckland.

It’s amazing how much you can actually fit into an adventure weekend, the amazing experiences you can have, and the cool people you meet. All I can say is that I felt lucky to be able to spend three days in this island paradise! A huge thanks to Simon and the team at OPC for making this happen, I will definitely be back to explore more of the island with Hillary Guides”. n

www.adventuremagazine.co.nz//

//158 //just random/products/news/giveaways

Sea kayak Alaska with Adventure Magazine

Outdoor Discoveries Guided Sea Kayak Tours | 5th July to 22nd July 2010 Day 1 consists of arriving into Anchorage, Alaska. You have the day to get your bearings, rid the jet lag and go exploring Anchorage.

Day 2 is a day hike up to Flat Top Mountain in the Chugach State Park. The summit offers amazing views of Anchorage and the surrounding areas.

Day 3-5: We depart on a 3day/2night hike into the Chugach State Park.

The Chugach Mountains have it all! Towering mountains, crystalline lakes, tundra and forest. There is also the possibility of seeing caribou, bear, moose, wolves and dall sheep. We arrive back to Anchorage on the afternoon of Day 5.

Day 6-8: This is your chance to go off exploring the remote wilderness that Alaska has to offer with 3days/2nights free time. Outdoor Discoveries have 3 package options available otherwise you can arrange your own travel:  Fly down to Kodiak Island. Famous for the Kodiak Bear. Take a bear watching flight in search of bears as well as amazing views and other wildlife. Otherwise grab a kayak or your walking shoes and explore the island.

 Catch the train up to Talkeenta to go explore Denali National Park.

Alaska’s largest park and home of North Americas highest mountainMt McKinley. From here you can take a scenic flight over Mt McKinley, white water raft through the valleys or go hiking.  Bus down to Homer. World famous for its fishing. Why not try Alaskan style Halibut Fishing. If reeling in the big one doesn’t appeal to you go bear watching, kayaking or hiking? Otherwise arrange your own travels or relax in Anchorage taking in the sights and attractions.

Meet back up in Anchorage at end of Day 8.

Day 9: Transport to Whittier, load kayaks and set off on an incredible 10day kayak expedition into the Prince William Sound and Harriman Fjord. Be prepared for ice bergs, carving glaciers, eagles, bears and pure adventure.

Day 10-17: Kayaking Day 18: Last day of kayaking. Pick up by water taxi back to Whittier. From here we get transported back to Anchorage for a well deserved HOT shower.

We also have a final dinner with everyone.

Home of legendary adventure

Legendary Mount Taranaki is home to countless adventures, from gentle to epic, but there’s much more to do in Taranaki. Head west this summer and discover a region ‘like no other’.

www.taranaki.info/visit 10//WHERE

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#158

C7/VT0100/ADV Photos: Rob Tucker

Cost $3800 USD. Price includes: Great accommodation in downtown Anchorage (except 2 nights on Day 6-8 of your free time), top notch food (while hiking and kayaking), travel to hiking and kayaking destinations, high quality fibreglass kayaks and equipment. (Return flights from Auckland to Anchorage are about $2500-3000 NZD). For “Adventure Magazine” readers that say they have seen this article when signing up we will discount the price to $3500 USD. Outdoor Discoveries staff “escorts” the trip. We are there for safety, logistics and to make your trip as enjoyable as possible. To get the true hands on experience from this trip we hope each group member will get involved in helping out with cooking, equipment moving, and the general day-to-day basics, as well as route and trip planning during the trip. This allows you to get the most out of your experience while contributing to the group and learning new skills.

For more information, see our website www.odnz.co.nz or contact Liz Linder via email liz@odnz.co.nz or phone (09) 443 5720.

Adventure Magazine Editor selected as Competition Judge The Red Bull Illume is the first ever international photography competition that celebrates the world of action and adventure sports. It brings a prestigious collection of stunning images to the public and presents sports photography from a high quality, artistic angle. Its purpose is to showcase the most dramatic compilation of action and adventure sports images ever assembled. Most of all, Red Bull Illume honours the spirit, grit and edgy perfection that these photographers strive to capture on lens.

A small handful of esteemed photo editors from top publications around the globe will judge the submitted images. Steve Dickinson (editor of Adventure and Ski and Snow magazines) has been selected as a judge for the 2010 competition.

Visit the website for more details www.redbullillume.com

ISA in Piha In dramatic fashion, wins to Lennox Head’s Tyler Wright and Port Macquarie’s Matt Banting lifted Team Australia into the top spot at this years ISA at Piha. Coming into the final day of competition ranked second behind Hawaii, Australia rallied to finish in the lead with 6015-points nearly 1000 clear of Hawaii in second and the USA in third.

Australia’s win is also their sixth team’s title victory since the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championship was launched eight years ago in 2003.

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said it was an amazing week. “What a last heat, what a day, what a week,” said Aguerre. “It was an amazing week of surfing with New Zealand warmth. But most importantly, it was about the surfing camaraderie. The ISA World Surfing tribe came together to celebrate surfing and junior surfing. This event will go down in history as one of the greatest ever! Thanks to Quiksilver for their generous support of junior surfing around the world, which does help us build a better surfing future.”

Full story in the next issue of Adventure. Adventure would like to thank roadcraft for their support www.roadcraft.co.nz

Photography workshop

Chris McLennan will be running a 7 day photography workshop on the 140 foot vessel TuiTai in the outer islands of Fiji in April. Boat caters for 22 guests, is equipped with diving gear, snorkelling equipment, mountain bikes and sea kayaks for those who like a bit of adventure thrown in. Chris will provide photographic assistance and guidance for the duration of the journey, and we will enjoy discussion workgroups and slide shows which will be held on several evenings throughout the trip. For more details please see www.cmphoto.co.nz

A world first, the Seychelle Stainless Steel Water Filter Bottle delivers fresh safe great tasting water instantly from any fresh water source, saving over 750 x 500ml plastic bottles from landfill (380 litre capacity). Made from solid 304 Stainless Steel it is BPA Free, non-leaching, EPA and NATO approved and holds 700mls of water. Seychelle has instant filtering, easy flow, retains beneficial minerals, and replacement filters available separately.

Seychelle is the only personal water filtration system capable of 99.99% reduction in all four areas of contamination: • Aesthetic • Microbiological • Chemical • Dissolved Solids Buy online or see full list of retailers on our website.

Drinking Filter Straws, BPA Free Plastic Filter Bottles, In-line Hydration Bladder Filters and Military Filter Canteens also available online.

www.seychelle.co.nz free phone0800 7655 269

Seychelle filter bottle review

I must say when I first saw the Seychelle I was impressed by it size, durability, and how light it was. I picked a part of the Whatipu creek with the most visible animal pollution for testing the bottle and straw.

This creek runs clean down the Whatipu Stream until it runs through a 400m pasture with cows. The creek then runs under a road bridge wish is very dusty and, being gravel, I imagine there could be some automobile-type pollutants from there. From the bridge, the creek trickles slowly through a wetland about 150m deep. The wetland is a breeding ground for pukeko and other wildfowl.

I first filled the bottle and used the straw; initially, the taste through the straw was untainted but with the second mouthful a very slight ‘salty’ taste was experienced, but not unpleasant. I’ve been told even though the filter comes preflushed, the first few mouthfuls will taste a bit salty but after this there will be no taste. I guess if you’re thirsty and short of pure water, any water would do as long as you felt safe drinking it - which I did with the Seychelle, I would recommend it to any person who is out in the field and needs to restock their water supply.

Norman Judd, Track Geophysical Reporting and Mapping Director

Book reviews

Win one of six of these books at www.adventuremagazine.co.nz

Aerial Hunter: The Dick Deaker Story

This biography of Te Anau helicopter pilot Dick Deaker is a fascinating read. The era of deer control and venison recovery in New Zealand has often been likened to the American Wild Told by Graeme Marshall, Aerial Hunter follows the story of one of the central figures in the deer recovery industry through its peak to today. Deaker has seen it all in that time. From his beginnings as a deer culler, to his move from fixed wing to helicopters and the shift into live recovery and the “Deer Wars”. There are good yarns around every corner and the story comes alive when told directly by Deaker. This book will make a good addition to the library of anyone with an interest in the deer industry and Fiordland’s often turbulent recent past. Richard ‘Dick’ Deaker’s story is truly amazing if only for the fact that he is still flying regularly in his 65th year.

Halcyon Publishing Ltd the RRP$ and available at all good bookshops

Catch More Snapper

In Catch More Snapper (The Halcyon Press, $44.99), experienced New Zealand fisherman and fishing author Mark Kitteridge attempts to provide the reader with the tools needed to land more of this country’s favourite fish.

Noting that catching snapper is rarely as easy as throwing a hook and line over the side of a boat, Kitteridge explores the equipment and techniques one should employ to increase their catch of the fish, which remain relatively abundant in New Zealand’s waters. Featuring chapters on gear selection, tackle basics, fishing off the rocks, and surfcasting, as well as detailed and accurate diagrams, large, easy to read text, and plenty of full colour photographs, Catch More Snapper would be a welcomed addition to the glove box, boat, or tackle box of anyone serious about catching snapper.

Halcyon Publishing Ltd the RRP$ and available at all good bookshops

//158 //colombia/malpelo island/cliff diving

Orlando Duque on malpelo Island STORY and images courtesy of redbull

Multiple World Diving Champion Orlando Duque is standing on a group of rocks known as “The three musketeers”— three peaks that stand about 50 meters high and overlook the middle of the Pacific as a part of the Island of Malpelo. On this small piece of land, 30 hours away from the Colombian coast by boat, five uniformed Army officers live among a million crabs, more than 10,000 birds, and reptiles similar to those of prehistoric times. Deep in its waters, hundreds of hammerhead sharks complete a picture of a place like no other.

It’s been a long-time dream for him to be standing on this cliff, more than 20 meters away from the water, on top of an infinitely beautiful sea. Ever since diving was child’s play, when he was ten years old, he longed for this moment. Now Orlando opens his arms as if taking flight. In the background a countdown can be heard: Ten, nine, eight… his eyes focused on the water, awaiting the precise instant when the wave arrives and tells him it’s time to jump. Seven, six, five, four.

He’s surrounded by two photographers, a cameraman, three expert climbers, two of his best friends and other divers like him. Three, two, one. He puts his arms up, bends his knees and lets go. A perfect flip in mid air followed by a clean, triumphal entrance into the water.

The trip towards that fulfilled dream had begun four years back, when Orlando and his long-time friend Daniel Rincon visited the island and its curious inhabitants. During their travels, they searched for possibilities, for ideal locations for his dives, for working conditions good enough to make their illusion a reality.

They asked for all authorizations needed to operate from this very important global natural sanctuary.

Malpelo is not only a rock floating in the middle of the sea. It’s the biggest open fishing zone in the tropical Pacific. It’s the only natural habitat to unique and threatened marine species, and one of the most popular scuba diving venues on the planet. In 2006, UNESCO declared the island a World Heritage Site. Now, on this day, Orlando Duque makes it his own site by jumping from three unthinkable points. Arriving here won’t be the hardest thing.

Orlando and the entire team start their journey in Bogotá, with an initial stop in Cali. It is here where “The Duke” was born and raised years before becoming a citizen of the world and king of all heights. Time is running out. Cali will be the last point of nourishment and comfort before leaving civilization and facing the seas to attempt a feat he has dreamed about his entire life. After three hours of turbulent road, a van packed with 12 people and the equipment needed to capture the entire adventure, arrives at the port of Buenaventura. This is the last destination on land. We embark. The night passes by and so does the “Sea Wolf”, a ship with all the necessary luxuries for sleeping, eating, and living.

Now come almost ten hours of ocean to Gorgona prison island, the only stop before Malpelo. We arrive at dawn. The day at the former prison transpires in total peace. Orlando walks around the old structure consumed by jungle. A few minutes of Scuba in crystalline waters and the incomparable pleasure of listening to the whales cry under the sea. The “Sea Wolf” parts once again. The inhospitable island that is our final destination is now 20 hours away.

Anxiety begins to take over as the morning hours tick by. The captain announces that in a couple of hours, Malpelo will appear on the horizon. And does it ever. Noon arrives and so does an impossible iceberg made of volcanic rock, floating almost inadvertently on the tropical sea. Nothing can be seen except birds and rocks.

Once there, with the ship steadily tied to its buoy, there is one mission for the day: search and find. We must look for spots where Orlando can show off his

magic by air and sea. We must find the way to do it in a location where no man executed activity should be done, a place never designed for humans. Three Zodiacs take off and travel around the island. Orlando, Eber and Dany, all friends and fellow divers, signal and suggest multiple options up high. Daniel, Rafa and Juanda, the hikers in charge of safety, analyze all access points. A little Rappel here, a little climb there.

There’s no need to get too close to the rocks in order to realize it will be tough. The erosion, precipitation, winds and climate have turned the island into a death trap. The rock is decomposing and fragile, contradicting its strong appearance. There is no shore to disembark. The sea is never calm. Demski and Rozo imagine their photos being difficult. Thomas Miklautsh and his video team know this won’t be anything like “9 dives”. The effort will be the same for all involved. The zodiacs return at dusk, we eat dinner and rest. The “Sea Wolf” sleeps, us not so much.

The third morning begins with a closed meeting. A map is enough to locate the chosen ground and its best lighting options. Orlando lays down the itinerary for the day. We leave for the Three Musketeers, our first location. Hours prior to our departure, the hiking team has found the way to reach our summit. Daniel jumps out of the boat, swims and climbs the rock from the water. He puts the first safety elements in place so his coworkers can finish the job. Orlando arrives. He jumps from the boat, swims and reaches the rock. A harness awaits tied to a rope that will simplify his 27-meter climb. The day is gray and the ocean rough. It is now Dany and Eber’s turn to jump in the water. The same harness keeps them safe while they ascend in one solid effort.

A lot of time has gone by in between all the climbs. The sky is still gray and the water turns even rougher. Everyone is in position and the countdowns begin.

Dany is first. His dive has a calming effect. Eber follows. He jumps. His body is suspended in mid-air and his face looks defiantly at the sky. He flips backwards and gravity does the rest. His splash is almost unnoticeable. Orlando Duque closes the morning round. His entrance into the water is clean and triumphant.

On that same day, the third of our adventure, we attempt to access and jump from location number two: “The cathedral”. The natural arch of stone that gives this place its name is as spectacular as the dives that will be attempted from it. In order to bring the necessary equipment to the improvised platform, it is necessary to use a rusty old ladder attached to a rusted elevated harbor. A long 20-minute walk through loose rock is yet another obstacle. Everyone is very careful with the small animal inhabitants that are sometimes more visible than the rocks that show us the way. This time Daniel and his team have planned an effective and delicate descent. Everyone is equipped with harnesses and ropes searching for position. An unfortunate step gives a small rock an impulse to jump down and land on Thomas’ head. It’s nothing serious but is serves as a warning.

Minutes later a much bigger rock comes loose and lands in the middle of the leading group. It’s nothing serious, again. Although everything seems easy, the sun is setting and the jump is not yet a reality. Light becomes scarcer by the

There’s no need to get too close to the rocks in order to realize it will be tough. The erosion, precipitation, winds and climate have turned the island into a death trap. The rock is decomposing and fragile, contradicting its strong appearance. There is no shore to disembark. The sea is never calm.

Opposite: With perfect precision Orlando Duque launches himself off the rock

next spread: Orlando Duque diving down into the blue www.adventuremagazine.co.nz// 15

©2009 TEVA

open to adventure

STOCKIST DETAILS CALL: (09) 373 1460 WWW.TEVA.COM

minute. Eber and Dany know there will be no time for their attempt. Orlando goes alone, finds the spot and descends.

His jumping platform is no bigger than 20 centimeters squared. His only support now is Daniel and the rope that keeps them together. It’s starting to rain. Nerves take over. Orlando, carefully and with some difficulty, gets rid of his harness. He has no more than ten seconds. Daniel begins the countdown. His jump is impeccable as always, but scarier than ever. Hours later, back on the ship, “The Duke” speaks about the jump. It is not common to hear him talk about diving with fear in his voice. By now we all know that Malpelo is not a place for mistakes.

The morning of day four calms us and gives us strength to face what’s ahead. After all, swimming and diving with barracudas and hammer sharks is a gift us mortals never imagined even asking for. A nice group outing is our last activity before leaving the ship full of optimism. Orlando flies underwater, just like he does in the air. The Cathedral awaits once again.

Today the sun shines. The descent and organization are easy thanks to the experience on day 3. Everything flows, from Eber and Dany’s jumps, all the way to the champ’s own leap. Demski’s and Rozo’s images are also flawless, just like Thomas and Richard’s cameras.

Two hours of lunch and rest make everything seem like it makes sense. We return to the island. The plan now is to walk to its highest point. The climb takes almost an hour. The itinerary says that from there we can Rappel to reach the third and last location chosen to jump: a small crystalline bay known as “The fridge”. Not even five minutes have passed at the summit and it’s evident we chose wrong. The path chosen was not the most ideal way to get there. With no time to lose the hikers board one of the zodiacs. They go around the island as the afternoon takes its last breaths to assure themselves that the next morning everything will go as planned. Once again with no light and what seems like too many obstacles, the champ attempts his jump. The water’s depth is the right one, the height also perfect. The sun is now gone and falling from 27 meters high, Orlando claims pleasantly that tomorrow will be another day.

The end of our Malpelo experience couldn’t have been better. Our session at “The fridge” is the perfect conclusion to all we imagined and worked for. Orlando and his musketeers’ jumps fill the air with color and spectacle: They change heights, jump in tandem, surrounded by applause from the few privileged spectators present. The light was perfect, the sea surprisingly calm. At around 6pm the “Sea Wolf” ships off to known territory.

There were many lessons: “Malpelo is a place for which we will never be ready”; “Our prize has been to come out unharmed”; “being able to come home with our work well done”. The conversations on the way back are filled with opinions and shared experiences.

In a place where everything is either strange or difficult, or both, you have to learn fast in order to have success. Whatever the case, the truth in this occasion is that the dream that a boy dragged to those rocks, along with beliefs and bravery, has been fulfilled with the help of all these professionals and adventurers. His next dream could be cold, or wilder than ever. Either way, he will make it a reality, and surely, he will make it look easy, just as he has always done with all his impossible dives. n

Our session at “The fridge” is the perfect conclusion to all we imagined and worked for. right: Orlando Duque becoming one with the Pacific Ocean

//158 //new zealand/sup & longboarding

(SUP)erstars STORY by victoria stuart

East and West Coast, from Sandy Bay in Northland to St Clair in Otago, the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour is an annual event that has seen surfers travelling the length of the country to show off their prowess on the waves since 2006. This year the contest will feature a Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Division, sponsored by Starboard SUPSNZ, with a major prize of a Starboard 8ft 5in Pocket Rocket.

This summer’s five-location event is already attracting a lot of interest from around the country, and with January’s Mt Maunganui contest postponed due to a total lack of surf, the first location to kick off the Tour will be Northland’s beautiful Sandy Bay on 5–7 February. Amongst the line up will be well-known surfers Daniel Kereopa of Raglan and Lynden Kennings of Whangamata, 1st and 2nd placeholders respectively in the SUP Division of the 2009 Hyundai National Champs, and also two newcomers to watch: Sean Hovell of Gisborne and Jeremy Stephenson of Auckland.

Each of these accomplished watermen brings a different background to SUP. From Big Wave Surfing, Windsurfing and Yacht Racing, to Waka Ama and Surf Lifesaving, between them they showcase what a diverse sport it truly is.

SUP is not only about surf, but also exploring, flat-water cruising, downwind paddling or ocean racing, and these guys are lucky enough to have the waters of New Zealand as their local adventure playground. Here they give us a headsup on the SUP way of life around the country and share some of their favourite adventures.

The Evolution of Surfing

Out on the Whangamata bar NZ Pro Surfer Lynden Kennings looks down from his Stand Up Paddle (SUP) board at the surfers lying down and thinks to himself: “Shit, this is what it must have been like for the first monkey that stood up.”

On discovering the power of SUP two years ago, the longboard and windsurf rider was hooked. “The moment I stepped foot on my mate Rolly’s 12-footer I fell in love with it. I realized how far I can actually paddle on these things and it just blew me away.”

Soon afterwards Lynden got a shorter and more manoeuvrable 9ft 6in board, which he surfs exactly like a shortboard, and learned how to use the paddle properly in the wave.

“I couldn’t believe it – it was the best extension of surfing I’d ever discovered.”

So good in fact that Lynden, along with Pete Murray, recently opened New Zealand’s first SUP-dedicated surf shop, Surf Sup, just behind the main street of Whangamata. They sell and hire boards, give SUP lessons and personal training sessions, as well as running group tours. Sitting in the tranquil courtyard garden of his new shop, a Starboard Whopper 10ft × 34in board sitting atop two plastic crates in front of him, Lynden pores through the water issue of Adventure Magazine. “Ever since I started SUP a whole world of possibility has opened up.

I want to do all of this now,” he says, gesturing at the pages spread before him.

The 42-year-old grew up in Whangamata, where life basically revolved around surfing. His father Taff Kennings was one of New Zealand’s top surfers in the 60s and 70s, so he and his two brothers were at the beach all the time.

“Dad basically said you can sit on the beach and eat sand or you can go surfing, so I went surfing. I wanted to be a pro surfer from a pretty early age and that’s what I went and did,” says Lynden, who has won two Open National titles, eight Long board National titles and a Seniors title.

Lynden ended up achieving 9th in the world longboard circuit overseas, and then came home to raise his now 13-year-old son, Dune, who also wants to be a pro-surfer.

“Dune’s had kind of big shoes to fill with Taff and me and my two brothers, but he’s stepped up to the play,” says Lynden, with a good dose of “proud Dad”.

“And he’s doing pretty well at it.”

So while Dad’s at work, Dune’s out on his SUP board catching waves in Whangamata’s perfect SUP playground. From the turquoise waters that surround the rocky pohutukawa-covered islands just off the long white-sand beach, to the deep green waters of the estuary and harbour, and the clean, uncrowded surf breaks up and down the coast, Coromandel truly is a SUP paradise.

“I’m pretty lucky I’m here,” says Lynden. “I’ve found some pretty good big wave spots round here that when it gets big I can access on the paddleboard.

My favourite would have to be the bomby at Hot Water Beach – the point at the south end. I surfed that at a good 10–12ft a few months ago. It was giant.

There’s a big deep channel next to it so it’s pretty safe, you’re not going to get it closing out on you. There’s another big left-hander behind Clark Island, which is perfect for SUP. You’ve got the power to catch it.

“When it goes flat, which it does here quite a bit, I’ve started paddling round up the rivers and stuff and doing down-winders from Onemana to Whangamata. They’ve kind of got bigger and bigger. The longest one I’ve done so far is from Tairua, which took about three hours. It’s unbelievable how much ground you can cover.

Perhaps the most liberating thing about SUP is that it completely frees you from being dependent on the weather.

“Now it basically doesn’t matter what the conditions are,” explains Lynden.

If there’s waves I’ll surf, if there’s no waves I’ll go paddling, if there’s wind I’ll go and do a down-winder. I’m pretty much in the water every day. As long as I’m on my paddleboard I don’t care what I’m doing – it’s fun.”

Gizzy Styles

Gisborne’s Sean Hovell saw in the New Year up the top of the East Cape, Te Araroa, with his fiancée and three of his brothers, fishing, surfing and paddling his new Starboard 9ft 8in Superfish SUP Board, which came in very handy when he went diving for paua.

“I just put my board on a rock in the middle of the ocean and went for a dive. Got my quota of legal paua,” says Sean in his unhurried, laid back way. “It was a bit of a murky, rough day, so you couldn’t really see much else.”

“Te Araroa’s beautiful, eh – it’s really untouched, not a lot of people. Real small, you’d be lucky to get 1,000 people in any of the towns up there. There are about five little settlements. It’s quite isolated,” The second of five boys, 26-year-old Sean grew up in Wairoa, a rivermouth with a bar and a beach about an hour south of Gisborne. They waterskiied in the river, went fishing and diving. “That’s how I got affiliated with the water. I didn’t really start surfing until we moved to Gisborne when I was about 13. I started bodyboarding for about six months, then just surfing with normal shortboards.

I became just addicted to it, loving it. I competed a little in the under 18s, but it was more Surf Lifesaving that I competed in rather than surfing,” he says.

“I’m pretty competitive, I’m not sure why I didn’t get into it with actual surfing – I think it’s because I enjoy it so much,” he muses. “If I had my choice

It’s pretty addictive, and it’s a challenge, where your surfing is only getting slow improvements, [with the SUP] every time you go out you notice big improvements.

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I’d always be surfing.”

At 16 Sean started competing in Surf Lifesaving events, going on to win a NZ title, three medals in the board paddling and two in the three-man canoe boats. Now he’s into it socially, doing the Nationals each year, and has just started doing IRB racing, winning the National Senior division title for Wainui in his first year. Sean was introduced to SUP by local waka ama coach, surfer and fellow surf-lifesaver Peter Boyd, and sent his first sponsored board only a month ago by Starboard. Since then he’s hardly been out on a shortboard.

“It’s pretty addictive, and it’s a challenge, where your surfing is only getting slow improvements, [with the SUP] every time you go out you notice big improvements. I think SUP’s going to be huge. It’s a good way of keeping fit. I’ve been running and swimming when there’s no surf, now I can stay on the ocean and paddle for exercise rather than going to the pool, with the same sort of results. And of course you’re standing up, which is an advantage. I seen my first stingray when I was surfing the other morning – I was just coming off the end of a wave and I saw him just lying there. We’ve got an island just off Gisborne [Sponge Bay or Tuamotu Island] and it’s about 2km over to it; if there’s no surf I’ll just paddle over there. Chances are you’re going to get a couple of little waves over there and paddle back, so you’ve got exercise and a tiny surf on that.

“There’s a lot of places you can’t get to, it’s good to have the stand-up so you can paddle around. I’ve had a jetski for the last three years and I’ve done missions all down the coast between south of Gisborne to Mahia where there aren’t any roads. Its about a 2-hour walk through the bush to get to there, and probably about five different good breaks you can surf.”

Sean is looking forward to more SUP adventures, SUP diving, some big down-winders and, naturally, some big sucky waves. “When it gets real big the mile buoy in the middle of the harbour breaks – four times overhead the last time – those are the type of waves I want to try the SUP on. And I’d like to go fishing off the SUP, just paddle out into the workups with the birds and catch kahawai,” he says with a grin.

“I was around at Pete’s house the other night and Pete started talking about the whitewater side of it, because we’ve got some good rivers for that coming down the gorge too. My little brother - who’s mad on pig-hunting - reckoned we might see him coming down the river with a pig on the front of it one day…”

On the road

For Jeremy Stephenson, Stand Up Paddleboarding is a way of life. Whether it’s a morning spent surfing 4ft waves at Port Waikato on the West Coast then driving to the Coromandel Peninsula for an afternoon session on the East Coast, or simply paddling his kids out to a beautiful island for a picnic, every day is an awesome day.

“SUP is what you make of it,” says Jeremy. “Take your board everywhere and you have fun everywhere you go.” Last August he was Big Wave Surfing Teahupo’o in Tahiti and on his return home embarked straightaway on a 3-week road trip, paddling “every piece of New Zealand”.

“The road trip was mind-blowing,” recalls the 40-year-old Aucklander.

“We’ve got one of the best coastlines in the world, but adding in the lakes, and

rivers flowing from the hills creating estuaries, flowing into surf . . . every piece of water is very accessible to anyone who lives in NZ, and we have such awesome scenery to go with it. You don’t need to go travelling the world to find something you’re looking for, it’s all here. We surfed Tahiti and got some fantastic waves up there, then came back and had just as awesome experiences paddling flat water in the lakes and rivers around Queenstown.”

Jeremy pioneered SUP in New Zealand about six years ago after seeing Laird Hamilton cruising down the trade winds just off the coast of Maui, Hawaii, where Jeremy was visiting his best mate, Big Wave Surfer Campbell Farrell.

“I said to Campbell: ‘What’s this guy doing out there and who is he?’ He said: ‘That’s Laird, paddling down the coast.’”

With Jeremy’s sailing background – he was sailing an Olympic Catamaran from the age of 11 and has competed in a number of world championships and NZ races – the concept of harnessing the power of wind on an oversized surfboard without a sail caught his imagination.

“I thought wow, that’s interesting,” he says. “Living in NZ there are always great waves around, so I’ve always surfed, on and off, although not a lot because yachting took up most of my time. I started tow surfing in Hawaii 8 years ago with Campbell who taught us a lot about big waves, then I brought tow surfing back here, which led into foil surfing.”

Shortly after Jeremy saw SUP for the first time, Campbell called him to say how much the sport was progressing in Hawaii. Never one to be left behind, Jeremy started to “do it standing up” on an old windsurfing board.

“I made my own paddles, and started SUPing the Waitemata Harbour by myself, falling off 10–15 times to cross the harbour to Devonport and back. I was paddling right throughout winter – rain, howl or shine, and the first few times I had the police helicopter flying overhead, and the police launch Deodar or the Coastguard come up to me and say: ‘We’ve had reports of someone in distress out here. Would you like to be rescued?’”

A few years on and Jeremy has progressed from the old windsurfer to a hot new range of high-technology race, cruising and surf SUP boards manufactured by leading worldwide SUP brand, Starboard SUP, which he now has the agency for in New Zealand.

“SUP is a lifestyle, not just for me, but everyone who buys a board,” explains Jeremy. “It becomes a family affair. My kids are doubling up on the boards with us, we’re teaching them about the water, learning to swim, learning to surf, they can see the fish life, the dolphins . . . it’s a learning curve for the whole family.

SUP becomes a way of life.”

And the SUP gospel is spreading. “With SUP taking off big time we’ve got some cool events going, and we’re really looking forward to the Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour,” says Jeremy. “There’ll be some great names out there – some of the best surfers in NZ are riding SUP now.”

During the event Starboard SUP will be doing SUP demos and will have a wide range of different boards for people to look at and try. For tour updates check out www.surf.co.nz. For more on SUP in NZ, or to arrange a free demo or purchase a Stand Up Paddleboard, go to www.supsnz.com. Do it standing up, with Starboard. n

Hyundai Pro Longboard Tour 2010

St Clair Beach, Dunedin 20-21 February | Port Waikato 26-27 March

Hyundai National Longboard Champs Whangamata 6-7 March

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//158 //photo gallery/chris mclennan

photo gallery photos by chris mclennan

Chris McLennan began his career over twenty years ago amongst the majestic Southern Alps of Queenstown.

A renowned and award winning international travel photographer, Chris harbours a personal passion for wildlife, local cultures and diverse destinations.

He now travels and shoots all over the globe for international clients predominantly in the outdoors, travel and tourism industries.

To see more of Chris’s work on his own web site, see www.cmphoto. co.nz. Chris is also on facebook at www.facebook.com/Chris.McLennan.

Photography n

right: Russell Thomson taking a fresh powder tree run, Vail, Colorado.

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above: Holly Beck on SUP at Bouma Falls, Taveuni, Fiji. opposite: Snow shoeing in powder at Vail Resorts, Colorado, USA.

www.adventuremagazine.co.nz// 27

above: Bedouin camp in Sahara Desert, Egypt. right: Fijian child takes shelter from the rain, Savusavu, Fiji. opposite: Cormorant Fisherman in the Lijang (Li) River. Xingping, Guilin province. China. next page: Ping’ An Rice Terraces. Longsheng.

Longji. Guilin. China.

Building started in Yuan dynasty 1271 - 1368 Canon products include: 2 x EOS1Ds camera bodies, Canon EOS5D mk2 camera body, G11 camera A full range of Canon lenses: 15mm fisheye, 16 – 35 f2.8, 24 – 105 f4 IS, 17mm TS-E, 24mm f1.2, 70 – 200 f2.8 IS, 400 f2.8, 1.4 converter.

2 x 580 EX speedlites.

LowePro backpacks include DryZone 200, Flipside 400 AW, Pro Trekker 400 and Pro Trekker 600.

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//158 //heLiskiing/canada

Last Frontier Heliskiing, British Columbia.

Words and Photos by Chris O’Connell

The effortless drone of our 1970s Hawker Siddeley plane hums as I look out the window at mountains spectacular they cannot be described and so vast that it almost feels as if the engines aren’t working, but the plane is moving. We’re flying north from Vancouver, toward an old gold-mining runway adjacent to the Bell 2 Lodge, so far north that we’re above the Alaskan panhandle.

Tanner Hall is sitting next to me. He isn’t quiet very often, but he’s just staring out the window at the mountains, probably scoping lines and picking kicker spots. He just won a silver medal at X Games halfpipe, then jumped on a plane to Vancouver right away. He seems utterly relaxed, going from the high-pressure environment of skiing’s largest event straight to a lodge in the middle of nowhere. What a contrast.

This trip started with a phone call on a warm October morning from Oakley Ski Marketing Manager Greg Strokes. He told me we were going to northern BC in February with TGR to shoot Tanner Hall, Dana Flahr,

Seth Morrison and Kye Petersen. That’s not a bad phone call to get when you’re planning out the season, but I found myself asking, “Last Frontier Heliskiing?” My mind conjured up images of a cheesy high-end heli operation that only lets you ski flat pow and takes 12 clients down the same run all at the same time. I was entirely wrong.

The plane descends quickly into a box canyon, coming within spitting distance of the craggy peaks, banks a big turn and lands on a powder runway. The plane bounces a couple times and we slide to a halt. It’s the craziest runway any of us has ever landed on.

this photo: The Last Frontier is the largest Heli Ski Tenure in the world. Encompassing and area 1/4 the size of Switzerland, you better be sure that you are going to ski fresh lines on every run. Here the Oakley crew shuts down on one of thousands of peaks to take a better look at the terrain before diving in.

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Last Frontier Heliskiing operates out of the Bell 2 Lodge, which started as a gas station on the Cassiar Highway that runs all the way to Alaska. You have to stop for gas there, otherwise you won’t make it. Go ahead and type ‘Bell 2, BC’ into Google Earth and you will immediately understand how remote it is.

In 10 years, the Lodge has been transformed from gas station and trailers to five stars, with the addition of workout rooms, individual chalets, and of course a sauna and hot tub complex. While the accommodation improvements are a bonus we were soon to learn that the emphasis remains strictly on the skiing.

In my 15 years as a photographer in the ski industry, I have shot with many of the major film and editorial crews all over the globe. Even though I thought I was a somebody, I was a virgin TGR trip guy. I knew these guys were serious when I received an email from the TGR office saying that I had to have a programmable VHF radio all set up for communications with the helicopter and the rest of the group. Even after five trips to Alaska, I have never had that mandated. My Motorolas from Target were not going to cut it anymore.

The phone in my room rings at 3 a.m. I wake up and have no idea where I am. “Chris, our cabin is on fire and you need to get out right away, your room is going to burn down.” Seth Morrison is calm and I can smell the Canadian Whisky and Jagermeister through the phone receiver. Todd Jones is laughing and yelling in the background, saying that I should vacate the premises. I can hear him in stereo, through the floor below me and through the receiver. We are two and a half hours from the nearest bar and four hours from the nearest town, but these guys have found the well-stocked bar here at Last Fronteir Heliskiing and started the age-old mission of any ski shoot: “drink it blue.” I sit up out of my deep sleep to make sure I’m not on fire, then hang up and go back to sleep, only to hear Todd singing away a floor below me ‘till the early morning hours. I guarantee his shirt is off.

In the morning we wake up to see that Seth and Todd have succeeded.

It’s the break we have been waiting for. It’s game on, and not a single person complains of a hang-over (or possibly of still being drunk). When it’s game on for TGR, the hammer goes down and the crew gets it done. I’m a little sleepdeprived, but for once I’m the guy who isn’t hung-over, which was a blessing.

I look around the helicopter as we take off. Todd Jones is in the copilot

seat, Kye Petersen is riding bitch and to my right and left are Seth Morrison, Tanner Hall and Dana Flahr. Basically I’m sandwiched by everything that is progressive and important in big-mountain skiing. At the expense of sounding gay, it feels good. These guys are about as no-stress as you can find, and everyone is in it for one thing: shredding powder. There’s nothing wrong with that cliché — powder is the best possible feeling you will ever experience beneath your boards and we are about to go get some work done.

We already have our zone scoped and we fly right to it, drop athletes on top of their lines, and then pull the helicopter doors off. Legendary filmer and TGR partner Corey Gavitt and I strap into the side of the heli and got ready for our first “doors off” shot of the trip. CG spits the only thing he has had to eat all morning — a walnut sized Copenhagen breakfast dip — out on the pristine powder and we take off.

Having flown over a hundred hours in helicopters, I can tell you one thing: Helicopter pilots have nerves of steel. So when I am hanging out the side of a helicopter on the first run of the day and hear, “Oh shit,” from the pilot in my headphones, I get a little worried.

Jean-Yves, the pilot, gets a little tight to the mountain, and with the cold morning air (-13 Fahrenheit) we stop getting any lift from the rotor blades. The heli starts to descend on top of Kye Peterson. JY, as CG referred to him, keeps it together and peels off the mountainside, not a moment too soon. The “Oh shit” was a quick way to wake us up, that’s for sure.

Later at dinner that night that CG, admits to me when we were getting pulled down that he thought he was going to puke into his balaclava because of the G force and the whiskey from the night before, but other than that, it was business as usual in the mountains for TGR. Not a peep from anyone to let on that they stayed up till 4:30 a.m. the night before. That’s real mountain men for you.

Sitting down with Michael Brackenhofer, the lead guide at Last Frontier Heliskiing and our guide for the trip, is an interesting experience. He was a high-paid fashion and advertising photographer based out of Munich who shot for small companies like Marlboro and Audi. But he gave it all up to be a heli ski guide. The first thing he tells me when I ask him about the location is mind-

I look around the helicopter as we take off. Todd Jones is in the copilot seat, Kye Petersen is riding bitch and to my right and left are Seth Morrison, Tanner Hall and Dana Flahr.

Basically I’m sandwiched by everything that is progressive and important in big-mountain skiing. above: Kye Petersen is quickly falling into the steps of his late father, the legendary Trevor Peterson. Kye loves to ski huge lines, here he is putting the second descent down a 5000 foot vertical run somewhere in the middle of nowhere. opposite: Kye Petersen sucking up a bump and preparing for takeoff in the middle of a big slough running down some spines. They say you are a man when you are old enough to drink a beer. Kye may have hit manhood a little early charging lines like this. next spread: Seth Morrison knows how to make a turn look good. Slashing some windbuff never looked so pretty. Check out that arc!

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above: Dana Flahr Powder Turn, Just look at the beauty of this shot, what really make it is the perfectly placed pole in the snow, causing a rooster tail off his basket. Dana knows how to get it done. opposite: Tanner Hall windlip shot: This was a natural windlip, no kicker no preparing. Tanner hit it first and went about 50 meters and tomahawked terribly, probably 5 times end over end. This was after cleaning himself up and going back for round two. He did a switch 540 which was amazing, probably traveled 30 meters and perfect stomp to fresh landing. This was a birds eye view from the Eurocopter A Star B2.

Then Michael drops the biggest bomb of them all: “We have 10,000 square kilometers of terrain in our tenure.� I spit my coffee out all over him (not really, but it would have been appropriate.) “We have the largest heli ski operation tenure in the world for a single operation.� Please re-read that sentence and let it sink in.

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I was tramping the Heaphy track with my sister. I have carted this PLB to all sorts of out of the way places with me, hoping never to have to activate it. It has been sailing to the bottom of Stewart Island, off to the Whitsundays, and on all my tramping journeys.

We got caught in a flash flood, one moment walking in knee deep dirty water arms inter linked, next washed off the track into the Heaphy river, with our packs still on. We couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get our feet under us with the current, as our packs wanted to turn us onto our backs. I managed to grab a flax bush leaf thinking that what I did in the next few moments would mean life or death. As I moved along the bush I reached out and pulled my sister along using a tramping stick I carried. We struggled back to firm ground only to be washed off our feet again. We were clinging to a punga tree and there was a small flat area across from us, where I thought the current would take me.

I went for it, and used the stick to guide my sister across. We were only six inches above the water level. I pulled the PLB before we climbed higher as I did not think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d activate the satellites under the bluff, and the area was too small to be sustainable overnight. If we stayed where we were and the river continued to rise at the same rate we would not of survived. Injuries sustained include hypothermia, shock and very badly blistered feet. The chopper arrived, medic examined my feet and decided I needed hospital treatment anyway. I can now hobble on one foot. I am very happy to be alive and pleased I had the PLB. --Wendy Champion n

boggling: “We average 90 to 120 feet of snow per year.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously.”

“At what elevation?”

“Treeline.”

“That’s amazing.”

“Yes. Three years ago, our settled base at treeline was six and a half meters, but we average at least four meters. That’s settled base, not snowfall.”

If I didn’t see it myself, I would call bullshit on that statement. That may be the highest average snowfall of any zone in the world. Until this trip, I thought I had it good in the Kootenays with snowfall averages well into the 40-foot range.

But here moisture streaming in from the coast collides with cold air from the north in this zone, resulting in massive snowfall.

Then Michael drops the biggest bomb of them all: “We have 10,000 square kilometers of terrain in our tenure.” I spit my coffee out all over him (not really, but it would have been appropriate.) “We have the largest heli ski operation tenure in the world for a single operation.” Please re-read that sentence and let it sink in. “Our terrain is one quarter the size of Switzerland and the maximum number of guests is 30,” he continues. “We have 450 established runs on the run list. On some of those runs you can ski 20-30 different lines on each one.

Because of the fact that we have tree skiing we can access when the visibility isn’t great, we average only 1.2 down days per week.”

Even if it’s snowing, you can get your vertical in and stay warmed up for those 50,000 vertical foot days when it goes full blue. The tree runs aren’t the reason to come here, though they average 1,500 to 2,500 vertical and are super fun, but the average run is 2,500 to 3,500 feet when you get out to the goods, and that’s where things start to shine.

If conditions were right, you could film an entire movie here in this zone.

I never asked why it was called Last Frontier Heliskiing; I didn’t have to.

Aside from the remoteness, it was the coldest sustained trip that many of us have ever been on. Todd Jones told me the trip he’s done in his life that was colder was in the Todrillo Range in Alaska, in early season. While very unusual for this time of year, the temperatures never got above -4 Fahrenheit, and there was always a bit of wind, so there was nowhere to escape the bone-chilling cold.

British Columbian heliskiing pioneer Franz Fux came here in the late ‘90s

looking for new terrain. When he saw these mountains, it was a no-brainer. Fux assessed the amazing terrain, rented the gas station for the winter, set up some trailers and brought in the helicopters. By 1996, the operation really started growing, and the owners? Decided to go full bore, and built out five chalets and cabins. Then, Franz and his partners made a decision that defines Last Frontier Heliskiing more than anything else: they opted to operate only with small helicopters and with only three groups on snow per helicopter. Small groups, three groups per machine, and you get a lot of skiing in. There is almost no waiting. Packages are 100,000 vertical per week, with group averages around 180,000 vert, and Michael says that 250,000 vertical feet per week is common with a strong group when conditions are good.

“The terrain is ideal for client groups, it’s not the highest elevation, but the runs are very long,” he says. “We have runs that are 6,700 feet in the western tenure.”

Not all of this terrain is what your average ‘client’ is going to ski. There is everything from the sickest pillow lines to steep spines, from great mini-golf to steep, sustained vertical runs. It’s a dreamland. Couple that skiing terrain with five-star accommodations, like your own soapstone wood burning stove in your room (wood, of course, is restocked daily), and the kind of food you’d see in a high-end restaurant, and this place could easily be in the competition for best heli ski operation on the planet.

We spend out last day was filming a natural windlip that Tanner has scoped from the heli. Watching him do the loftiest natural cab 540 I have ever seen while flying above him is insane. Kye pops some monster 360s and both Tanner and Dana have the most spectacular crashes I’ve seen in a while.

Dana tomahawks so hard that his backpack and jacket are ripped of by the centrifugal forces and end up about 10 feet away, backpack still strapped to the jacket.

We fly the highway home from the natural windlip session that day, about 25 miles of hardpacked snow-covered roads. JY flies about six feet above the road, taking corners at 100 mph like a video game, flying over the occasional truck heading to Alaska. Quite a ride. Back at base, I get out of the heli and I realize he’s low on fuel and tell him to be careful. He answers in his French accent with a big smile, “If I run out of gas, it won’t be by much” and lifts off to go grab the rest of the crew. n

Not all of this terrain is what your average ‘client’ is going to ski. There is everything from the sickest pillow lines to steep spines, from great mini-golf to steep, sustained vertical runs. It’s a dreamland. Couple that with five-star accommodations,food you’d see in a high-end restaurant, and this place could easily be in the competition for best heli ski operation on the planet. above: Dana Flahr is a BC local and his skiing shows it, just another day on a full speed pop over some trees.

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Gear for places you’d rather be...

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//158 //watersports/tahiti

Butterfly Effect

Words and images supplied by tatiana howard

Close your eyes and imagine. You are in warm crystal clear waters. There are eight beautiful, talented, and ocean-loving friends around you. Imagine the morning warmth of the sun against your face. The soft water, warm sun, gentle breeze, sweet aroma in the air, friends by your side, not a worry in the world...

It feels like perfection. Any tension left over in your body melts as every muscle in your body relaxes. Inhale and smell the fragrance of the tiare flower, exhale and begin to awaken the senses. Slowly open your eyes and look out to the perfect peeling waves ahead of you. Behind, are the swaying palm trees and the lush green cliffs that reach like castles into the clouds. Another deep breath filled with thankfulness as we realize that once a dream, it has now come true...

The Butterfly Effect- Tahiti Trip.

In September, Tatiana, Verda, Beatrice, Courtney, Clarissa, Fernanda, Michelle, and Monika left their cocoon in Maui, Hawaii to surf and sail some of the most intimidating wave conditions found anywhere in the world, Tahiti.

These “Butterflies” made memories unlike anything you could ever imagine.

With too many surf breaks to check out, wind to play with, children to teach water sports, stand-up paddle clinics for the local Tahitian women, sailing 55ft catamarans to the neighboring island of Moorea, Tahitian Mayors to dine with, sharks to swim with, stingrays to feed, languages to learn and new friends to laugh with was all a dream being played out in real life.

The Butterfly Effect began in Hawaii by Tatiana Howard and Juliana Shelef, and has grown into so much more than we ever imagined. Starting off with 15 water women in Maui 2007, the one-day downwind event for fun has now flown across the world to Brazil, Germany, France, Dominican Republic, Oregon, New Zealand, Australia and now Tahiti. The Butterfly Effect Tahiti was a two-week long trip organized by one of the Butterfly Effect founder, Tatiana Howard, hosted by Emmanuel Ancet of Te Matai Windsurf Center of Tahiti and sponsored by Dakine and Matiko Shoes. It was the first all women Butterfly Effect trip and it was a magically experience for all 8 “butterflies”.

As the Butterflies arrived in the ahitian paradise, they were greeted with Tiare flowers and live Tahitian music. It was a traditional welcoming that warmed the heart. From this warm greeting, we each knew that from this moment on, we were going to experience a trip of a life-time. Exhausted from the flight and preparation to gather up all the gear of 8 women who love to windsurf, kite, surf, snorkel, stand-up paddle ,not to mention our suitcases full of bikinis, to a rock south of the equator, was more than enough for a day and we were all ready for a good nights rest.

The morning rose with a morning yoga session and French “petit dejeuné” that included a fresh baguette and café. After that first morning kick-start coffee, we jolted ahead and never looked back. Hitimahana is a beautiful black sand beach on the north side of Tahiti. An outer reef protected the inside, for the free styling kite girls and the outside offered some wave riding and jumps. The Butterflies flew around the beach all day and the locals were all excited to see that the “Butterflies” of “The Effect”, finally arrived in their hometown of Mahina.

It didn’t take long until the girls and the local kiters/windsurfers were all sharing

the action packed exaggerated stories of the day, Ia Oranas (Hello/Greetings in Tahitian) and Hinanos. One Ia Orana came from a captain of a 55ft catamaran and before we knew it he had us all packing our bags to set sail in search of more wind and waves in the neighboring island of Moorea.

The 8 Butterflies landed on the dock bright and early with gear in every direction. The captain saw the girls and took a deep breath with a shocked look on his face. Little did he know what kind of girls he invited on the catamaran.

Party girls..no, tanning girls..no action packed water girls equipped for any wind or wave condition...yes! Captain saw that the Butterflies had more to them then just beauty on the outside. He knew they understood the wind, and sailing a catamaran would be similar to their familiar water sports. He put them in charge of steering the boat, pulling ropes, anchoring, fishing, cleaning, releasing the sail, jibing and tacking. We were all on the boat together and we each had a responsibility.

Sailing from Tahiti to Moorea with whales breaching along the hulls and being between two beautiful French Polynesia islands was indescribable. The wind made it a perfect sail and there was a satisfying rhythmic sway of the boat that left the Butterflies feeling very humbled. As they arrived in Moorea the wind was too light for kiting or windsurfing. The Butterflies are very versatile, so no wind was not a problem. They knew they could find some action on the island. Through the coconut wireless they found out there was a swell hitting the opposite side of the island. Each girl took their mark, lifted the anchor, opened the sails, and continued sailing around the island to the surf break called Haptiti.

Hapiti is on the southwest side of Moorea and breaks along the outer reef like most of the waves do in Tahiti and Moorea. As the girls sailed through the deep reef pass they caught a glimpse of Hapiti, an overhead right-hander peeling across in perfect form. With no one else in the water it was a little intimidating as first. They had a cool local boat driver that jumped in the water with us to give the local tips and encouragement. There was a constant current sucking out to sea and big waves crashing right on shallow reef. It took a while to get used to the power and strength behind these waves but when a good one was caught it was all worth the work and hard pumping heartbeats.

Waking up bright and early the following morning by the sway of the catamaran, the Butterflies jumped on the littler dingy boat to cruise over to a drop off where there were supposedly sharks and stingrays! As we motored up to the location we looked over board and right away saw at least 6 stingrays and 2 sharks following their boat! More hesitant than seeing double mast high waves us girls took more than second to gather enough guts in swim in these waters. Some started off snorkeling over the edge of the boat, but within 10 minutes everyone was in the water chasing after the sharks and petting the soft stingrays. Later in the day we caught up with the wind on the beach of

Waking up bright and early the following morning by the sway of the catamaran, the Butterflies jumped on the littler dingy boat to cruise over to a drop off where there were supposedly sharks and stingrays!

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Les Tipaniers. This beach is ideal of kiting and windsurfing. The view from here is amazing. Upwind are the famous green Tahitian cliffs that drop down and levels out into the ocean with the tiki huts and downwind is the clear blue water and little secluded islands that you can sail back and forth from. After a full day of playing with the wind we were all exhausted and ready for the sunset and Hinano in hand, but before we could gather enough franks to pay for the drinks we were rushed off to catch the ferry back to the main island, Tahiti. We had a very important meeting to make!

Emmanuel Ancet of Te Matai Windsurf Center had been helping organize the coming of the Butterflies for months prior to our arrival. Many people in Tahiti knew about us, even the mayor of Mahina, Tahiti! He was very kind and wanted to make sure we all felt welcomed on the island, so he invited The Butterfly Effect girls over for pupus, drinks and an opening ceremony to give them the traditional Tahitian leis and to thank us for offering water sport lessons and clinics to the community.

Now back on Tahiti, it was time to gather all the kids who wanted to learn how to windsurf, kite, or stand-up paddle. Thanks to the CJA (Centre pour Jeunes Adolescents) Organization there was a great turn out. The Butterflies led out with an opening stretch and a warm up swim to a buoy and back. After everyone was splashing around and became aquainted with one another, the lessons began. We had Clarissa, Monika and Verda teaching kite,Bea and

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myself teaching windsurf, and Courtney, Michele and Fernanda demonstrating the new sport of stand-up paddling. It was amazing how fast the kids picked up the sports. They learned a lot by just doing because the Butterflies could not speak French or Tahitian and could not explain the sport, we just had to show by demonstration and physically moving them around. It was a great day and way too much fun for everybody. The kids loved it and could have kept practicing all day and all night and over again day after day. When the Butterflies told them they will back in a couple days to do it again, the kids were beaming with joy.

Teahupoosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; surf break is famous. The girls have heard so many stories and have seen many photos of this break. Teahupoo is located on the opposite side of where we were located. We were all itching to see the south side of the island, so we made a day out of it and headed towards one of the largest and most intimidating thick waves found in the whole wide world. Starting off early we made a quick stop to see the local market in Papeete. There we tasted all the local foods, arts, crafts, black pearls, Hinano souvenirs, colorful hand painted sarongs, craved tikis, streams of shell leis, flowers and all the stuff you think of when you hear Tahiti. For lunch we had the Tahitian Poisson cru (raw fish with lemon and some other yummy ingredients) with cooked breadfruit and sweet coconut bread. After this nutritious lunch we were fueled up and ready to hit the water. We received a phone call that Tim McKenna was on a boat ready to take some surf photos in a surf break 5 minutes away from Teahupoo called Teva iti.

arrived and jumped out the van to check the spot, the wind almost swept them off their feet! It was the strongest wind yet! Pumped up, we rigged and laid out our lines as fast as we could. We squinted to see the size of the waves breaking on the outside reef. It is pretty deceiving because we thought it was small but as they actually passed over the waves on their kites and windsurfers it was a lot bigger than imagined. Again the Butterflies rode the port tack winds and left hand waves until the sun set, wind faded, tide rose, and our wings were exhausted and could no longer function.

After a 2-week long dream that unraveled into a surreal reality, it was now time for the Butterflies to pack their bikinis, boards, sails, and kites to say “Na Na” (Good-bye) and “Maruru” (Thank You) to the island of Tahiti and to all the new friends we had met. The experience we had of visiting French Polynesian islands without the typical tourist hotels and attractions but instead with new found friends, living in the community center of Mahina, local traditional food, adapting to the Tahitian lifestyle, and accepting the island hospitality was so satisfying and eye-opening for us. We not only had so much fun and experienced unreal waves and winds, we had such a rewarding time sharing, teaching and learning about a community. To share our common love of the ocean with the local kids and community in French Polynesia will forever be remembered. As we all flew away back to our Maui paradise, we began to reminisce of our great time together and began dreaming all over again about who, what, when and where the next

To share our common love of the ocean with the local kids and community in French Polynesia will forever be remembered.

Teva iti was the first right-hander that we had seen since being in Tahiti. It was after noon now and we still hadn’t had the chance to get wet, so when we loaded the boat and got to the waves, we were on it! We caught wave after wave. The swell was a perfect size, not too big not too small. We became used to the reef pass breaks, and were able to have more and more fun rather than fear. Many of the waves in Tahiti are lefts and it seems like 99% of the waves break on the outer reef along the sides of a pass. There is one exception like Papara, which seemed to be the only beach break around. Papara was another fun spot for us Butterflies to surf because it was an easy point break where we didn’t have to worry at all about the strong current and reef.

The first week pasted by so quickly. It was now Saturday morning and The Butterfly Effect stand-up clinic for women was scheduled. The clinic started off early to a slow start, but eventually one by one, more and more women came to participate. Many of the women practiced Va’a (Canoe), so they were very strong and paddling came easy to them. They all seemed to love the opportunity to try out the new sport.

On our last day we had the ideal conditions for windsurfing and kiting.

Kevin Pritchard was with the Butterfly Effect as the trip photographer and from experience he knew that Mara would be the spot to go if it had the right conditions. The forecast predicted southeast winds and a little bump of south swell. It was just what the location needed for an epic day. As soon as the girls www.adventuremagazine.co.nz// 45

Butterfly Effect will be. The butterflies’ top tips: 1. Know Emmanuel – Go to www.tematai.com.

2. If you don’t meet a captain on your first day in Tahiti and get invited on a 55ft catamaran, be sure to hire a boat. Almost all surf breaks are on the outer reef and a boat is a must!

3. Swim with sharks. In Moorea there is a great location to swim with sharks and stingrays. It is a great thing to do when there are no wind or waves.

Sounds crazy but its something you will never forget!

4. Be a strong paddler. The currents around Tahiti and Moorea are stronger than you think. You will get pulled out to sea in a second if your not careful, so keep an eye on your buddy and keep paddling to stay in the same spot.

5. Have a Hinano beer in the Tahitian way, be sure to stock up for the weekend as it is forbidden to buy beer on Sunday.

6. If your going to Tahiti make sure you visit Moorea. Moorea offers surf and wind like Tahiti, but the waters in Moorea are much bluer and clearer.

7. Bring your bigger wind/kite equipment. It is usually on the light side.

8. Best local food to eat POISSON CRU! 9. Have a machete to harvest your own coconuts – best sports drink in the world and in Tahiti/Moorea coconuts are everywhere!

10. Check out Te Mata’i windsurf center/CJA (Centre pour Jeunes Adolescents) and volunteer your time to teach locals how to do water sports. The reward of volunteering your time to the community is greatly satisfying and appreciated.

About the Islands

Many commonly refer to the Society Islands of French Polynesia as “Tahiti”, although that is a misnomer because Tahiti is really just one of over 130 different islands of the 5 separate archipelagoes (group of islands) that comprise French Polynesia as a whole. The island of Tahiti itself just happens to be located in the Windward group of the Society Island archipelago.

In fact, Tahiti is the largest and most famous of all the islands of French Polynesia and is home to its capital city of Papeete. Other Society Islands include Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa, Maupiti, Tetiaroa, and a few others. Below is a list of the most popular windsurf spots with some tips and specifications.

Bora Bora

1) Matira Point: This is the “windsurf beach” of Bora Bora! Located on the South side of the island and in the middle of the most touristic area of the island, Matira Point is where the locals go. Currents are a bit strong and

the coral is pretty sharp! Nevertheless, on good windy day, an average of 8-15 riders will be out there. There are no waves due to the protective reef, although it can be a little choppy. Water is incredibly clean and clear varying from 5 to 15 feet deep, but coral heads are something to stay alert to. A mid to high level of experience is recommended here.

2) Airport Motu: If you don’t work at the airport, you’ll need a boat to get here! Riding can be really good if the wind is right. There are hardly any windsurfers, easy and safe launch spots, shallow waters and very few dangerous coral heads to worry about.

Moorea

1) Beach Club / Les Tipaniers: Located on the Northwestern point of the island, this spot (the name of the old hotel which existed on the beach) is the main and most popular spot of Moorea due to its practicality. It’s a sandy beach and sandy bottom free of coral for 100 meter out to the ocean. Although some obstacles like boats and rocks can be on the way.

2) Haapiti: Located on the Southwest side of island. Mostly a surf spot but if the wind switches to westerly, windsurfing in the waves can be insane on the peeling left that happens at the pass. If waves are not up, riding in the inside of the reef is also very fun. Launch isn’t the best since there isn’t really a sandy coast in that area. Riders launch from a jetty which isn’t very safe.

Tahiti

1) Venus Point: This spot is actually known to the locals as Motu Martin and is probably the most windsurfed spot of all the islands of French Polynesia.

Fairly consistent Easterly trade wind condition and a convenient proximity to Papeete are the main reasons why this spot is popular. There’s minimal chop and you can sometimes even play in the little waves near shore.

Also, it’s never very crowded even on the best days, at least not yet…The launching area is large, semi-soft, black sandy beach without coral and some grass to rig your gear.

2) Sapinus: A good riding spot for when the wind blows Southeasterly.

White sand beach with some rocks.

Huahine/ Ta’a/ Raiatea

These islands have several good windsurf spots but they are hard to find, but if you have a boat your life set. Incredible areas to ride! Wind conditions are the same for all islands: Average winds of 15-25 knots. Best time of year to windsurf is between June and September during the Southeasterly blowing Mara’amu. n

The forecast predicted southeast winds and a little bump of south swell.

It was just what the location needed for an epic day.

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surftahiti

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Conditions: Valid for travel until 01 Dec 10. Sales until 30 Oct 10. Prices are in NZ$, are correct as of 18Jan10 and are subject to change due to currency fluctuations & airline tax movement. Packages based on Twin Share Accommodation. All packages are subject to availability at the time of booking. Normal hotel Check In/Check Out conditions apply. Prices based on Return Air Tahiti Nui Economy Class Airfares - L class Auckland - Papeete - Auckland and includes all Transfers/ Accommodation as specified, all Prepayable Airline Surcharges, Insurance Levies and Taxes including Tahiti & NZ Departure Fee. Seats may not be available on all flights. For extra night please enquire. A local tax of XPF 150 (approximately $3) per person per night is not included and is payable direct to the properties upon checkout. Other special conditions apply. Please enquire for further conditions & details. Special conditions applies. These packages are only available directly with Tahiti Vacations Ltd.

//158 //hanggliding/australia

Glorious Days gulf of carpentaria.

Words and Photos compliments of Red Bull

Staring at the horizon on a remote and isolated salt-flat bordering the Gulf of Carpentaria in outback Australia is a solitary human figure. Surrounded by the endless expanse of Australia’s harshest landscape, a land reserved for snakes, saltwater crocodiles and sea eagles, Jon Durand watches the sunrise, waiting to fulfill his lifelong dream to surf the ‘Morning Glory’, the tsunami of the sky.

He carries no surfboard, but rather a sleek competition hang glider rests beside him, for the Morning Glory is no wave of the ocean but rather a 1000km long roll cloud, surging across the ground at more than 60km/h and has the ability to thrust those who dare to ride her beyond 4000ft into the atmosphere, or to plunge them out of control to the ground.

The shock-wave cloud is a fickle and rare display of Mother Nature’s splendor and the Red Bull Glorious Days project is an attempt to document Durand, the world’s number one hang glider, in his attempt to soar the leading edge of this spectacular phenomenon. However, the glory is somewhat a mystery and there is no guarantee it will eventuate at all - the entire project remains in the hands of Mother Nature. For hundreds of years the Morning Glory has gone by the aboriginal name of ‘yippipie’, the spirit of the fruit bat and it is for this spirit in which Durand patiently waits.

At four o’clock every morning, Durand and his ground crew assemble his glider on the isolated salt plains outside of the tiny township of Burketown, awaiting ‘The Glory’. The chance of the phenomenon appearing on the horizon is sporadic and each morning the tension before sunrise is on edge. “Is the tsunami of the sky on the horizon? Are the conditions right?” More often than not it is only the endless expanse of an outback sky that appears, void of any ‘surfable’ updrafts.

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It is only in recent years that scientific explanations of the Morning Glory have been circulated. However, even the scientific world deems the Morning Glory as something of a mystery. Whilst it is widely acknowledged that the phenomenon is an undular bore, caused by two opposing air masses colliding, the formation of a single wave or set of waves and the size and magnitude of the Morning Glory still remains in part a mystery. More importantly for Durand, any scientific model able to predict the Morning Glory is yet to be formed.

Durand’s mission to surf the biggest wave known to mankind is a lesson in patience, skill and luck. Fortunately, as the world’s number one hang glider he is no stranger to the nuances of Mother Nature and so waiting days become practice days, and the local bird life looks on in awe as Durand loops and spins his way through the air currents, thousands of feet above the lonely settlement of Burketown.

Soon the searing heat of day eliminates any chance of a ‘Glory’ for yet another day and the afternoon is crammed with preparation and planning for the following days. Weather maps are rechecked, satellite images are downloaded and necessary equipment modifications are carried out.

The dragonfly aircraft on standby to tow Durand into ‘the glory’ becomes the scouting craft for barramundi fishing, or sweeps along the secluded inlets and deserted coastline of the Gulf of Carpentaria offering Durand a birds-eye view of ‘worst case scenario’ landing spots. The waterways are home to saltwater crocs, some five meters long and Durand prefers not to encounter any of these prehistoric monsters while awaiting a helicopter pickup.

As the day cools and the sun sinks towards the horizon, the sailplane pilots become the focus point for Durand and his team. They are also here to fly the phenomenon. However, instead of a hang glider, they have the benefit of a motor

and propeller to get them onto the cloud and are able to surf the Morning Glory over the ocean as they carry back up in the form of a fuel driven propeller. Durand has neither fuel nor propeller on his craft built only from super lightweight aircraftalloy, a carbon fiber framework and fabric. For Durand, wiping-out on the Glory over the ocean would have disastrous consequences and so his only option is to pray for ‘yippipie’ to reach land.

The pilots are not hard to find – Burketown has become the ‘Mecca’ of the gliding world and at its centre is the Pub. Also at the pub, on a barstool in a corner engraved with his name is indigenous Burketown legend JY. His dark face is adorned with a wiry beard as white as snow and the wrinkles around his eyes are those of a life outdoors. It is claimed he is the one man able to predict the Morning Glory. JY laughs at the urban myth, stating only that if the tables in the pub begin to warp at the corners due to humidity or the bar fridge fogs up, the likelihood of a Morning Glory is promising. Additionally, a stiff sea breeze all day brings in the moisture and so a humid evening with fog in the morning is almost a guarantee the tsunami of the sky will appear. No sooner has JY taken a seat than hopeful pilots gather like school children around a teacher, quietly asking, “whadya reckon bout tomorra?” Everybody appears aware of JY’s uncanny knack of predicting ‘The Glory’ and all it takes is a simple nod of his head for ales to be finished quickly and Durand and his crew to retire in anticipation of the early morning wake-up call.

“Maybe it’ll come tomorrow!”

Having carried out a two-week reconnaissance mission last year without a ‘Glory’ and a further five days into this expedition with limited success, the Red Bull Glorious Days crew is getting restless.

On standby is a Long Ranger helicopter carrying an expensive Cineflex camera set-up. Additionally, two cameramen, sound operator, reconnaissance pilot, tow

Even the scientific world deems the Morning Glory as something of a mystery. Whilst it is widely acknowledged that the phenomenon is an undular bore, caused by two opposing air masses colliding, the formation of a single wave or set of waves and the size and magnitude of the Morning Glory still remains in part a mystery. above: Jon Durand enjoying the vast expanses of the Australian outback (c)Mark Watson/Red Bull Photofiles

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pilot, project manager, producer, journalist and myself (stills photographer) are all on board in an attempt to become the first ever crew to professionally document this phenomenon with today’s advanced digital equipment. Durand plans not only to fly the shockwave but also to perform aerobatics on it… something neither accomplished, nor documented before. Additionally, Durand’s father Jon Senior has traveled more than 2000km so see his son accomplish this feat - as a hang glider himself he understands the need to pursue this dream, he even packed his glider “just in case!”

On the nose of Durand’s glider is a customized Nikon D300s camera developed to capture both video and stills imagery using a remote cable release designed specifically for the project. Durand also carries two further on-board video cameras and a sound recorder. He is under pressure to produce results.

This has been his dream. It was his concept from the beginning and with an entire reconnaissance trip and a week under his belt without results, the tension is beginning to show.

“Has it all been worthwhile?” The hours spent researching and developing systems to make this happen, the time and money to bring together such an experienced crew and the risk that it is all in the hands of Mother Nature… if no cloud appears, it will have all been for nothing. All these thoughts circulate through Durand’s head day after day… but then there is hope. The evening air is sticky and the fridge doors fog up. There has been a sea breeze all day and the weather map displays typical Glory producing characteristics and more importantly there is an

unspoken glint in JY’s eyes… the Glory is on its way. At four-thirty in the morning, the mud on the salt flats is sticky, there is still moisture in the air… but at first light nothing appears on the horizon – will today be another let down?

Then the UHF radio crackles and comes alive, “You’re gonna shit yourself when you see this Jonny!”

It’s Ben, the helicopter pilot and he is hovering in front of a 2000ft wall of cloud surging at him out of the ocean. Suddenly a text message appears on Durand’s phone and it’s from Kieran, the reconnaissance pilot. Attached to the message is an image… we all hover over Durand’s phone as it opens the photo – our mouths suddenly gape open. On the tiny screen appears an imposing monster of a ‘Morning Glory’ and the message says it is moving fast… suddenly it is action stations.

Cameras are loaded and set rolling, Durand checks and rechecks his gear whilst Jon Durand senior, in charge of the ground crew, safety and pick-up, ensures everything is good to go. Dragonfly pilot Leroy starts the propeller on his ultra light aircraft and attaches a tow rope to Durand…we are set to go. I strap into the front seat of the dragonfly and Leroy climbs in to the pilot seat… with a roar of the engine we are off.

Flying onto the front face of the huge cloud gives the impression of flying toward doomsday. A massive imposing wall of moisture visibly rolls up the front of this wave, only to throw itself over the top at 4000ft and explode in a mass of turbulence behind it. The golden light of sunrise glows off the top of the wave – like

sunrise on snow. Durand yells down his radio, “I have to get on this thing.”

Suddenly he releases from the tow plane and dives towards the wall of cloud surging below him. In my viewfinder Durand becomes a dot amongst a seething mass of cloud but then reappears, the sun glinting off his wingtips as he rolls, banks and loops the updraft off the front of the wave. “This thing is moving, I’m doing 80km/h and only just keeping up with it”, we hear on the UHF as yet again Durand pushes his nose down to outrun the cloud. Clear of the seething mass of moisture he once again pushes forward and sends his craft into a high-G loop, only to level out and holler with joy down his mouthpiece, “I just rose 50ft during that loop”… the rising air off the front is staggering. It feels like only minutes have passed, when Jon Durand senior comes over the radio warning of the forest below.

The wave has already passed well over Burketown and is now entering a remote area of rugged terrain. Durand has surfed more than 45km over the ground and his landing options are becoming sparser.

Over dry outback plains the Morning Glory eventually breaks up just as Durand speeds at nearly 100km/h to find a landing location. Scraping treetops and spooking cattle sheltering from the phenomenon he finally touches down.

Alone for a few moments in time, with only his glider and cameras rolling, Durand has achieved what he set out to do. The hang glider mounted nose-camera only captures audio of his breathing but he reappears in frame, grinning madly and alone in the vast deserts of Northern Australia. Durand looks down the lens grinning and exclaims: “Oh yeah baby, now that’s the Morning Glory for you!” n www.adventuremagazine.co.nz// 53

//158 //surfing/america/hawaii

the circus and the history of surfing images by steve dickinson

Complete with clowns, tents, fanfare, beautiful women, amazing acrobats and death defying feats, Hawaii’s North Shore become a circus, a surf circus for three months of the year.

The sawdust may not litter the floor but the crowds and the performance reflect the craziness of any circus act. This year was no exception; with massive waves and thousands of people Hawaii’s North Shore burst into a holocaust of surfing. All the big name surf brands had their own houses on the beach, there were competitions, parties, superstars, openings, and every corner of every tree bore a cameraman or three. The locals hate the invasion, the surfers love the insanity and the media love the compression, but it was not always such a hedonistic free for all.

March 1779, three months after the death of Captain Cook; from the Journal of Captain King, Cook’s Voyages.

‘The surf, which breaks on the coast round the bay, extends to the distance of about one hundred fifty yards from the shore, within which space, the surges of the sea, accumulating from the shallowness of the water,

this photo: Wiamea Bay

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are dashed against the beach with prodigious violence.

Whenever, from stormy weather, or any extraordinary swell at sea, the impetuosity of the surf is increased to its utmost heights, they choose that time for this amusement: twenty or thirty of the natives, taking each a long narrow board, rounded at the ends, set out together from the shore. The first wave they meet, they plunge under, and suffering it to roll over them, rise again beyond it, and make the best of their way, by swimming, out into the sea. The second wave is encountered in the same manner with the first; the great difficulty consisting in seizing the proper moment of diving under it, which, if missed, the person is caught by the surf, and driven back again with great violence; and all his dexterity is then required to prevent himself from being dashed against the rocks. As soon as they have gained, by these repeated efforts, the smooth water beyond the surf, they

lay themselves at length on their board, and prepare for their return. As the surf consists of a number of waves, of which every third is remarked to be always much larger than the others, and to flow higher on the shore, the rest breaking in the intermediate space, their first object is to place themselves on the summit of the largest surge, by which they are driven along with amazing rapidity toward the shore. If by mistake they should place themselves on one of the smaller waves, which breaks before they reach the land, or should not be able to keep their plank in a proper direction on the top of the swell, they

are left exposed to the fury of the next, and, to avoid it, are obliged again to dive, and regain the place from which they set out. Those who succeed in their object of reaching the shore, have still the greatest danger to encounter. The coast being guarded by a chain of rocks, with, here and there, a small opening between them, they are obliged to steer their board through one of these, or, in case of failure, to quit it, before they reach the rocks, and, plunging under the wave, make the best of their way back again. This is reckoned very disgraceful, and is also attended with the loss of the board, which I have often seen, with

What we do know about the origin of surfing in Hawaii is that it was part of the Kapu system of laws which held Hawaiian royalty above the commoners in the kingdom. Chiefs used surfing and other Hawaiian sports as competition to maintain their strength, agility and command over their people. above: Wiamea bay carnage. Image Sean Davey

great terror, dashed to pieces, at the very moment the islander quitted it. The boldness and address, with which we saw them perform these difficult and dangerous manoeuvres, was altogether astonishing, and is scarcely to be credited.”

Captain King’s journal entry is the first description of he’e nalu, the Hawaiian word for surfing, ever recorded by Western man. Since there was no written language at this time in Hawaii, King’s journal entry serves as man’s earliest written account of this Hawaiian sport. Not only is the passage humorous, it also portrays how foreign something like surfing must have appeared at first sight to King and his men, especially when most European sailors of the day could not swim.

The ancient Hawaiians left us more accurate evidence of their sport.

Petroglyphs of surfers carved into the lava-rock landscape and chants that tell the stories of great surfing feats, carried a symbolic lore throughout the generations. Some of these chants date as far back as 1500 A.D., which

leads us to believe that surfing may have begun long before this time in the Polynesian culture. What we do know about the origin of surfing in Hawaii is that it was part of the Kapu system of laws which held Hawaiian royalty above the commoners in the kingdom. Chiefs used surfing and other Hawaiian sports as competition to maintain their strength, agility and command over their people.

The Kapu system also determined how, why and with what materials surfboards were to be made. The type of wood used in making a board depended on the future rider’s status in society. Class distinction in old Hawaii was as apparent in the ownership of surfboards as it was in all other aspects of the culture. If shaping the board for the alii or ruling class, a lengthy surfboard between 14 and 16 feet long was superiorly crafted using premium wood. Hawaiians often made this larger board, called an olo, with the light and more buoyant wood from the wiliwili tree. Because of their size, these boards could weigh up to 175 pounds. The other board, called an alai, was normally intended for the commoners and was made smaller, 10 to 12 feet, with a

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heavier and denser wood, koa. After the craftsmen selected the wood to be used they prayed and placed a ceremonial fish, kumu, in a hole near the tree’s roots. Only after this ritual was completed could the tree be cut down. They then hauled the tree away and chipped and shaped it to size with a bone or stone adze. When they achieved the general shape and size of the board, they took it to the halau, or canoe house, near the beach for the finishing touches.

With pohaku puna (granulated coral) or oahi (rough stone), craftsmen would remove the adze marks on the board’s surface. After the board had been sufficiently planed, they applied a black finish to its surface with the root of the ti plant, hili (pounded bark) or the stain from banana buds. Sometimes they acquired the dark stain by rubbing the soot from burned kukui nuts into the wood. Once this black stain had dried, the board’s surface was treated with kukui oil, giving it a glossy finish. When the surfboard was finished, its creators dedicated it before its first voyage into the sea. After each use, it was habitually treated with coconut oil and wrapped in tapa cloth to preserve and protect the wood. Through all this labouring detail, the surfboard became a valuable and revered part of Hawaiian culture.

Surfing rituals and the sport itself continued in the Kapu system until missionaries from New England began arriving in 1820. The missionaries believed surfing and other Hawaiian sports to be hedonistic acts and a waste of time. They stubbornly preached against the sports’ existence in Hawaii. By 1890, surfing in Hawaii was nearly extinct, with the sport practiced in only a few places. The rapidly growing agricultural empire coming into place, coupled with the immigration of foreigners, also contributed to the decline of surfing, along with many other sacred aspects of the Polynesian culture. If not for the dedication of a few Hawaiian kings like David Kalakau, an advocate of all Hawaiian sports, surfing may not have survived to see the 20th century.

In 1905, Duke Kahanamoku and his friends began to gather at Waikiki beach. Duke and his friends, who spent their days surfing, later created their own surfing club, Hui Nalu, or “The Club of the Waves.” By this time, the missionaries’ influence over the island had begun to decline, freeing up an avenue for the reintroduction of surfing in Hawaii. Duke and his friends later became known as the famous “Beach Boys of Waikiki” and are credited with the rebirth of surfing in Hawaii.

By 1955, the attraction of the North Shore’s swells had brought on a migration of surfers from California in search of the ultimate ride down some of the world’s biggest waves. Perhaps the most famous of these big wave breaks can be found at Oahu’s Waimea Bay. When the winter swells hit at Waimea it is not uncommon to see waves climb to nearly 25 feet in height.

Surfer Greg Ambrose, in his book Surfer’s Guide to Hawaii, writes this about Waimea: “When surfing Waimea it is essential to have the proper crazed

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attitude that implies a certain reckless disregard for personal safety. If you paddle out thinking you are going to get hurt, you will. If you think you can’t make the drop, you won’t. If you begin to wonder what in the world you’re doing out among those menacing waves, it’s time to be thankful you’re still alive and head for the beach.” It was this kind of thrill seeking and addiction to big wave riding that revolutionized the sport of surfing.

In the same way the circus packs up and leaves town after its performance so the craziness of the world surf scene pass through Hawaii and

it is all over by mid February. It has become an annual migration, like birds fly south for the winter. As the surfing circus packs up and leaves town so the North Shore returns to its quiet country-like community where the way of life and spirituality of surfing, with its deep roots into Hawaiian culture, once again replaces the media three ringed spectacle.

For more information go to Hawai‘i Tourism www.discoverhawaii.co.nz.

For a great place to stay, try the NORTH SHORE CONDO AND HOME RENTALS www.hawaiidreamvacationrentals.com n

“When surfing Waimea it is essential to have the proper crazed attitude that implies a certain reckless disregard for personal safety. If you paddle out thinking you are going to get hurt, you will. If you think you can’t make the drop, you won’t. If you begin to wonder what in the world you’re doing out among those menacing waves, it’s time to be thankful you’re still alive and head for the beach.” above: Huge set at Pipeline, one poor guy is looking the wrong way. www.adventuremagazine.co.nz// 61

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//158 //explore/new zealand

discover New Zealand

Words by Wendy ratter | Photographs provided by: KG Kayaks, Waitomo Adventures, White Island Tours, and NZ Adventure

Way back when, there was a set of humourous TV ads which exhorted viewers, “Don’t leave town ‘til you’ve seen the country.” Its aim was to encourage people to see New Zealand first, rather than dashing off overseas.

There’s no doubt that NZ is an adventure playground for adults (and kids!), and if you’re interested in reducing your carbon footprint, local land travel is the way to go. Here we review just a few of readily accessible adventures Aotearoa has to offer.

Bay of Plenty

Captain Cook had it right – this region really is the bay of plenty..

Whatever you fancy, the Bay has got it – sports fishing, paragliding at the Mount, long safe picturesque beaches, harbours rich in seafood, rafting, sailing, kayaking, hunting, bird watching (including a thriving kiwi reserve), volcano climbing, diving, bush walks, swimming with dolphins, tramping, and at the end of the day, a nice long soak in the hot pools at Awakeri to ease any aches and pains. When it comes to somewhere to stay, I recommend sunny Whakatane. Being ideally located in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, it forms a perfect base camp for day trips around the region.

Kayaking at the Whale

Whale Island (Moutohora), 9km offshore, is unmistakeably the remnant of a former volcano. I seized the opportunity to go out there via KG Kayaks, run by Kenny McCracken, an affable low-key Scotsman.

Setting off from the Whakatane Heads, we five paddlers plied Kenny with questions as the boat made a rather bumpy trip out over the notoriously changeable bar at the river mouth.

How did you get into doing the KG Kayaks? I’ve always kayaked really, the business actually started one night at a friends place, over a beer, as these things do. ‘Cause they lived on one side of the harbour, and we still live on the other side…and we thought it would be a cool idea to run trips between the two, and it went from there. We do trips on the harbour, and I do trips on the coast between Ohope and Whakatane as well. A very special place to kayak, actually. It’s actually surprisingly secluded and very lonely around there, you don’t see many people, and you could be a million miles from anywhere, quite honestly. photo: Aerial view of White Island

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Who actually owns the island? Whale Island is jointly administered by the Department of Conservation and Ngati Awa [local iwi]. The main aim of the administration is just to restore it to its natural ecological balance and that’s been going since about… they started planting it in 1984. All the pests have been eradicated. There were a half a million rabbits on there at one time, and fifteen hundred goats. The goats were released originally as food for shipwrecked sailors. And if you’re ever in Whakatane library, in the museum, they’ve got some great photos on how the island used to look, it used to look like a desert before they started replanting it.

Do you need a licence to land there? Yes, you do. Dolphins Down Under have just acquired one of those permits, so they’re gonna run trips on the island, as well, and DOC have the other one, and I think Ngati Awa have the other permit. So other than that, no one is allowed on. That’s not to say if you end up out there and it’s the only place to swim to, you can’t go on the island, there won’t be anybody there saying where’s your permit, you can bugger off. So, you know, from that point of view, you’re all right.

Arriving at the island, we launched the kayaks in the lea of McEwan Cove, on the landward side of the island. Kenny gave us some brief instructions on managing the sea kayaks, and then off we went. The cone of the island looms up almost vertically out of the water, but other parts of the island look more hospitable, with plenty of verdant native bush, and the pohutukawas just coming into bloom, dusted with red. There’s a small sandy beach and the end of the island has low rocky cliffs, where the seals love to bask.

We were only in the water a few minutes before we spied our first wildlife – in a cleft of the rocks several small blue penguins were pottering around. Cue cries of “aren’t they cute!” Moments later, the seals made their presence known – a big fat seal staring at us from up in the rocks didn’t look too impressed. We weren’t too impressed by the smell of their lounge-room either! An inquisitive younger seal quickly joined us in the water, and it was very special to see it gambolling around the kayaks and popping up unexpectedly in the water nearby.

Seals remind me of cats of the sea, in that they are fat, lazy, great hunters, agile (in the water that is), be-whiskered, and incurably nosy. As we rounded the point of the island, a half-dozen seals took an interest, sliding into the water and showing off quite effectively with chaseys, rolls and dives. The high point was when one unexpectedly leaped out of the water and dived back in again, nose-first, barely a metre from the bow of one of the kayaks. The look of surprise on the face of the young paddler was comical. After two hours of paddling we returned to the boat for the trip back. Kenny broke out hot chocolate, and I thoroughly recommend his wife’s ginger and prune cake – just the thing to warm the tummy and replenish energy after a leisurely paddle!

The Dolphins Didn’t Get the Memo?

Another completely cool thing to do around Whale Island is swimming with dolphins.

There are a few outfits that run trips; I went out with Whale & Dolphin Watch, run by the Putauaki Trust, for the first voyage of the season. Our hosts, Nino, Denise, and Peter, welcomed us aboard, and Peter explained the background of the area, which has a long history of Maori settlement. His knowledgeable and informative commentary during the trip enriched it considerably. Peter carried out the karakia to the guardian of the sea, Tangaroa, before we set off. The journey over the bar was a lot smoother today, and the view was sensational; the sun scintillated and sparkled upon the sea, and looking back at the coast we could see from the East Cape to up along the Coromandel. Everywhere I turned the scene looked like a picture postcard.

Nino took pains to explain that with the dolphins being wild animals, we were not guaranteed a sighting. “There’s a chance that we may not see them, so we don’t want to get your hopes up too much. But in saying that, we’ve got a very high strike rate. All you need to do is keep you eyes peeled; the more eyes watching the more chances of finding them. In saying that, there are various ways we locate our dolphins: one, is that we look out for this bird, it’s called the Australasian gannet. It’s like a big white seagull, with a yellow cap on its head. The Australasian gannet feeds on the same food source as the dolphins, so if you see a whole lot of them, flying around and diving in the water, that means they’re feeding, and again, a high chance that the dolphins are underneath them, feeding at the same time. Also, we have a great network of other tourism operators here out at sea – what they do, is if they go out and see some dolphins, they’ll give us a call and we head straight in their direction.

“If we come across a pod, what Greg is going to do, our skipper, he’s going to tick along with the pod for up to ten minutes, just to gauge their behaviour, see what they’re up to, and that’s a great time for photos. If he deems it safe to go for a swim, that’s what we’ll do.”

It was a great day to be out on the sea, not too rough and with blue skies and nary a cloud to be seen. We scouted for a while and were suddenly joined by a seal pup.

The seals in this area are NZ fur seals. As soon as the pup saw us, he headed straight for the boat for a nose around, clearly curious. Like most baby animals, seal pups are dead-set cute and the other passengers quickly broke out cameras for a photo op.

We headed to Ten Mile Reef, which is considered a good spot for tracking down dolphins. We saw plenty of Australasian gannets there, but the dolphins proved elusive.

After scouting for a good while, there was an unspoken sense amongst us that we weren’t going to find any dolphins today, despite the team’s best efforts. Instead, we

anchored in the lea of Whale Island, and the enthusiasts among us, including yours truly, went for a swim, taking care not to get too close to the seals hanging out there. That water was cold! Well, it was only November.

Despite not seeing the dolphins, we still had a great time. The operators made sure we all received vouchers so we could come back another time for free, when hopefully the dolphins will not be so coy.

White Island Walk

What’s so special about walking on an island? Well, White Island (Whakaari) is not just an island – it’s also a volcano. NZ’s only active marine volcano in fact. Named White Island by Captain Cook (again!) for the almost constant white plume of smoke that hangs over the island, it is one of the most dramatic sights found in the Bay, as well as being of scientific importance seismologically. Historically the island (49km offshore) has been the site of various enterprises to mine sulphur and other minerals, and was also important to local iwi as a source of muttonbirds (and hot steam to cook them in!). Currently access to the privately owned island is restricted to the four tourist operators. We spoke with Elaine Michie, who visited the island via White Island Tours.

Elaine, I know that you’ve done Santorini (Greece) and Mount Yasur (Vanuatu), you’ve already seen a couple of volcanoes, what led you want to have a look at White Island as well? Basically because it’s close to our hometown, and I thought it would be a really good experience to take the kids out there. It’s probably the most educational experience out of all three that I’ve seen, so it’s great in that aspect. There are never two days the same on White Island; the photographs that you would take if you went out the following day would never be the same due to depending on the climatic conditions. I went on a day when the skies were bright blue, then I looked at the photographs of my brother’s, who went out on an overcast day, and they were completely different again. So even if you’ve seen White island once you could easily go out again and experience something completely different.

So you went out there via the boat? Yes, and we got to see quite a few dolphins, and depending on the season they’ve been known to view some whales. It’s a day trip, we had nice calm conditions. You have to take clothing for all sorts of climatic conditions, and also because of the high content of sulphuric acid in the air you’ve just got to be aware of that when taking your cameras. When I asked Emma [Elaine’s 11 year old daughter] what the highlight of it was, she said the steam rushing out of the ground, and the pure temperature of the water is very very hot, and the other great novelty behind it is you get to eat as many lollies as you want; because of the gas in the air you’re provided with a gas mask and you feel it in the back of your throat, and your throat gets like a burning sensation, so that’s why they provide lots of lollies to counteract that.

Do they lead you around the island and point out the highlights? Yeah, it’s a full-on tour, it’s very educational. They carry around universal testing paper,

and they get the kids involved with testing the different acidity in the water. It lasted maybe two hours. And also there’s always one on the boat that doesn’t make it, because they have like an anxiety attack; there’s always one or two that can’t handle the fact that they’re walking around on a live volcano.

WR: What sort of sights did you see on the island? Was there any bubbling mud, or hot pools? Lots of bubbling mud, and there’s the crater lake which rises and lowers. And while we were there, there was a film company from Canada and they were harping on about how it’s one of the most dangerous places in the world!

Did you feel safer there than on the top of Mount Yasur though? Oh definitely a lot safer on White Island! Vanuatu is more for thrills, and White Island’s a very educational and safe trip.

Northland and Southland – The Tip and the Toe Cape Reinga

One can’t get very much further north in NZ than Cape Reinga. It’s the northwestern tip of the beautiful Aupouri Peninsula. The Tasman Sea is to the west, and the Pacific Ocean to the east, and the change in tides can create a turbulent tidal race between the two, best viewed from the nearby Cape Reinga Lighthouse.

Cape Reinga is one of the most sacred sites in NZ, due to widespread Maori belief that it is the place where a person’s spirit (wairua) travels after death, before leaping off the 800 year old pohutukawa tree into the sea, to return to the homeland of Hawaiiki. It is also the site of many rare plants.

Local iwi have protested against the location of the visitor facilities such as toilets and carparking, as they intrude upon sacred areas. Due to this, and also the increased tourist load, work began in September 2007 to relocate the facilities and remediate and re-vegetate the site. This work is expected to be completed in 2010, and a visitor centre is also planned, intended to be run by local iwi. There are plenty of coach tours to Cape Reinga, but if you’d prefer to avoid the tourists, and go your own way, consider a four wheel drive trip along Ninety Mile Beach, on the west of the peninsula. It’s actually more like Ninety Kilometre beach, and regular non- 4WD vehicles are advised not to try it, due to the tides and terrain – Te Paki stream, which must be crossed, even has quicksand! If you would like to travel by this route, but don’t wish to drive yourself, ecotours are also available, which incorporate side trips to other must-see destinations, such as Aupouri forest and the giant sand dunes at Te Paki stream.

Speaking of giant sand dunes, here’s the opportunity to get some activity into your Northland Adventure with a somewhat unique sport – sand toboganning! One operator describes the giant white sand dunes as the best kept secret of Aotearoa, and I would have to agree with them - I’d never even heard of them, OR sand toboganning, also known as sand surfing (harihari onepu). Sand boards can be hired locally, along with tuition, but in a pinch one can make do with a boogie board and learn as you go, zooming down the massive white hills of sand. At least the landing is soft! www.adventuremagazine.co.nz// 67

The Catlins

Ok, everyone goes on about Queenstown, and it’s no secret that Queenstown is the adventure capital of the South Island. Queenstown, Queenstown, Queenstown. I’m a bit fed up with hearing about Queenstown, actually! (No offence, Queenstown operators). If you’d rather go somewhere far from the madding crowd (or should that be the maddening crowd), but still enjoy some comfort mixed with outdoor activities, perambulate a little further southeast, and in Southland you’ll find the delightful Catlins.

The coastal road, part of the South Scenic Route (formerly State Highway 92 in this area) was only sealed in this decade, and twists and winds through isolated forests and sandy beaches, taking in Catlins Coastal Rainforest Park. The coast is rugged and picturesque, and subject to some pretty wild weather, including large ocean swells which account for the emergence of the Catlins as a big wave surfing location. Diving can also be had here – if you don’t mind the cold southern waters. The woolly weather and rough coast has contributed to many shipwrecks on the headlands. To help modern sailors avoid a similar fate, there are two lighthouses, one at either end of the Catlins; the Nugget Point lighthouse, and the Waipapa Point light. The Catlins also encapsulate the southernmost point of mainland NZ – Slope Point.

The earliest inhabitants of the regions were Maori moa hunters. Their population declined as the moa was hunted out, and allegedly some Maori moved away from the area for fear of the maeroero, a sasquatch type wild man. These hairy ogres, with long sharp bony fingers, were said to carry off people into the forest. Watch out!

The region features a variety of different flora, from sand dune vegetation, rising through small shrubby trees (such as five-finger) to podocarp forest further inland, featuring rimu, totara, silver beech and other mature trees. There are still some virgin rimu and totara stands remaining, which did not fall to the regional sawmilling industry due to inaccessibility. A wide range of wildlife can be spotted, including NZ fur seal, Hookers sealions, yellow-eyed penguin (somewhat rare) and occasionally Hector’s dolphins along the coast, which is rich in kai moana, especially crayfish and paua. Further inland the forests shelter endangered birds such as the kakariki (NZ parakeet), and the more usual tui, kereru and fantail.

Ecotourism is increasing in the area, and if you’d rather see the edited highlights in preference to exploring on your own, this is the way to go. Kayaks and mountain bikes can be rented locally, if you prefer to wend your own way through the district. There aren’t many facilities throughout the area, and a very low population (just 1200 people), so if you’re not the type that needs supreme cosseting, it’s a great place to escape to. n

For more info: White Island Tours, Whakatane Phone: +64 7 308 9588, Freephone in NZ: 0800 733 529 GPS Co-ordinates: 37 56 950 S 177 00 080 E These co-ordinates will bring you to their vessels on the Whakatane wharf, check in is straight across the road at White Island Rendezvous.

KG Kayaks, kg@kgkayaks.co.nz Phone: 027 27 24 073(mbl) +64 (0)7 315 4005 Waitomo Adventure Centre, Web: www.waitomo.co.nz, bookings@waitomo.co.nz Freephone 0800 WAITOMO (0800 924866) Whale and Dolphin Watch, www.whalesanddolphinwatch.co.nz, info@whalesanddolphin.co.nz 07 308 2001 or 0800 FLIPPER The Catlins www.catlins.org.nz Cape Reinga www.newzealandnz.co.nz www.doc.govt.nz www.ahikaa-adventures.co.nz

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down the waikato

Words by kelly rarere | images provided by friends of frank way

It started, as most adventures do, with a vague musing: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wonder if I could...â&#x20AC;? and ended 425km later with triumph, tears and the desperate need for a lie down.

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Inspired by an encounter with extreme adventurer Mike Horn and his reminder that ‘you only go around once’, Frank Way found himself dwelling on one statement in particular: “If you are properly prepared and have the right gear, you can achieve anything”. He realised that as a young, physically fit man he had “no excuses” not to push himself to his limit. Frank was further motivated by his father’s courageous battle with prostate cancer, so he challenged himself to do something to raise funds and awareness for the Prostate Foundation of New Zealand.

While Horn is known for adventuring in places such as the Arctic Circle and the Amazon, Frank decided to start closer to home. He set out to become the first person to journey down New Zealand’s longest river, the mighty Waikato, via riversled - a device similar to a snow sled which relies upon good oldfashioned kicking for momentum.

The adventure began in Taupo on December 12, with a small band of support crew accompanying Frank on the initial leg. Drama immediately presented itself when the first major rapids proved to be more than they had bargained for, resulting in one of his support team being rescued by crew working on the nearby set of the Yogi Bear film.

Fortunately things calmed down and Frank settled into something of a rhythm, spending days kicking and nights camping on riverbanks. Throughout the journey he received support from friends and family who took turns accompanying him when they could, though many hours were spent alone on the water. The journey brought unexpected highlights such as the glow worm caves one of his companions, Dave Turner, happened upon near Atiamuri. It also forced him to discipline himself in new ways. “I’ve always had a bit of a sprinter’s mindset, rushing to get somewhere as quickly as possible, and with this I had to learn to pace myself and set small goals – get to the next bend in the river by this time, for instance – in order to keep my focus”.

With the possibility of permanent injury to his foot if he continued kicking, Frank sought alternatives, a good old Kiwi surfboard.

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Born in New Zealand

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Frank’s support crew really came through on these occasions, keeping him motivated and energised with food, conversation and encouragement – as well as an occasional blast of Pink Floyd from the support boat. above Left to right: Proud hugs from mum and dad and Frank’s support crew

The name ‘Waikato’ translates as ‘flowing water’ in Maori, but there are also several dams and lakes along its course. These sections were the most difficult to traverse, as minimal current made progress sluggish and choppy water caused the riversled to spend most of its time submerged. “I thought some bits would be easy but it seemed whenever I thought it would be a breeze, it came along and kicked me in the pants.” Frank’s support crew really came through on these occasions, keeping him motivated and energised with food, conversation and encouragement – as well as an occasional blast of Pink Floyd from the support boat.

In addition to his cheerleaders, Frank found Mike Horn’s advice about bringing the best gear particularly valuable. His Leatherman multi-tool “was like an entire toolbox in my pocket, I used it to cut wood for my fire, to prepare meals, to fix my fins and even to mend the winch on the support boat.”

His High Gear watch helped track his progress, and the barometer function proved crucial when making decisions. “It was great being alerted that rain was on the way. It meant I could make sure I pushed that bit harder to get to the next campsite and get the tent up before the weather set in.” His fins, supplied by Aquanaut, were also invaluable “I couldn’t have made it without them.”

The rigours of constant kicking for such a long stretch took its toll. On the approach to Ngaruawahia nine days into the journey, chafing on his left leg caused an infection which, after a visit to the A&E, resulted in Frank being advised to stop his expedition. He was also diagnosed with tendon and nerve damage to his right foot, with 12 weeks of rest prescribed.

Tough decision time. Frank’s initial goal of finishing on Christmas Eve had to be revised. With the possibility of permanent injury to his foot if he continued kicking, Frank sought alternatives. He ended up resuming his journey on New Years Day on a surfboard, using his arms to propel himself along the final 130km. This proved much more difficult than the riversled. “I knew within the first five minutes on the surfboard that it was going to be heavy going,” Frank reminisces, “and the longer I was in the water the more chance I had of running into problems, so I really had to push myself to make as much distance as possible each day.” The penultimate day was the most difficult, as he was paddling against the tide and a 30 knot headwind, forcing him to dig even deeper. “I had to battle some major demons but I made it through”.

He finished on the 3rd of January at Port Waikato, where he was greeted by his elated support crew as well as his parents, who had made the journey to see their son fulfil his tribute to his father. Frank admits that as he was paddling the final stretch and saw his supporters waiting for him, the enormity of his accomplishment - as well as the cause behind his endeavour - overwhelmed him; “I had a bug or something in my eye”.

While he didn’t complete the entire journey on the riversled, Frank is proud that, despite the setbacks caused by his injuries, he still managed to complete the full length of the Waikato River in 12 days on the water and raise $5,000 for the Prostate Foundation. “I surprised myself and a few other people I’m sure. I’m a bit harder than I gave myself credit for.”

With his first adventure under his belt, Frank admits he has been bitten by the bug. He’s already planning his next excursion, with tentative thoughts about journeying on foot from the summit of Mt Ruapehu to Mt Egmont. Frank has this advice for aspiring adventurers: “Tell people you’re going to do something. It’ll give you the push you need to actually make it happen if you know people are expecting you to do it.” n Frank wishes to thank the following people for their incredible advice and support: Dave Turner, Steve Knibb, Johnny Knibb, Chris Way, Sandra Turner, Rob Turner, Dan Chick, Leon Chick, Graham Chick, Beth Barberree, Mike Way, Teresa Way, Max Way, Peter Toynbee, Nick Goodall, David Ensor, David Mayer, Colin and Amy from Trek & Travel in Hamilton, Tim from Aquanaut, Dave from Huka Falls Cruises, Barry Hintz, Wade from Q Kayaks, Neil Stitchbury.

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//158 //tonga/explore

tonga

STORY by wendy ratter and images courtesy of tonga tourism

Gee, that Maui really got around. Not content with fishing up the North Island of New Zealand (Te Ika a Maui) from his South Island waka, he is also credited with fishing up the islands of Tonga.

This time it was not with a hook made of his grandmother’s jawbone, but instead a magic hook he borrowed from an elderly fellow named Tonga, after whom he named the island archipelago. Given that the islands are made up of volcanoes and coral atolls, it’s not really a stretch to say that they rose from the sea.

Tonga is situated between Fiji and Samoa, but a little further south.

Archaeologists tell us that it was originally settled perhaps two thousand years ago by the Lapita, seafarers from the west. Around 300AD, they were joined by Polynesians migrating from the east, with whom they intermarried. The first king, or Tu’i Tonga, came to power around 950AD. Tongans are immensely proud of their monarchy, and great respect is shown to nobles and the king, currently King George Tupou V, although since the nineties there has been unrest due to the desire amongst some Tongans for faster and firmer moves towards a more democratic form of government. Another source of pride amongst the locals is that Tonga is the only nation in the South Pacific that was never colonised by European powers. It was, however, a British protectorate from 1900 to 1970, and is still part of the Commonwealth. The Tongans themselves at one time had an empire that included parts of Fiji, Nuie, Futuna and Samoa.

White folks started turning up in Tonga from 1616 onwards, with Dutch sailors Jacob Lemaire and Willem Schouten travelling through one of the far north groups of islands. The ubiquitous Captain Cook arrived in 1777 and named Tonga “The Friendly Islands” because of the warm welcome he received. Ironically, this warm welcome was in part an attempt to lull their English visitors into a false sense of security, while one of the chiefs, Finau, and his nobles, plotted to kill them and ransack their ships for the wealth of treasures aboard. The conspiracy failed due to disputes amongst the plotters, and Cook sailed off in blithe ignorance of how close he had come to having his glorious career suddenly truncated.

Early missionaries did not fare as well – of the first group of ten missionaries arriving in 1797, three were killed and eaten by the locals, (yup, they were cannibals too), six got away to Australia, and the last one converted to Tongan life, giving up Christianity, and marrying a local woman. Later missionaries didn’t have it quite so tough, and now the islands are officially 98% Christian, encompassing many different

denominations, including, a little unusually, a high proportion of Mormons (Latter Day Saints). The islands pretty much close down on a Sunday, as the Tongans almost all head off to church in (literally) their Sunday best.

Probably the best move on a Sunday is to join the locals at worship, as they are renowned for their superb choral singing (and you might just get invited home for lunch, too).

The rest of the time, there’s plenty to do, including, if you feel so inclined (and who wouldn’t?) lazing under a palm tree. The capital Nuku’alofa (“abode of love”) is located on the main island of Tongatapu.

As well as all the usual south sea activities of sailing, diving, snorkelling, sea kayaking, fishing etc, here there are some unusual architectural structures worth a visit. There’s an ancient stone fortress, the “lost city” of Mu’a, long since abandoned, which was built by slaves around 1200AD. It was a complex of houses, roads, and canals, serviced by a stone wharf where oceangoing canoes were berthed. It was used by the Tongan king, and there are twenty-eight tombs built of coral where nobles were interred. Also on Tongatapu, there is an ancient trilithon made of huge coral blocks, Ha`amonga `a Maui (Burden of Maui). This forms an archway just like part of Stonehenge. Claims have been made that it has an astronomical significance, but these has mostly been refuted by further study.

While Tongatapu itself has plenty to keep visitors occupied, it is well worth visiting the other islands of Tonga as well.

Tonga has four main regions, starting with the south Tongatapu island group; then further north (100km) is found the Ha’apai group.

This area is renowned for its natural beauty, with prolific wildlife and a vast array of marine creatures. Ha’apai is often referred to as Tonga’s best kept secret – oops, now the secret’s out! There are sixty-odd islands, only seventeen of which are inhabited. Only three of those offer accommodation, (mostly fairly basic, and camping is generally prohibited), and there is a tiny number of commercial tourism operators.

A great spot to go if you consider yourself a traveller rather than a tourist, with plenty of opportunities to get to know the local villagers and enjoy the traditional culture of Tonga. If you’d like to climb an active volcano take a boat out to the island of Tofua and spend a couple of hours trekking your way to the top of the volcanic cone. While climbing you can

Probably the best move on a Sunday is to join the locals at worship, as they are renowned for their superb choral singing (and you might just get invited home for lunch, too).

Opposite: Swimming with the whales www.adventuremagazine.co.nz// 75

take in the spectacular scenery, including the nearby island volcano of Kao. If going underwater is more your scene, Ha’apia has a diverse range of reef geography, featuring sea caves, canyons, walls, tunnels, channels, coral gardens, and even open water diving if you prefer it.

100km further north again is the Vava’u group. This group is acclaimed for its superb sailing, having numerous bays and channels, and its main town of Neiafu has many yachties that come and go. Yachts can be hired, or small charters or tours can be joined for the day. Sea kayaking is also available. The water has terrific visibility, making it an excellent diving spot. One look at the number of Whale Watch tour operators is enough to inform any ignorant traveller that whale watching is one of the top activities in this area. The main season for humpbacks in Vava’u is July to November, and it’s eminently possible for whale watching to be an incidental activity while crossing from one island to another via ferry. If you’re travelling via bicycle within the islands themselves (a great way to get around), consider a mountain bike for Vava’u as it can get hilly in places.

In the far, far north, we come to the furthest reaches of Tonga, the Niuas group,

comprising three islands, all of which are volcanoes. This group lies hundreds of kilometres north of Tongatapu and is not easy to get to, either by air or by boat as services depend to a certain extent on the weather.

The island of Nuiafo’ou has a huge crater lake in the middle of the island – the lake contains four smaller islands, one of which has its own crater lake. Nuiafo’ou is home to an odd bird, the Nuiafo’ou megapode, which has large feet to keep it away from the heat of the volcano upon which it nests. The megapode hen lays its egg in a burrow dug into the volcanic soil near a steam vent, and the heat of the volcanic environment naturally incubates the egg with no intervention needed from the hen.

There is not a huge amount of sightseeing to be done in the area, although some good diving can be found (BYO dive gear). The main reason to visit, apart from the sheer isolation of the area, is to enjoy the highly traditional lifestyle of the inhabitants; as a foreigner you may well provide as much entertainment for them as they do for you. n For more info: www.pacific-travel-guides.com www.lonelyplanet.com www.tongaholiday.com

If you’d like to climb an active volcano take a boat out to the island of Tofua and spend a couple of hours trekking your way to the top of the volcanic cone. this page: Diving, fishing, boating - it’s all on offer in Tonga.. opposite top: Local girl rips it up. Photo by Steve Dickinson

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In 1773, Captain Cook visited the Kingdom of Tonga and forever changed what the ‘known’ world knew of the Pacific. So friendly were the Tongans that Captain Cook revisited Tonga twice more to explore some of the 170 plus Islands scattered across more than 700,000 square miles of the world’s bluest ocean.

In the 237 years since Captain Cook’s visit, the reception adventurers receive has not changed. You’ll find Tongans live up to Captain Cook’s epithet “The Friendly Islands” with their natural warmth and gentle approach to life. You’ll also discover Tonga is a great place for fantastic adventures. Below are a few ideas to get you started. We guarantee you won’t visit Tonga once: you will come back again, and again.

Swim with the whales

Hike through ancient rainforests

Slip into the water with the magnificent humpback whales, known for their beautiful singing and powerful aerial displays. There are also plenty of opportunities to watch the whales’ spectacular displays from the comfort of a boat. The whales migrate to Tonga every year in June to give birth and mate and stay until November.

Visit the unique Islands of ‘Eua and Ha’apai and head past dramatic cliffs, through pine plantations, along ridges, into caves, along the coast, over grassy plains that wild horses call their home, around rocky gardens and under limestone archways.

Then camp on deserted golden beaches for the best seat in the house for the stunning sunset and sunrise.

Dive or snorkel all year

Fuel up for the next day

Swim in warm, clear tropical waters and observe the radiant blues, reds, yellows and oranges of the sea life that inhabit the pristine coral gardens.

Find sea stars, tropical fish, sharks, rays, turtles, and more in the coral reefs, thriving encrusted wrecks, vast sea caves, dark tunnels, volcanic black walls, massive sea pinnacles, winding swim-throughs and reaching overhangs.

Tuck into an Island feast including a roasted suckling pig, which is a national favourite. Then figure out whether you have time to fit in a spot of fishing, surfing, sailing, kayaking, rock climbing, caving, horse riding or just some quiet time lying on a beach.

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//158 ADVENTURE GEAR BUYERS GUIDE

TURN THE PAGE FOR MORE ADVENTURE GEAR: SHOES | PACKS | OUTER WEAR | AND MORE TO HELP YOU GET OUT AND STAY OUT IN STYLE//

OSPREY//WAYPOINT 85L (MENS) $329.00 & 65L (WOMENS) $319.00

Interchangeable gender specific Waypoint harnesses helps you customize the fit while a built in Ergo Pull™ hip belt keeps the load comfortably on your hips without being bulky. A detachable daypack with a padded front panel and frame sheet keep your smaller items safe. The women’s Waypoint packs are sized in small and medium torso lengths with female specific harness and hip belt. www.southernapproach.co.nz | 0800 335 000

DEUTER//QUANTUM 70+10 $399.99

Hybrid travel / tramping pack, dual access through the top or via the u-shaped zip, comfortable Aircontact harness, removable daypack, the whole pack zips into the provided transport cover to protect it during transit. www.marvelox.com | 0800558888

LITTLELIFE//RUNABOUT TODDLER DAYSACK//$69.95

Toddler daysack with parents safety strap. Fantastic outdoor fun daysacks in a range of styles and colours. Safety strap clips on to prevent runaways. www.tiroran.co.nz | 0800021732

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OSPREY//TRANSPORTER 95LITRE $149.00 AND 75LITRE $139.00

Transporter Series provides basic gear hauling capability in an easy to use package. Toss your Transporter in the cargo hold or in the back of the car, it will hold up to whatever you throw at it!

Grab it by the burly handle, use the easy-stow harness or outfit it with our optional shoulder strap for over-the-shoulder carry. www.southernapproach.co.nz | 0800 335 000

OSPREY//VECTOR 28 (75 LITRE) $299 AND 22 (46 LITRE) $269

This versatile and surprisingly lightweight travel piece has all the features you need for an extended stint on the road. An ingenious delrin hoop holds the main compartment open for easy loading while well thought out compartments and pockets keep you organized. www.southernapproach.co.nz | 0800 335 000

158 PACKS

SALEWA//SIKKIM 70+10 $349.00-$399.00

SALEWA//SUMMIT 42L $179.00-$229.00

ROMAN//PHANTOM 75L $249.90

KATHMANDU//INTERLOPER X-PAC V3 $699.98

MACPAC//GENESIS AZTEC 70 $549.95

MACPAC//KORU 60 $399.95

OSPREY//MERDIAN 28 (75 LITRE) $479.00

OSPREY//SOJOURN 28 (75 LITRE) $399 AND 25 (60 LITRE) $369

Great Tramping pack. Integrated rain cover, separate lid compartment,bottom compartment separated by draw string.

Smart pockets insuring quick access to smaller items. Weight 2000g, Capacity: 50+10L, 60+10L, 70+10L www.Salewa.com | Salewa@bobo.co.nz

Stylish travel pack with adjustable harness, removable daypack, rain cover, full zip opening and compression straps. Will handle long trips at a reasonable price. www.roman.co.nz

Wheeled luggage full of features: 100mm all-terrain wheels, zip-away harness, spacious front load access, a cover flap for security and weather protection, built in organiser and lockable zips for security. www.macpac.co.nz | 0800 622 722

A well equipped tramping pack. The multi fit system allows wearer to adjust back support to individual requirements.

Watertight bottom, rain cover. Weight: 2.940 g Capacity: 50+10L, 60+10L, 70+10L www.Salewa.com | Salewa@bobo.co.nz

Integrates the benefits of a top loading pack with the features of a travel pack. Front and top entry, fully adjustable C3 harness, includes Gluon™ Summit Daypack v2. X-Pac™ VX42 Nylon / Polyester Filament, 600D Nylon and 420D Nylon fabrics. 65L, 70L, 75L. www.kathmandu.co.nz | 0800 00 1234

For the traveller who enjoys deluxe features, the Meridian provides all. The main compartment is spacious with straps to prevent clothing migration, and a side mesh and side fabric pocket for organization. www.southernapproach.co.nz | 0800 335 000

Versatile, hiking rucksack. Optimal back ventilation thanks to the new Salewa Airmat support, Two pockets in lid. Two attachments for hiking poles. Opening for hydration. Integrated rain cover. 20L, 26L, 30L, 36L, 42L. www.Salewa.com | Salewa@bobo.co.nz

A hybrid travel pack made from extremely durable and weatherproof AzTec® fabric. AirFlo™ harness, detachable 15lt daypack, top-load and front-load access and full of features. www.macpac.co.nz | 0800 622 722

Our StraightJacket™ compression system has always been well-suited to the rigors of travel. Add the High Road™ Chassis to the mix and you’ve got the Sojourn. For those who want to reduce the hoist component of their haul time it can’t be beat. www.southernapproach.co.nz | 0800 335 000

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*all prices shown are RRP

SALEWA//KAILUA II 60+10L $249.00-$299.00

158 *all prices shown are RRP

CLOTHING

MARMOT//PRECIP FULL ZIP PANT (M+W) $199.00

THE NORTH FACE//WOMEN’S CIPHER WINDSTOPPER $349.95

MARMOT//ORACLE JACKET (M+W) $399.00

KATHMANDU//WOMEN’S PANGSOON SHIRT $139.98

MARMOT//SKYLINE JACKET (W) $349.00

THE NORTH FACE//MEN’S HYDROGEN JACKET $179.95

MARMOT//ULTIMA JACKET (M) $349.00

THE NORTH FACE//WOMEN’S S/S RECKONING TEE $69.95

MARMOT//SOMERSET JACKET (W) $259.00

PreCip® Dry Touch Technology - waterproof/breathable, 100% seam taped, full side zips for ventilation and easy on/off, front and back zip pockets, Standard Cut has a straight leg and a comfortable fit through the hips and thighs. Weight: 340g www.marmotnz.co.nz

Versatile, stylish and lightweight travel shirt constructed from M.C.S.® BLOCKER (provides 40+ UPF protection) and No Fly Zone ™ technology fabric (repels insects). Surf, White / 8-18 / Size 10: 180gm. www.kathmandu.co.nz | 0800 00 1234.

Marmot MemBrain® Strata™ waterproof/breathable fabric, 100% seam taped, attached adjustable hood that rolls into collar, zippered handwarmer pockets, double storm flap over zipper with snap/Velcro® closure, interior zipper pocket, sized specifically for women. Weight: 369g www.marmotnz.co.nz

Constructed from UpCycle® stretch fabric (natural, organic and recycled or discarded materials that would otherwise end up in landfills), the Ultima jacket utilizes Cocona Natural Technology for reliable moisture wicking performance. Weight: 624g www.marmotnz.co.nz

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Award winning hooded softshell jacket - windproof and water resistant with extra stretch under the arms and across the hood. www.thenorthface.com.au | 0800 805 806

Wicking away excess moisture from your skin and moving it to the outer layer of the shirt where it evaporates, the S/S Reckoning Tee’s Carbon from Bamboo technology makes it ideal to wear while running, climbing, hiking, or mountain biking. www.thenorthface.com.au | 0800 805 806

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Marmot MemBrain® Strata™ waterproof/breathable fabric, anatomic articulation stretch fabric, 100% seam taped, Pack Pockets™, zip-off hood that also rolls into collar, DriClime® lined collar, Angel-Wing Movement™. Weight: 539g www.marmotnz.co.nz

The ultimate lightweight wind resistant jacket - so light you’ll hardly know you are wearing it, yet still provides all the protection you need against the wind. www.thenorthface.com.au | 0800 805 806

Marmot M3 Softshell - water repellent and breathable, designed for moving light and fast. 4-way stretch fabric, attached adjustable hood reduces volume, zippered handwarmer pockets, sized specifically for women. Weight: 567g www.marmotnz.co.nz

PATAGONIA//DOWN SWEATER VEST - M/W $279.00

PATAGONIA//RAIN SHADOW JACKET - M/W $299.00

PATAGONIA//CAPILENE 3 ZIP NECK - M/W $129.00

PATAGONIA//CAPILENE 2 T SHIRT - M/W $89.00

Impossible to confuse with the sweater vests found at golf courses and bingo parlors, ours comes packed with ultratoasty 800-fill down that traps heat in alpine conditions. It has a minimalist design that practically floats, and is so compact it stuffs into its own stretch-mesh internal pocket (with a carabiner clip-in loop). www.nevada-sport.co.nz

Control your inner thermostat with this warm, quick-wicking zip-neck, made from Capilene 3 fabric to provide excellent insulation and next-to-skin comfort. Lightweight and great to wear, packs away to nothing in the bottom of the suitcase or pack. www.nevada-sport.co.nz

MERRELL//ANACO SHIRT - MNS $99.00

Our Anaco textured seersucker short sleeved shirt is made of lightweight cotton, with a super soft drape that works well for long hikes with your better half as it does for a guys night out. www.nevada-sport.co.nz

Enjoy the trails in all conditions with fully seam-sealed waterproof/breathable protection. The Rain Shadow is made from a packable, lightweight and tear-resistant 2.5-layer 100% nylon fabric with a waterproof/breathable H2No® barrier and a Deluge® DWR (durable water repellent) finish. www.nevada-sport.co.nz

This one revels in the sweat jamborees of hill climbs, ridge runs and great in the suitcase for travel under a resolute sun.

Made from the fastest-drying of our performance baselayer fabrics, it has an open knit that invites airflow and provides excellent wicking and exceptional breathability. When worn beneath layers, it’s also insulative enough for chilly days. www.nevada-sport.co.nz

MERRELL//SWERVE - MNS $99.00

Our Merrell Opti Wick swerve perfects the polo by giving moisture wicking performance, flatlock seams and a shoulder yoke so you can capitalise on any outdoor option that arises. www.nevada-sport.co.nz

PATAGONIA//CAPILENE 1 T SHIRT - M/W $79.00

Stay dry and cool – and get some protection from sun and salt (UPF 15) in the silky Capilene 1 T-Shirt. It’s quick to wick, ultra breathable and fast to dry. The rib-knit collar is soft against skin, and the generous hem is long enough to tuck in. www.nevada-sport.co.nz

MERRELL//STELLAR - WNS $179.00

The performance and all round versatility of the Merrell Aeroblock Stellar softshell cant get much better. It’s the perfect weight and cut, providing a functional high collar, overhanging cuffs and a drawcord adjustable hem that won’t ride up. www.nevada-sport.co.nz

MERRELL//BELAY CAPRI - WNS $129.00

The comfort and mobility of our woven stretch Belay Capri make it perfect for everything from bouldering to travel. This Capri offers active performance with feminine, around the town flair. www.nevada-sport.co.nz

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158 *all prices shown are RRP

FOOTWEAR

TEVA//RIVA LEATHER MID EVENT $379.90

SALOMON//XTEMPO MID GTX $399

HI-TEC//LADY MONTCLAIR MID WP (NEW 2010) $199.90

SCARPA//TREK (M & W) $499.00

SCARPA//KAILASH GTX (M & W) $499.00

SCARPA//ZG65 GTX (M & W) $399.00

HI-TEC//CRUISE TRAIL $169.90

SALOMON//TECHAMPHIBIAN 2 $249.00

SALOMON//TRACKS $249.00

This is the new hiker everyone is talking about! The Vibram outsole ensures traction, while the full-grain leather upper and eVent waterproof membrane keep your feet dry. A durable and supportive hiking boot with a casual appeal.

(09) 3731460

Full grain leather upper with 360 ankle flex feature for protection and support, ¾ leather lining with sumptuous internal padding, comfort flex midsole for underfoot stability and protection, Vibram® Integra sole. Handcrafted in Italy.

Weight: 1230g. www.allsports.co.nz

Ideal for trail hiking, rugged day hikes, and regular abuse; a medium-weight boot with maximum comfort. Nubuck suede upper with Gore-Tex® lining, Vibram® Hi-Trail Lite sole.

Handcrafted in Italy. Weight: 1260g. www.allsports.co.nz

Suede leather and breathable mesh upper Protective abrasionresistant toe IMEVA midsole for cushioning MDT carbon rubber outsole Available February 2010 Sizes Mens Us 8-12,13 www.denstock.co.nz

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Fast and light mid height hiking boot gives comfort and support in all weather conditions thanks the Gortex membrane.

Versatility and technicality combined in a stylish package. www.salomon.co.nz

Whether your island hopping, kayaking or walking in warm conditions this is the shoe for you. Non marking water Contagrip for use in wet areas. The Techamphibian 2 combines shoe support and protection with the lightness of a sandal. www.salomon.co.nz

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WP Suede leather and mesh upper Seam-Sealed waterproof construction Rustproof brass hardware heel abrasion for protection Moisture wicking lining Comfort-Tec contoured sockliner Board Lasted with steel shank for added rigidity and support Available February 2010. www.denstock.co.nz

Excellent for trails and travelling. The GORE-TEX® lined boot delivers exceptional comfort, breathability and performance.

Hi-Flex insole gives firm stability for technical terrain. Vibram® Hi-Trail sole. Handcrafted in Italy.

Weight: 1240g. www.allsports.co.nz

Light weight, breathable low top hiking shoe with a durable Contagrip® sole. New for 2010 and exclusive to Kathmandu.

The perfect traveller. www.salomon.co.nz

AHNU//WESTRIDGE (M) $279.00

AHNU//MORAGA OXT (M) $249.00

SALOMON//EXIT PEAK $249

AHNU//OLIVIA (W) $189

AHNU//PACIFICA (W) $129

AHNU/PARIS (W) $149

AHNU//KICK (W) $199.00

KEEN//CORONADO $149.99

AHNU//JOSIE (W) $199.00

Neutral Positioning System uses multiple midsole densities to provide stability and balance. High abrasion mesh for increased breathability and flexibility. Cross-directional lug pattern provides excellent traction on varied terrain. www.allsports.co.nz

Fashion and comfort! The new Olivia sport wedge features an EVA midsole for shock absorption and cushioning, steel shank to provide arch and mid-foot support and a Vibram ® EcoStep outsole with non-marking, cross direction lugs. www.allsports.co.nz

This versatile, lightweight multi-use Mary-Jane offers breathability, cushioning, support and traction for taking on groomed trails or around town. Easy on/off webbing pull with secure fit ladder lock system. www.allsports.co.nz

This light hiker comes with seam-sealed waterproof construction and gusseted tongue to keep out all unwanted debris. NPS technology focuses on keeping the user balanced by helping the foot stay aliened and centered in the shoe. www.allsports.co.nz

The new amphibious slip-on Pacifica blends internal comfort and performance with versatility. Great for town, travel or water activities. Anti-slip, non-marking carbon rubber outsole, stretch Neoprene that gives with every flex. www.allsports.co.nz

The eco-friendly design features recycled aluminium eyelets (which are a small step to a ‘greener’ planet) and a natural canvas upper. The metatomical footbed moulds to your foot’s shape for personalised comfort with a laidback vibe. www.keenfootwear.co.nz | jane@agi.co.nz

This shoe has it all, looks versatility and durability. This Salomon classic has been gracing the feet of travellers for years. For reliability and comfort check out the Exit Peak. www.salomon.co.nz

New for 2010, this stylish casual is great for all day wear.

Internal moulded EVA midsole provides arch support and cushioning. High Surface Contact sole with moulded channelling for excellent traction on smooth, wet surfaces. www.allsports.co.nz

Great for town or travel, this sporty ballet is totally comfortable and totally cute. Anti-slip, non marking carbon rubber sole with molded channeling for excellent traction on dry and wet surfaces. www.allsports.co.nz

// 83

158 *all prices shown are RRP

FOOTWEAR

KEEN//NAPLES $219.99

TEVA//WOMEN’S WESTWATER LEATHER $189.90

KEEN//VENICE H2 $219.99

TEVA//MEN’S OMNIUM $219.90

TEVA//WOMEN’S OMNIUM $219.90

ALLSPORTS//TRINITY (W) $189

KEEN//WAIMEA H2 $139.00

KEEN//WHISPER$199.99

KEEN//WAIMEA H2 $139.00

Beachy locals or city streets the Naples takes you there.

Natural latex and cork build a cushioning footbed that absorbs the shocks with every step. Full grain leather upper is strappy and fun for warm weather pursuits. www.keenfootwear.co.nz | jane@agi.co.nz

The men’s Omnium Sport Sandal is versatile enough for all of your adventures, as it provides additional coverage for protection, quick-drying materials to keep you comfortable and Teva-tested Spider Rubber® to keep you on your feet.

(09) 3731460

The lightweight outsole provides the right amount of support and traction control. Patented toe protection lets you go from beach to rocky shore to the poolside with ease. The cushioned EVA footbed features odour-reducing Aegis Microbe Shield®. www.keenfootwear.co.nz | jane@agi.co.nz

//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN 84//WWW.ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

The women’s Westwater Leather is designed to suit your active yet stylish lifestyle. Features leather on the upper, an instep strap and yoga mat inspired topsole to ensure that your feet are happy all day long.

(09) 3731460

The women’s Omnium Sport Sandal is versatile enough for all of your adventures, providing you additional coverage for protection, quick-drying materials to keep you comfortable and Teva tested Spider Rubber® to keep you on your feet.

(09) 3731460

The Whisper sandal can manage any water-filled day. The quick draw elastic cord lacing system adjusts to a comfortable and secure fit. Washable polyester upper.The foot-cushioning EVA moulded footbed provides comfort on the go. www.keenfootwear.co.nz | jane@agi.co.nz

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Venice H2 sport sandal providing exceptional traction on mixed terrain, this performance sandal includes an open strapping system for outstanding ventilation. Streamlined, grippy outsole features multi-directional lugs with razor siping for exceptional traction control. www.keenfootwear.co.nz | jane@agi.co.nz

New for 2010, the Trinity sports sandal features highly breathable hydrophobic mesh upper for lightweight performance, easy on/off pull strap with secure fit ladder lock system, 3.5mm cross-directional, non-marking, slip-resistance lugs to provide traction on varied surfaces. www.allsports.co.nz

Discover the meaning of kicking back with the Waimea H2 sandal. The sporty style features patented toe protection and a lightweight rubber outsole. The EVA midsole absorbs shock as you stride toward the beach chair that’s calling your name. www.keenfootwear.co.nz | jane@agi.co.nz

158 PACSAFE//PROSAFE 750 $22.99

SPOT//FIND ME SPOT $425.00 INCL GST

SOUL TRAMPERS™//POTPAL™$35.99 - $47.95

MAPTOASTER TOPO/NZ//MAP8-GPS $225.90

An inexpensive GPS tracking and alerting device that requires an annual subscription of US$115.00 per annum for Alert, OK & 911 functions and US$49.00 for an additional optional tracking facility.

For more info visit www.findmespot.net.nz or ring 09 4206079.

Your feet will thank you with MUND Kilimanjaro socks. The Coolmax® fibre technology wicks sweat away to keep you cool, dry and comfortable. Extra padding provides protection at pressure points. www.tightlines.co.nz

NEW lightweight multipurpose cooking pot storage device, which protects, dries, stores, separates utensils, and converts into a handy heat-mitt for all outdoor cooking pursuits. www.soultrampers.com (+61) 2 8003 3483

EACH YEAR ADVENTURE DEDICATES ITSELF TO ONE SPECIFIC GREEN ISSUE

Green concerns related to travel and adventure:  Highlights companies and individuals that have made a signicant green impact;  We look at green related products;  Green Adventures;  Environmental issues;  What’s being done and what you can do?

TSA approved key-card lock. The lock unlocks using a coded key-card, includes 2 x credit card sized key-cards, TSA approved for convenient travel through the USA. www.marvelox.com | 0800558888

Always know exactly where you are with MapToaster Mobile/NZ topo maps of New Zealand for your Garmin mapping GPS. www.maptoaster.com support@maptoaster.com

BE PART OF THE ADVENTURE If you are a company

that has made significant changes, or have products the world needs to know about please tell us.

Lisa Young at lisa@adventuremagazine.co.nz

April/May 2010 PRE WINTER/GREEN ISSUE If you would like to look at the media kit contact Lisa Young at 09 4283043 or email lisa@adventuremagazine.co.nz

// 85

INNOVATIONS

MUND SOCKS//KILIMANJARO $29.95

Patented hand held water purifier using ultra-violet light to kill up to 99.9999% of all waterborne bacteria and 99.99% of all viruses. Especially effective against common protozoa like Cryptosporidium. No pumping, no set-up, or clean up.

Distributed by Outfitters | 0800021732 | neil@tiroran.co.nz

*all prices shown are RRP

STERIPEN//CLASSIC $229.95

158 *all prices shown are RRP

INNOVATIONS

MAPTOASTER TOPO/NZ//FROM $119.00

Whether you are a recreational or business user, MapToaster Topo/NZ will provide the topographical maps you need, on your computer. New Topo50 and Topo250 NZTM maps available from late October. www.maptoaster.com | support@maptoaster.com

SALEWA//DENALI II $449.00

Two person, three-season. Colour-coded pole system, , Ventilations 2 Fly, Storm Shed Classic 100% Polyester 4.000mm, Inner MicroShed Classic 100% Polyester, Floor Hydroshed light 100% Nylon Tafetta 5000mm , Poles 8.5mm 7001 T6 Aluminum Area internal 3.36 m², vestibule 1.2m² Colour Olive Weight 3.1kg www.Salewa.com

SALEWA//SPARROW II $399.00

Two person, two-season. Tunnel tent with integrated vestibule, colour-coded pole, Fly Storm Shed Classic 100% Polyester 4.000mm , Innner MicroShed Classic 100% Polyester, Floor Hydroshed light 100% Nylon Tafetta 5000mm, Area internal 2.7m², vestibule 1m² Poles 8.5mm 7001 T6 Aluminum Weight 2.3kg. www.Salewa.com

THE NORTH FACE//BASE CAMP DUFFEL S-XL $199.95

PACSAFE//PACSAFE SERIES $119.99

AIDE//VOID $24.95

STERIPEN//ADVENTURER $279.95

PACSAFE//VENTURESAFE 300 $129.99

KANNAD//XS3 406MHZ PLB $899.00

The Base Camp Duffel is the classic bomber expedition duffel.

Alpine-cut shoulder straps. Twin haul handles on ends.

Internal mesh pockets. Locking zippers. www.thenorthface.com.au or NZ stockists free phone 0800 805 806

A more compact hand held water purifier using ultra-violet light to kill up to 99.9999% of all waterborne bacteria and 99.99% of all viruses. Eliminates Giardia. No pumping, no setup, or clean up, just insert batteries push the on button once and insert it into your water container.

Distributed by Outfitters | 0800021732 | neil@tiroran.co.nz

//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN 86//WWW.ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

Anti-theft backpack and bag protector, eXomesh Ultimate complete lock and leave system - Slashproof, Snatchproof and Tamperproof. Available in 4 sizes to fit your pack. www.marvelox.com | 0800558888

Anti-theft travel bag, eXomesh Slashguard in lower front, side and bottom panels, Slashproof and Snatchproof shoulder strap, Tamperproof zips, plus plenty of room for everything you need for a day spent exploring. www.marvelox.com | 0800558888

WORDS/#158

Void kit features: compact vacuum-sealing of bulky supplies; waterproof foil-backed plastic packaging; lightweight, resealable, waterproof zip-lock pouch; quickguide with essential lifesaving procedure and basic first aid steps. www.aideport.com | info@aidesystem.com

One of the most robust well engineered 406MHz PLB with imbedded GPS. This is one of the few PLB’s that will also float upright without the antenna in the water. For more info ring 09.4206079 or visit www.aviationsafety.co.nz

Only the name hasn’t changed: the new TIKKA XP®2

3. correct tent finder (optional) 2. toe stubbing sensor 4. automatic put your shirt on right side out 1. the “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” whistle

5. wandered off alone SMART finder

6. see your friends - don’t blind them - red LED

11. light-is-no-longer-brighter-than-Iexpected low battery indicator

7. new touchless “what’s squishy?”

10. anti-squat-next-to-snake navigation system

8. multi-directional “what the heck was that?”

© Photo : studio Kalice

9. hands free cold beverage locator

high performance LED | three white lighting modes | two red lighting modes | Wide Angle lens allows for spot or flood beams | signaling whistle integrated in headband | battery charge indicator light | multi-mode push button | ergonomic design | easy-to-use battery compartment

Maximum brightness

• 60 lumens maximum mode • shines up to 60 metres maximum mode • lasts up to 160 hours economic mode • weighs 88 g including batteries Exclusively distributed in New Zealand by: Spelean (NZ) Ltd PO Box 219, OAMARU, New Zealand.

Ph: 03 434 9535, Fax: 03 434 9887 e-mail tikkaxp2@spelean.co.nz

www.the-power-of-light.com

//158 //watersports/tahiti

Rotorua

destination playground STORY and images by destination rotorua

I once read a news article about a walker who got lost in Rotorua’s Whakarewarewa Forest.

The section known as The Redwoods comprises an extensive track network and it’s well mapped out. How, I wondered, does anyone get lost?

I’d just moved to Rotorua then and there were a lot of things I didn’t know.

My first summer living here, I spent part of several weekends exploring the walking tracks. I can’t remember my first walk now, but I do remember the first time I got lost. Armed with only a mobile phone, I set off for a 60-minute walk.

But, distracted by passers-by who stopped to chat, I missed the entrance to the return track and found myself deep in the forest, all sense of direction gone.

I was into my third hour, starving and about to call for help when I realised the track I was on had become steeper and more rugged. The mountain biking tracks are largely separate from the walking trails, but I’d found them. I stumbled down, jumping into bushes every so often to avoid riders hurtling past, and eventually found myself back in the car park.

I’ve never figured out where I went wrong.

But don’t let my story put you off. Just five minutes’ drive from the city centre, Whakarewarewa Forest gives visitors the chance to experience nature at its best and is one of Rotorua’s premier attractions. Californian Redwoods planted in the early 1900s line the entrance to the forest, keeping it shady and cool in summer and sheltering walkers in winter. All the tracks afford stunning panoramic views of the Rotorua region. Walks range from 30 minutes to several hours long.

Whakarewarewa Forest is also one of the world’s top mountain bike

destinations. People flock from around the globe to ride here and local enthusiasts aim to keep riders challenged by constantly developing tracks.

New trails include Te Ara Puna (The Pond) and Hatu Patu, both grade five trails suitable only for experienced riders.

Entry to the Whakarewarewa Forest trail network can be easily accessed from The Redwoods on Long Mile Rd or Waipa State Mill Rd. Both entry points have car parking facilities. The Redwood Gift Shop and Visitor Centre is an excellent source of advice and forest information including trail maps and picnic and toilet facilities.

For more information visit www.rotoruanz.com/experiences/mountain-biketrails or www.riderotorua.co.nz When it comes to other adventure activities, Rotorua is fast becoming a destination to rival Queenstown. It is home to the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world – the 7m Tutea Falls on the Kaituna River. Several rafting companies offer exciting options for all skill levels, as well as sledging and kayaking adventures.

Get your blood pumping with a scree slide into the crater of a dormant volcano. Mt Tarawera looms moodily over Lakes Rotomahana and Tarawera to Rotorua’s southeast. Visitors can helicopter or 4WD to its summit, where crater

Leif takes the high line at Makara Peak. Photo: Caleb Smith

gear for the cycling revolution Only available directly from Ground Effect. Call free on 0800 655 733 in NZ or 1800 145 333 in Oz.

walks and scree slides are on offer. The scree slide represents adrenalin, fear and fitness rolled into one, as I discovered the first time I tried it.

Charlie, the guide from Mt Tarawera NZ, leads us up the gravelly track at a fast pace. At the summit, gusts of wind snatch my breath and I have visions of being blown off the ridge.

Warm clothes are essential up here. It might be nice on the ground, but Tarawera, like most mountains, has its own microclimate.

It’s too cold to stand still for long and Charlie’s off again, racing towards the lip of the crater. I bring up the rear, picking my steps carefully, so I’m too slow to hear the instructions Charlie yells over the wind. He doesn’t repeat them and starts down into the crater without a backward glance, leaving me hoping I won’t break an ankle. I slip and slide down, travelling the last few metres on my behind. I’m panting and hot by the time I reach the bottom, despite the howling wind. My shoes are full of stones and my knees are shaking, but I feel invigorated.

Back at the top, I gaze down into the crater, marveling at what I just accomplished. From here, visitors can hurtle down the mountain on a bike or 4WD, but we’re short of time so have opted to fly back.

At the foot of the mountain, Lake Tarawera is one of Rotorua’s most scenic

places and boasts plenty of tracks for all tastes. Tucked away down a no-exit road on the west side of the lake is a pleasant lakefront walk leading past several private jetties to Boat Shed Bay. In summer the birds are out in force here and dragonflies skim over the water. This is the kind of track that is found by accident; it’s not one of Tarawera’s better-known tracks so is quiet and walkers won’t have to jostle for space.

Rotorua’s other lakes also offer great walks and the region is set to get even better, with the Department of Conservation working on several upcoming projects.

First on the agenda is the Tarawera Trails project. This initiative involves creating new trails to link with existing ones, to form a complete network of trails between Rotorua city and the lakes. The network will allow visitors to experience walks that rival many of New Zealand’s Great Walks. Trails will feature volcanic zones, mountain views, hot pools, amazing waterfalls, secluded beaches and pristine native bush, and will be suitable for all fitness levels.

Rotorua is also the staging place of many sporting events, such as the Blue Lake Multisport Festival in January, Cateye Moonride in May and the Tough Guy and Gal Challenge off-road running event in August. See www.rotoruaNZ.com/ events for details. n

Trails for your Treads

Since Adam rode a hard-tail, Ground Effect has provided foot soldiers and cold cash for the cycling revolution. Each year we hand out thousands of dollars from our 'Slush Fund' to help local track builders expand the mountain bike playground. In addition, Ground Effect staff work with other advocates and land managers on local issues and national campaigns like the battle to reclaim access to the Heaphy.

If your club has a worthy project that needs funds to make it real, bang a note to slushfund@groundeffect.co.nz

//158 //afghanistan/

another week in

AFGHANISTAN STORY and images by Gregorio Sanford

It’s been Ten days since I showered last. Tomorrow it will be all over, at least for now. When we left FOB (Forward Operating Base) Sarba Graw we were told we would be gone for a week, we all knew better.

Last time they said a week we were out for thirteen days. This time it looks like it will only be eleven. I can’t wait to take a shower and use a real porcelain toilet again.

At FOB Sarba Graw we have all of the modern amenities like running water, warm food, and even an old washing machine that works most of the time. It’s incredible, the things you miss, when you are truly without. Things like sinks, beds, and personal safety.

Lately, my brothers and I have been without those things. I refer to my Brothers in Arms, for they truly are my brothers.

This time we left the comfort of Sarba Graw for a tiny outpost called Jones. We call it outpost Jones because it was where Sgt Thomas Jones Died earlier in this deployment. So far, he has been the only soldier we have lost, but losing him was harder than any of us could imagine. I had never known a soldier for whom I harboured so much respect. He will never be forgotten amongst his brothers.

Our mission at outpost Jones was to provide security for a team of medics and doctors who were coming to provide aid to the locals. They came and set up a hasty hospital of sorts and began treating anyone

who came. We had been out in the streets, the days before they came, putting the word out that they would be here on that day. We had no idea what to expect. The doctors told us that they had brought enough supplies to treat approximately fifteen hundred people. They ended up closing shop early because they ran out of supplies. That was two days ago.

The first day we were here we went on a patrol to investigate reports of a man who had been building bombs in his house. We were attacked on the march there. Several gunmen fired shots at my platoon as moved through an open field. We returned fire and pushed on. When we got there we found two men inside the yard and several items often used in bomb making. Since we are only here in an advisory role now we had the local police that were with us arrest the men and take them in for questioning. Most of the rest of the week was quiet. A few shots were fired at the outpost during the night but nothing was serious.

Then the day came for the clinic and we began to search patients as they entered the area. One by one the locals began to bring us

One by one the locals began to bring us their sick and wounded.

Many of them were carted in on wheel barrels because they could no longer walk.

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their sick and wounded. Many of them were carted in on wheel barrels because they could no longer walk. One little boy, brought to us, had been bitten by a snake twenty days before.

The tools required to amputate his arm were not available so he was taken back to a larger hospital in another part of the region. I had never been more aware of the benefits of living in a modern country than I was on that day. After the clinic had closed and all the doctors had gone, we spent hours still turning people away. The most amazing part of the day was that we did not get attacked. Only three more days to go.

Tonight most of us will sleep well, what little sleep we will get, because we know that tomorrow we get to shower and eat hot food. When I joined the army, I joined to shoot guns and jump out of airplanes. I never thought that the real adventure would be found in the people I would meet in just one week out of my career. Then againâ&#x20AC;Ś whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another week in Afghanistan? n

The HydroPalTM personal water filtering system provides the perfect solution for clean water, wherever you are in the world. HydroPalTM Extreme Kit even turns muddied, bacteria laden water into safe drinking water at a fraction of the cost of traditional water filters.

Stay well!

Contact HydroPalTM at chris@hydropal.com or call +64 9 950 3629. For agent enquiries ask for Chris. www.hydropal.com

www.adventuremagazine.co.nz// 91

92//WHERE

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//158 //colombia/malpelo island/cliff diving

Following in the

dinosaurs footprints Words and photos by steve dickinson

In the beautiful islands of Hawaii in a sleepy hollow called Ka’a’awa (actually not a sleepy hollow but a magnificent tropical valley originally owned by the queen of Hawaii) there recently roamed dinosaurs!

No this is not some new archaeological find – not some recent and diverse species of Hawaiian dinosaur, but there is overwhelming physical evidence that dinosaurs roamed freely in the Ka’a’awa valley. To make matters worse this unusual find is not just related to dinosaurs, oh no! There are also giant gorillas, a whole plane load of Lost people, and the remnants of Pearl Harbour and World War Two. Not only are all these strange goings on nestled like a mini time warp into the one valley you can go and see them everyday.

At Kualoa Ranch, on the east side of Oahu, you can jump on an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle, Kiwi translation - a quad bike) and have an amazing one or two hour adventure with an expert guide. The guide

will lead you deep into the lush green Ka’a’awa Valley with views of the dramatic Ko’olau mountain range and miles upon miles of breathtaking scenery. The reason why there are some strange ‘goings on’ is that the ranch has been the backdrop for a plethora of famous Hollywood films like Jurassic Park, Mighty Joe Young, Pearl Harbour, Lost, Wind Talkers and more.

As we arrived at the ranch we were told to change our footwear and wait for the tour to start. With a degree of intrepidation I placed on my bright pink crocs and took in the waiting area of the ranch. There were horses and pigs and an array of ranch like stuff; it was pretty impressive and nothing like I expected. It was then that I heard the

My hopes of some real adventure evaporated in the same small cloud of dust that thirty or so terrified Japanese tourist and managed to rise as they came to a grinding halt.

www.adventuremagazine.co.nz// 93

Quad bikes returning. As I looked up I saw an extreme slow conga line of white knuckled Japanese tourist come creeping along a clearly marked pathway. My hopes of some real adventure evaporated in the same small cloud of dust that thirty or so terrified Japanese tourist and managed to rise as they came to a grinding halt.

We were introduced to our guides, given the helmets and made to watch the safety DVD. My rising trepidation of how slow the trip was going to be rose as each smiling nodding Japanese tourist passed us as they replaced their sweaty gear.

Those who know me will tell you I am no petrol head. Nasty experiences involving bikes and cars and things that are not naturally propelled have led me to a well developed respect for anything that might go broooooom!

The ATV quads had had most of the bells and whistles removed or sealed.

It was simple, there was one brake and one accelerator. The accelerator had been limited so you had a max speed of around 30kms. Once again my feelings of boredom loomed.

Then we were off in the same ATV conga line I had seen developed by the

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Japanese contingent. There were only 6 of us and everyone was quite capable and soon we were out of site of the facility winding our way around some cones and a muddy track. The guide seemed well pleased with his ducklings and yelled ‘right we can go a lot faster!” and we did.

What I thought was going to be a pedestrian drive through some well worn trails turned into a mad scramble up hills and down extremely steep tracks through mud and water all an exciting pace. You certainly could not go any faster safely.

The trip was punctuated with stops to see where Jurassic Park had been filmed, to visit the bunker used during Pearl Harbour and to sit in the foot prints made by dinosaurs. It is entertaining to see settings from the movies that you can identify with. There is a scene in Jurassic Park where the kids are hiding in a log and the dinosaur is trying to eat them, they then jump over it and run away. We saw that very same log and of course had to jump over it. The guide pointed out the valley where the Japanese Zeros in the movie Pearl Harbour are first seen by kids playing in a field. He showed us where the planes came from and where they went – in the movie they are on their way to Pearl Harbour but in fact they were going the wrong way, never let the truth get in the way of a good story!. We saw scenes from Lost, 50 first dates and a raft of other less well known movies.

As we ended our trip we had a wee bit of time left and the guide entertained us on a maze of tight twisting paths at speed, through bushes and mud and over hanging trees.

What looked like a nana trip around some rolling hills ended up a great Hawaiian experience; exciting, entertaining and even educational, a great way to spend a day out of the Hawaiian sun. The facility was amazing and I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants a break from the beach. n For more information go to Hawai‘i Tourism www.discoverhawaii.co.nz For more on the ranch go to http://www.kualoa.com/ Great place to stay NORTH SHORE CONDO AND HOME RENTALS www.hawaiidreamvacationrentals.com

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Available from leading Outdoor Retailers and Travel Medical Specialists Distributed in NZ

by Outfitters PH (0800) 021 732

www.adventuremagazine.co.nz// 95

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New Zealand adventure // Issue # 158 //feb-mar 2010

++ travel ISSUE: british columbia, australia, tahiti, tonga, hawaii, new zealand, afghanistan