Issue 45 by Canoe & Kayak

Trans Taupo Race Results

I S S U E

4 5

• Josh Neilson Kayaking in Thailand • Paddling Stewart Island • Coastbusters 2008 • Taranaki Yakity Yak Club hit Waihohonui & Ohineango Rivers

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Issue 45 Who says the West Coast is always rough? 6

Big Catch!

Tasmanian Fish Frenzy.

Nam tok te nae? - (Where is the waterfall?) 10

Taranaki Yakity Yak Club at Waihohonu & Ohinepango.

Wild Water and fragile craft - Canoeing in the fifties.

The seven dwarfs from North Shore and their guide -Kayaking in Samoa.

Lake Clearwater.

Colville to Waikawau - Coromandel.

Team work = Clockwork = Coastbusters 2008.

Aussie Adventure on Stewart Island.

Taranaki kayak Fishing Classic.

Products available .

Product release - Catch 390.

Trans Taupo Race Report.

Buyers Guide.

Trans Taupo Race Results.

Whakanewha - Rocky Bay - Waiheke.

Front cover photo: Ross Benton Photo by: Kim Batten

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Official Sponsor

Butcher, Baker, Candlestick maker. The list of things to organize for a large trip of 53 keen Yakity Yakers on a seven day Whanganui Trip starting 26th April seems endless. Moreover it needs to be carefully checked, as once we are on the river bank ‘what we have, will have to do’ Then there is the weather forecast. When it is rain on all days of the trip, B_____. So what do we do?

EDITOR: Peter Townend Ph: 0274 529 255 Fax [09] 421 0663 Email: pete@canoeandkayak.co.nz DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Canoe & Kayak Ltd

We continue as if the trip will happen; buying food; wrapping it in plastic bags and, where necessary, in dry bags; filling gas bottles and checking cookers; checking the wet weather gear, tarps, tents and personal rain gear. Several days of packing has produced a load weighing more than a ton completely filling a large ute. There’s no room for passengers!

6 Tavern Road,Silverdale

And we continue to watch the weather forecast.

Auckland Ph: [09] 421 0662 • Fax [09]421 0663 Email: James@canoeandkayak.co.nz

Closer to Saturday I ring the local operators to see what the river is doing and speak to weather guru Steve Knowles, remembering the occasions when adverse weather was forecast that we’ve cancelled trips. Then the weather system had moved more quickly or slowly than expected and we could have gone. Of course we want to be careful, safe and have fun. How do we know it will be all right to start? If the river is already high, extra rain will potentially make it unsafe, and tracks to camping sites will become more difficult. Wet conditions increase the chance of injury. Closer to starting, the forecast can be relied on to predict the amount of rain, direction and strength of the wind. These determine temperature, a critical safety consideration.

PUBLISHER: NZ Kayak Magazine is published four times per year by Canoe & Kayak Ltd. 6 Tavern Road, Silverdale, Auckland PRINTING: Geon Print

And who are we? Experienced paddlers can cope with conditions that novices should not experience.

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The final decision this year? If all was well when printing this magazine started we went on the river, there is a PS which means that I’ve got a ton of packed goodies on my hands. Remember, stay safe, think before you act, challenge yourself and have fun.

Payment to: Canoe and Kayak Ltd, 6 Tavern Road, Silverdale, Auckland Ph [09] 421 0662 • Fax [09] 421 0663

Peter Townend (Ed.) P.S. We had 3 days out of 7, then the rain drove us home.

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Who says the West Coast is always rough? by Vincent Rowe Here’s some of the shots I took along the way on a truly sublime wind free day between Piha and Whakaruro Bay (just south of Karekare) on Christmas Eve ‘07, when it was the calmest it had been all year - many said.

A closer look at the island off Mercer Bay (the island and beach are visible from the tracks at the end of Te Ahu Ahu Rd, Te Ahu Ahu Rd’s off to the left at the top of the Piha hill before going down to the beach) in almost glassy conditions.

This is what the other side of Panatahi Island looks like - this is the island off Whakaruro Bay (the next one south of Karekare),approx 20 metres high, which often has fur seals basking. Three of them were there and two casually checked me out while i checked them out (swimming within three feet of my kayak), however due to paddling and coordinating getting my hands dry and using the camera, only got a video clip of one of them in the water and a shot of another lazily rolling in front of me, which just appears as a swirly ripple .

Mercer Bay on the way back in better light, this is the beach which the recent Telstra Clear ad was shot at (everything went in by helicopter), in this shot it’s clearer why not a lot of people go down there - mainly just the locals know about how to get down to the beach ‘cos the track’s not listed on any maps, it must be dry for at least 4 days prior, to fully explore the caves and natural tunnels it must be a king low tide of at least 4.2 metres (ideally between 11.00 am and 5.00 pm), which only happens 2 or 3 times a year, it’s 820 vertical feet from the car park at the end of Te Ahu Ahu Rd down to the beach and it’s blinkin’ steep (four sections of rope for the not so sure footed)! Last year there were no suitable tides or days to fully explore there by foot.

Just south of The Gap at Piha, with the Tennis Courts on the right.

Parked at my favourite beach - Mercer Bay which is just north of Karekare on the west coast, although inaccessible from the land due to 500+ foot cliffs

One day I’ll get back out there when the high tide’s later in the day (it was 11.00 am when these were shot) and it’s calm like this, to get better shots of the cliffs and dozens of caves along this section of coast with sunshine on and in them.

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Tasmanian Fish Frenzy

by Jeff Sigafoos

Photographs by Vanessa A. Green Early on a December morning my wife, Vanessa, and I had come south from Hobart to kayak Cockle Creek, a gin-clear stream which flows into Recherché Bay on the eastern boundary of Tasmania’s vast Southwest National Park. The road ended and the wilderness began when our truck rumbled over the last rickety bridge. Eager to explore, I ignored its anguished creaking, though it bode ill for the return journey. Edging our kayaks into Cockle Creek, the rapidly rising tide jerked us into the main channel. Then the threatened dumping turned into a fast passage with little for us to do except steer. Rounding the first bend, 100 metres from the protesting bridge, and seemingly miles from civilization, three ducks ‘exploded’ from a calm bay. On the far bank black swans moved cautiously and something furry thumped up the near bank and vanished into the bush. Ten minutes later we spotted a cosy beach which would do nicely for a warm midday swim and lunch.

no salmon here. I let the little guy go and stopped trolling. The sun was high when we reached our beach; time to slap on SPF40, eat lunch and swim. Vanessa was bravely in first. “Invigorating!”She declared as she showed off her goose bumps. But we got to like it and lingered while the tidal flow reversed. While we dried, flotsam began speeding past, and we realized that we had to go to avoid stranding. Vanessa reached open water without incident, but I shared a sandbar with several hundred tiny reddish-orange crabs. I bounced up and down in my seat, pushing, struggling to get off before I was eaten, while Vanessa beached on the beautiful crescent of white sand of Recherché Bay’s northeast shore. Uninjured, but much put about and short of breath, I joined her. The view improved my temper. The wide bay, fringed with mountains, was calm despite a southerly breeze. We paddled towards a rocky point about a kilometre away, past the bronze statue of a Southern Right Whale. It is a memorial to whaling and sealing, once a substantial local industry which supported a hotel’s roaring trade until the1850s.Now in ruins the hotel is

There was no wind, the air was crisp and in spite of the swift current, the water appeared glassy. I began trolling for Eastern Australian Salmon, (Kahawai in New Zealand). Boat speed was ideal, the fly trailed nicely and the rod was secure but easily accessible under the deck bungee. In glorious weather I stared at the fly line looking for the slightest twitch, waiting for the big one to strike. “Any second now”……… “Any second now”. Nothing. Nothing at all. The creek broadened amidst open tussock and rushes, providing good cover for the ducks we had spooked, and the tidal flow had stopped. Paddling upstream into ever shallower water became increasingly arduous and bumpy. When we passed the remains of a bridge, six semi submerged pillars, we turned back. Then it happened, from a school of fish an epic battle between man and one 2 inch whitebait. It lasted 3 seconds. Since salmon eat whitebait it was good to know that their breakfast was to hand, but there were

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Landing an Australian Salmon.

visited by hikers on a coastal track. A couple, the only people we saw all day, waved to us across 20 metres of clear water which, back then, would have been red! We paddled on past numerous small bays, disturbing dozens of sting rays with our shadows. They took off in puffs of sand and, looking for more, I became mesmerized by the beauty of their undersea world. At 6.30pm we turned for home in something of a hurry. Driving at night amongst nocturnal marsupials would take me 4 or 5 hours to cover what, by day, takes 3. We sprinted for our beach, had a quick swim and while drying off I spotted a commotion 5 metres offshore.

“Did you see that?” Vanessa hadn’t. Then it happened again, a large school of whitebait under attack from a large school of salmon. I walked my kayak to the water and slipped in, not bothering with the spray skirt. Immediately the commotion was repeated 5 or 6 metres ahead. Fly rod ready, I cast behind me and with two or three paddle strokes headed into the whitebait school at a good clip. Paddle at rest, fly rod gripped, I hooked and released my first real fish of the day. The school moved to the right and I followed, hooked and released another salmon. Vanessa took over direction, pointing to my left. “Over there!”Stalk and drift worked very well. Most fish were pretty small; perhaps 300 grams, but some were half a kilo. When

Vanessa shouted, “It’s nearly 8”, I had caught and released 34 in 2 hours. No trophies but marvellous fun! We loaded the truck. Made it across the bridge and in gathering gloom I failed to see a wallaby on the edge of the gravel road. Fortunately it saw me. Now on red alert I rarely topped 40 kph, Vanessa looked left and I looked right. Wallabies were everywhere .They moved, but numerous possums refused to budge. We had to stop and chase them off the road. Proud to have inflicted no marsupial injuries it was close to midnight when we reached our drive. Recherché Bay at Cockle Creek is, I believe, Tasmania’s premier kayaking area. And on the right day the fishing isn’t bad.

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Nam tok te nae? (Where is the waterfall?)

by Josh Neilson

Sam Ward-Upper Sirithan Falls- photo by Will Clark

During 2007 I was lucky enough to represent NZ at the World Freestyle Kayaking Champs in Canada; kayak a number of the best runs in California; surf the waves on the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua; but most memorably join an expedition exploring an area of the world that kayakers had not really looked at, Northern Thailand. Sam, a friend I had met in Uganda, was expedition leader. He and his friend Will wanted a third member and emailed me. I had heard that Ben Brown, Steve Fisher and Eric Southwick, all world class kayakers, had made a two week, big budget trip to Thailand the year before, so I contacted them for data. They had done a lot of driving and walking, and finding places to put in and take out had been a real task. It didn’t sound too promising. But Ben sent me photos of their trip, including one of Fisher running Mae Pan falls, a 50 foot drop into a small pool below a spectacular 200 foot waterfall. That did it! The trip would be worth it if I only ran one of the waterfalls they had met. A quick check of the bank account and I was in. A month later, after a 12 hour flight I was sleeping on a bench at Bangkok airport for 14 hours, waiting for Sam and Will. We had a 14 hour train ride to Chiang Mai before I could rest properly in the accommodation Sam’s contact had arranged. The city was our base for the next 6 weeks. We spent a few days getting our bearings and a vehicle before our first trip, a warm up an hour to the north, paddling a rafting section on the Mae Taeng River. In the humid conditions, paddling through lush jungle and passing elephants bathing on the riverside, proved a real shock. Back at Chiang Mai, the guys were at the mall when I came across a website guide to Thailand’s hundreds of national parks. There were photographs of

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all attractions which, because the Thais are spiritual people and waterfalls are very important to them, included waterfalls! With this extra information we planned our journey. Once we were on the road rivers jumped out at us. On our way to find one waterfall we’d come across a few more. Main road signs in English directed us, but on side roads all signs were in Thai and we were lost. A friend in Chiang Mai had taught us a few words to help us out, including “Nam tok te nae?” meaning “Where is the waterfall?” They came in handy! Of all the difficulties I’ve experienced overseas, language, outside cities where many people speak a bit of English, is the hardest to get around. We managed with hand gestures and minimal Thai words, but on one occasion things could have gone very wrong. We were by the Tard Luang River in northeast Thailand. A guy approached, talking and and pointing upstream. All we understood was “Nam tok that way”. Excitedly we geared up and with our new friend tramped upstream further and further into the jungle, passing lots of cool slides and drops. We put in to run a very cool looking 40 foot slide drop. On our way out, still accompanied by our friend on the riverbank, we paddled some amazing drops till we came to a rapid which, at this flow, was unpaddlable. Portaging round it we first heard loud voices and after a while saw our friend talking with a guy dressed in camouflage and holding a gun. We stopped in our tracks. Peering into the jungle we saw more, and perhaps imagined other, camouflaged men. Were we allowed here? Ambush! Were we safe? We had heard of Thai guerilla kidnappings, and we were in the Golden Triangle, one of the largest drug smuggling areas in Asia. I walked towards the man with the gun. He had a very stern, straight face. Drawing closer, my heart thumped so I could no longer hear the waterfall. Men came out from the trees. Suddenly he broke out in big smiles, laughed, pointed

to the river and urged us to paddle this waterfall. I think our friend must have told the ‘soldiers’ what we were doing, but shocked at finding strangers on their patch with never-before-seen, possibly threatening, bright plastic kayaks, they hadn’t really believed him. They watched us paddle the drops. To take a photo one man gave me his gun to hold. After following us down river for a while, suddenly they were gone, back into their hills!

Will Clark Mae Klang River- photo by Sam Ward

This scary meeting could easily have ended our trip. Maybe we were lucky to have met a local who could explain what we were doing, maybe they were just hunting in the jungle, maybe……… Next we tackled a length of the Thai/Laos border from a small town in the high northeast, paddling south towards Mae Charim National Park Headquarters. The river had fast moving flat sections and big volume rapids, very different from the low volume creeks we had experienced so far. Water levels were very high and, since we reached our planned first night camp in only 2 hours, we went on to find another good spot before dark. To beat the extreme heat we were back on the water at 5.30 a.m continuing non-stop till the take out. We’d paddled 120 kms in just over 9 hours, at an average speed of 13kph. This ended our northeast trip. We returned to Chiang Mai and the following day drove to the Burmese border to renew our visas. We crossed, paid a fee and, because of political unrest in Rangoon, were hastily returned to Thailand with fresh visas – all within 5 minutes. We now went west, starting higher up the gorge of our first descent, found a whole new section and marked another never-run section for later paddling. Morale was high as we drove southwest towards the highest mountain in Thailand and ‘the waterfall’ which had caused me to join this expedition. When we heard it we ran through the jungle till the track opened out and we were standing below its two tiers. The top drop was about 200 feet and unpaddlable. It led into the 50 footer and our cleanest drop so far. One at a time Will and I hauled our kayaks to the top, then abseiled into the base of the 200 footer. First there, I scouted my entry to the 50 footer and rolled off the lip for the drop I’d been dreaming of. The landing was hard but I hit my line perfectly. When Will nailed his line too, we all paddled to a bridge before calling it a day. We had pad thai and cold beers at a small village. I was satisfied! Over the next days we paddled a new section of the Mae Klang River, and repeated a section that Ben Brown and his friends had paddled a year before. Then, in Chiang Mai for the last time, we rested, shopped, drank, ate wonderful Thai food and eventually took the train to Bangkok. It was in a Bangkok restaurant that we talked and talked about our amazing nine first descents, three virgin river sections, and many incredible runs that time or water flow had not allowed but which would attract a second expedition in 2008. We sketched the plan! Many thanks go out to the people who made this 2007 expedition possible – Pete Buick, Fon, Jason Younkin, Canoe and Kayak Ltd, Bliss-Stick Kayaks, Hydraulics, Keen Footwear and everyone in Thailand who understood “Nam tok te nae?” and sent us in the right direction to the falls.

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Sam on Upper Tard Luang behind Josh with new friends -Photo by Will Clark

Josh on Mae Sa waterfall -photo by Will Clark

Temple in Chiang Mai photo by Josh Neilson

Josh in the bush photo by Will Clark

Sam on upper tard luang josh with ne friends -photo Will Clark

Josh taking on the Mae Pan Falls Photo by Will Clark

Josh teaching a Thai lad to kayak Photo Will Clark

Josh on the Mae Sa River Photo by Will Clark Josh on the Mae Sa River waterfall - Photo by Will Clark

Josh Upper Tard Luang Photo by Will Clark

Wild Water and Fragile Craft Canoeing in the Fifties Written By Doug Phillips I like to share, with any member of the canoeing fraternity who shows the slightest interest, one of my few achievements. I am one of the earliest to paddle and raft white-water in New Zealand. Not the first by a long chalk, but in the fifties we were starting to explore the country’s wilder waters. Our knowledge was limited and our equipment rudimentary. But we had progressed from the ply and painted canvas of the forties and, the ultimate in danger, the corrugated iron canoe. This was cheap and fraught with hazards. You simply acquired a twelve foot length of corrugated iron, bent it up at both ends, tacked the iron to bow and stern posts, sealed it with tar, dug up if necessary from the roadway, jammed a wooden seat in and, if you were brave enough, set sail hoping you didn’t get swamped and sink to the bottom. Now, we relied on rubber dinghies bought from the air force. These were either no longer required, or faulty, or both. We bought paddles or made a substitute, a broom stick with two paint tin lids nailed on. You may not believe it but they were quite effective. The ultimate in marine technology was the collapsible canoe, a highly sophisticated craft consisting of heavy rubberized canvas skin, numerous dowel ribs and a heavy ply hinged floor plate. Kayaks in this country were unknown and nobody had thought of crash helmets. In fact we were so naïve that when we tipped out we swam head first, past head crunching rocks. An Easter holiday expedition down the Waikato was my first venture. We knew that dam building was numbering the Waikato’s days of canoe-ability, so when my friend Jack Storey invited me to join him on the Auckland Canoe Club’s expedition, I jumped at it. I was completely inexperienced, but no matter we were off on a huge adventure. We gathered in Auckland and took off in a Green-line Bus. This was a minimum comfort suburban bus but the ultimate in water-borne convenience. At the end of each day it met us at the riverside with warm dry clothes and sleeping bags. We didn’t run to tents, but most nights there was a shed or a meeting house to escape the rain. On other occasions we slept out and prayed for fine weather. Our prayers must have been answered since on two Easter expeditions we never got wet. First stop was the Hamilton pie cart where at eleven p.m. we met up with the tramping clubs and exchanged good humoured insults. We reached Taupo at three a.m. and after a few uncomfortable hours sleep we were at the lakeside assembling canoes and blowing up inflatable dinghies. We launched our craft and paddled to the mouth of the river. It was my first trip in a fourteen foot canoe and I was surprised how stable it was. But before the day was out it was nearly my last. We made a quick portage round the control gates and headed towards the Huka Falls. Somehow we had got to the front of the flotilla. Not intentionally I assure you. We were swept into a large pool where Jack, suspecting that we were close to the falls, wisely suggested we pull to the bank. And we were!! We were in the pool just above the chute. A few more dips of the paddles and we

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would irretrievably have been the first to attempt the falls. Not a prospect I like to contemplate. We had hardly drawn our canoe up the bank when down came an inflatable dinghy with an unsuspecting crew of two. “Come ashore” we shouted “You’re near the falls”. They paddled like mad men but to no avail. Their dinghy drew closer and closer to the first rapid. At last they gave up, leapt into the water and swam ashore while the dinghy sped into the chute. To our surprise it didn’t career over the falls but got pinned to the bank. The rest of the party gathered on the cliff above. With more bravado than common sense we tied a rope around a small member of the party who, as we lowered him, walked his way down the cliff ( I am glad it wasn’t me). With the dinghy safely on the bank we congratulated each other on a successful boat rescue, but I don’t think we thought how close we had been to an awful tragedy. On our next portage we edged our canoe down the cliff and through the bush to the huge pool below the falls where life jackets and paddles were floating, waiting to be retrieved. Since we had had little sleep and much excitement, the first day’s trip was short. We camped on a terrace above the Aratiatia rapid and after tea strolled along the cliff top to gaze on the awe inspiring rapids, speculating how to cope with the raging waters far below. “If you came out there by that rock then you would paddle over that way.” Thankfully none of us seriously contemplated chancing our arm. We all knew that trying to shoot the wild waters would be certain suicide. And brave as we were, no one was that stupid. Exhausted, we slept soundly, five of us on two lilos. I don’t remember how we fitted on them, but we did. Saturday was a long, long day. The first and the only wild water was the Fulljames rapid. Today, if you exclude Huka Falls which are occasionally run by experienced, intrepid kayakers, it is the only readily canoeable white water left on the Waikato. It was my first major rapid. There is a huge rock right in the middle and we were heading straight for it. “Help”,

I thought, “we can’t miss it “ But just as we expected a canvas tearing thud, the current swept us safely past. “Great.” I thought “That’s one lesson I’ve learnt. It’s not the big rocks you can see that you need to worry about, but the sneaky ones just below the surface.” That was the last real excitement for the day. The river became slow and sluggish as if it had lost its way and didn’t know where to go. Great meanders snaked backwards and forwards. Half mile curves gained only a hundred yards. We paddled and paddled. Our backs ached, the light was fading fast and we couldn’t see our destination. Maybe we had missed it in the gathering dark? But no! At last, there was a gleam of light and we spotted the dark shape of our faithful Green Line bus with many people. We had arrived at the local Marae and, to our embarrassment, were walking in on a Tangi for a 6 year old boy. Typically hospitable and generous Maoris welcomed us and we slept in a nearby meeting house. I may have been tired but wooden floors and minimal weight sleeping bags don’t make for uninterrupted sleep. On our next day we headed for Orakei Korako through a gorge which was reputed to have dramatic rapids. They weren’t dramatic but they were fun. While the scenery was beautiful there was better to come. We were looking forward to the famous Whakaheke rapids. And they were worth waiting for. About quarter of a mile below the Orakei Korako ferry, after flowing with increasing speed through native bush, the river turned dramatically into a maelstrom of broken water. It dropped eleven metres in less than a kilometre; the mighty Waikato at its turbulent best. We swiftly changed craft. With our limited ability we would have smashed our canoe and possibly drowned. Then in a rubber dinghy and a crew of four we were off, drawing closer and closer to the roar and peaks of white water below. Excitement mixed with a little apprehension. We paddled to the lip of the first fall. We were going. This was it! But no, the current whipped us back up stream.

“Paddle boys we’ll go over this time” but the water gods had us in their grip, playing with us. Round we went again past pendulous ferns dipping their heads in the steely cold water. “Now let’s go.” And go we went. With a swoop and a thud we were in the grip of waves of white water. “Paddle this way!” “No, into the rough!” We were having the ride of our lives. All too soon we were through. “Wow! How about that? Wasn’t that the best? Did you see the waves we came through? Great really great!” As we dragged our dinghy ashore we laughed and shouted with sheer exuberance and not a little relief. We had made it. Knowing the danger, knowing the hazards, we had plunged through the waves and over the barely hidden rocks and we had made it “Wow!” Well that was the climax of our Easter river trip. Apart from a perfunctory explore of the thermal area we had done what we set out to do. We had aquired canoes so transport across the river was no problem. I don’t know if we paid the owners but I hope we were honest and paid our dues. Now it was back to the relative hum drum of life on the farm after an adventure we would never forget. Fifty years later my blood runs faster just recalling our days on the river. But once wasn’t enough. I’ll share another adventure with you next issue.

Watch for Doug’s tales in the next couple of issues. It was pioneers like him who built this great country. The ‘can do’ attitude that at times was risky, but can be looked at with respect and a little humour.

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LAKE CLEARWATER

By George Lockyer

Lake Clearwater from the hills

Road to Clearwater

Annie discovers the real use of a bilge pump!

We are lucky to live in New Zealand. I mean, here we are on an Easter weekend, surrounded by mountains, paddling to a small, well treed island in this picture postcard lake. Mountain bikers are cycling the clearly defined, 10 km long, 4 wheel drive track which runs round the lake. There’s an angler over there fishing for rainbow trout, and a couple are getting their wind surfers ready, otherwise my children Annie (aged 13) and Fergus (aged 10) and I have the lake to ourselves. We round the island, Annie paddling her ‘Dancer’ ahead of me while I’m in my trusty Q Kayak’s ‘Tui’, and land on a shingle beach to swap boats. Annie wants a first time go using a rudder. At the camp site on the far shore of the lake she soaks me with my bilge pump and runs off to find her little brother who wants a turn at paddling. The lake is choppy in a southerly. It is very shallow, only a couple of metres at its deepest, and therefore not as cold as deeper snow fed lakes. But we don’t try swimming. You might care to try it. I’m told it won’t give you a coronary! After lunch we turned for home. Lakes Clearwater and Camp sandwich a remote settlement of 180 batches which, in the absence of mains electricity, have tiny wind turbines and solar panels. Powered craft are able to use Lake Camp, but Clearwater is free of them and perfect for kids and beginners learning to sail, windsurf or kayak. The camping site has toilets and costs $4 per tent per night (pay the honesty box). A word to the wise, you need to bring your own water if you can’t be bothered to boil the lake’s! New Zealand is chock full of small lakes like Clearwater, little gems waiting for you.

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Award Scheme The NZKI Award Scheme was formed in response to a growing need in the Kayaking Industry to have more people with Kayaking qualifications, to encourage more kayakers towards expanding their skills and knowledge and to continue to increase the safety of our sport. The NZKI Award Scheme is structured around the assessment of skills and knowledge that are required for the type of activity to be undertaken by the Instructor or Guide. A star is awarded for each level achieved, starting off with the NZKI One Star for personal paddling skills and knowledge and moving up to the NZKI Five Star for an Assessor. For more information phone 0508 5292569

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ACADIA 280

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Length: 283cm Width: 68cm Weight: 17kg Max Load: 150kg

Length: 400cm Width: 76cm Weight: 24kg Max Load: 170kg

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SWING 470

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Length: 470cm Width: 83cm Weight: 34kg Max Load: 270kg

Model also available without a rudder

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Length: 470cm Width: 83cm Weight: 34kg Max Load: 300kg

Colville to Waikawau – Coromandel by Leighton Stokes

Sarah enjoying the sun. Square Top Island and Great Barrier in the distance

I currently study at A.U.T, for a Diploma in Outdoor Recreation and Leadership. As part of my course this coming semester, I have been kayaking, improving skills and just having a great time. One of the trips I organized was a ‘circumnavigation’ of the Coromandel Peninsula. I had intended to start at Coromandel Town and finish at Matarangi, but with only four days available this was not possible. The Colville Bay Motor Lodge became base camp and departure point for Johnny, Josie, Sarah and me. Mark and Wendy, owners of the lodge, offered to be our shuttle taxi service to and from Waikawau Bay. This was a huge help and greatly appreciated. Moreover, at only $8pp

The wind blowing 20 knots.

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for a tent site, it was a bargain. The first day’s forecast was a 20 knot southwesterly with a sizeable easterly swell. Starting our 27 kilometre journey on the western side of the peninsula we thought the swell would not trouble us. We paddled out of Colville Bay with the wind on our port quarter, helping us heaps. The wildlife around these parts is incredible. No matter the size of the swell Sooty Shearwaters, flying at one with the ocean, rose and fell, always a foot above the sea; and there were Gannets, plenty of Terns and quite a few Blue Penguins. The wind was increasing. At Channel Island it was averaging 36kn, and the swell had picked up to 1.5m. Occasionally, scary 2 metre waves broke over our fully laden kayaks. As we pulled into Port Jackson for the night we were battered by catabatic winds gusting up to 40kn.

Spectacluar sunrise on the last day of the trip..

We had taken just under 6 hours including an hour for lunch. For our second day the sky was blue, wind averaging 6kn, swell easing. We set off at 10am to paddle 15km . The water was calm, clear and warm. At the Pinnacles, a pod of dolphins joined us but, scared off by boats launching from nearby Fletcher Bay, they weren’t playful. We had a quick lunch and went snorkelling with teeming marine life in crystal clear water. Towards our final campsite on the eastern coast, reefs tested our surfing skills. Thankfully, even in the odd freak swell, I managed to stay upright. On our final day we were on the water at 6 a.m. paddling out of Port Charles enjoying one of the most beautiful sunrises I had seen. The photos just do not do it justice. A bigger easterly swell, close to the cliffs, passed under us from the left, hit the cliffs and came back from the other direction making the sea a tad confused! Helped by a light breakfast we got through with only minor upset tummies. The sea was calmer round the corner and we had a snack before moving on to Waikawau Bay. Much of its 3km white sandy beach is exposed, so our final act was landing in surf. I caught a nice wave. ‘Awesome, I aced it!’ Then I broached! A pathetic attempt at a low brace gave me no support and I rolled into the white water. We were back in Auckland at 4 p.m. Big thanks to the great hospitality from Wendy and Mark at Colville Bay Motor Lodge. I recommend them to everyone.

Camp at Port Jackson. Channel Island and Great Barrier in the distance.

Johnny playing amongst the rocks.

The Pinnacles, our half way point of the trip!

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Own your neighbourhood kayak centre. Apply now to reserve your area for one month.

JOIN THE TEAM New Canoe & Kayak Centres available.

Control your own destiny. Choose the Lifestyle.

Enquire now! Phone: 0274 529 255 Email: pete@canoeandkayak.co.nz

Peter Townend Managing Director, Canoe & Kayak Ltd and I’ll be glad to have a chat . All approaches will be dealt with in confidence.

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TEAMWORK = CLOCKWORK = COASTBUSTERS 2008 By Ruth E. Henderson

Deb Volturno (Tsunami Ranger) being stern deck carried by a ‘blind man’

Fluoro jacketed Guy Folster behind a barricade of traffic cones, pointed out where to park, and where to register. Following the crowd into the Milford School hall, folk were met by Natasha Romoff and her team, and given a name tag with an all important pod number on it. The bubble of energy and sound rose and rose, then paused silent as Paul Hayward, Chairman turned on the mike and welcomed all 200 of us to the 12th Coastbusters. He introduced the Captain of the Tsunami Rangers, Jim Kakuk and his Lt. Commander Deb Volturno. Jeff Wright, the “Red Team’s” technology whiz, tweaked the sound and boom, smack, wallop, fasten your seat belts …hold your breath - the show began. Watching the Tsunami Rangers slides was like being in one of those surround sound IMAX theatres where you feel as though you are actually part of the ‘ride’. The stage and pace was set for the weekend. The next day Mark Jones of Adventure Philosophy set the theme for the weekend. He urged us to leave the zone of “Know what you know” and “Know what you don’t know” and go into the zone of “Don’t know, what you don’t know”; to push the boundaries by doing longer trips in more severe and different environments; to go from ‘driving’ a Toyota to a Ferrari, to being creative like Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes and Transmogrifying. A time machine would have been handy as Saturday was always going to be a day of hard choices – wanting to be in two places when four “streams” of workshops or talks were happening. How to choose between Biff Fredricksen’s “Europe – why go?”, Graeme White and Margie Old’s “Paddle Fitness & Injury Prevention”, “Advanced Trip Planning” with John Kirk-Anderson, or a workshop on “Sails” run by Kevin Dunsford & Kevin Killilea. Biff won me, cruising down the Danube or Rhine with a chance to stop and explore village markets, castles or cathedrals. Meanwhile the “Thoughtful Food” company were lining up cups, and cakes… and the “Invisible Team” Natasha Romoff and Sue Levett were changing rubbish bags in the toilets... Choosing was a little easier for the next session as I knew I could hear Paul Caffyn talk about his latest trip to Greenland at the KASK Forum at Ohope, and had learnt a bit from Wade of Quality Kayaks about repair and maintenance last time. But I still had to toss up between Bryan Tourell’s “Trip Planning – Basics” and an update from DoC. I’m glad I went to the DoC one –as they want

Madness and Mayhem

All hands on deck!

us to have a say about the places we value. You can too – see www.doc.govt.nz. Click on “getting involved”, “consultations” and “current”. To participate in the review of their “Conservation Management Strategy” in Northland go to www.doc.govt.nz/northlandcmsreview Mike Scanlan’s “Kayak Fishing Workshop” won hands down for me over the Yoga session with Michelle Smith, the “Safety at Sea” session with Sue Tucker and Jim Dilley, and a recap of the Kayak for Cancer epic trip to Cape Reinga by Guy Folster and Chris Dench – only because I had done/heard/been there before, whereas soft-bait fishing was new. Mike had dragged along his kayak and kit providing a great hands on approach, in tandem with an informative Power Point and detailed notes. Adherers should not fail to catch fish. Before lunch the duo act of John Kirk-Anderson and Stephen Councel used humour to illustrate the serious and sobering business of drowning – and how to plan NOT to. Think AC/DC. A = Avoidance (e.g. check the weather, use a map) C = Cope (use your paddle skills) D = Dealing with it (e.g. use your paddle float do a self-rescue) and C =Call for help (e.g. use your VHF or cellphone in a drybag). Once again the food fairies delivered, Christine Watson quietly in the background, Ross Brunton tying up rubbish bags, Charlie Barker re arranging chairs… all we had to do was eat and try not to talk with our mouths full! I didn’t have a choice about which after lunch workshop to attend as I was delivering “How to create pictures vs. taking snapshots”, but it would have been a toss up between Hugo Meares’s talk on paddling in Patagonia and Erica Law’s one on the Southland Fiords. For the strong hearted there was more from the Tsunami Rangers. The hardest choice was between – Gabriela de Tezanos Pinto’s NZ Marine Mammals , Chris Dench humorous look at “Gear and Gadgets”, “Food And Foraging” with Jacqui Tyrrell and Greg Dunning or to do another session with Biff looking at the nuts and bolts of canoe-wandering in Europe. By a narrow margin, the ‘Foodies’ won. I was staying with the Dunnings and they had been talking in code over breakfast… I was dying to find out what the

“Green Things” were that Juliet had to bring along and well, Greg’s chowder is legendary; I wanted the recipe. Interspersed between the cups of tea and workshops, we had Pod meetings to plan our approach and tactics for the Kayak Games on Lake Pupuke. After smoko it was all on. The participants got very wet; we supporters and spectators got a load of laughs. Richard Saysell, Gary Sheeran and Peter Beadle had developed some interesting sports. There was madness and mayhem out there. You’d have thought the imaginative Calvin and energetic Hobbes were up to their flights of fantasy. There were variations of stern deck rescues, bow held towing, swimming with a paddle, paddling sideways, paddling on a compass bearing ‘blindfolded’ by a bucket on ones head…. The main thing was we all had fun, and got to know each other before the serious stuff on Sunday. But the day hadn’t finished – after a sumptuous dinner, Sandy Robson who set off in 2007 to follow in Paul Caffyn’s paddle strokes around Australia, gave an account of her journey. Like Mark Jones, she too encouraged us to embrace new challenges and live our dreams. There wasn’t much time for sleeping or dreaming – as we had to leave Auckland by 7 am to get to Sullivan’s Bay and on the beach for an 8.15am pod gathering and briefing. Trundling along SH1 there was a procession of cars laden with kayaks, plus I spied Dai and Anneke Williams taking their BBQ (one of three) for a ride. With 24 pods of 8 things had to be efficient and well planned. Fortunately we had logistics expert Neil Watson as Pod Chief with Ross Brunton his 2IC. Kevin Dunsford was responsible for a Risk Management Plan; emergencies were ‘covered’ with Mike Scanlan arranging delivery of a rescue boat, Peter Lory as its Captain. (The only emergency I was aware of was when Treasurer Dai Williams and Capt. Lory were scooting about locating pod leader Charlie Barker,to find missing tent poles that Charlie was responsible for. The beach was a colourful but organised sight; pods duly checked each other’s safety gear, and then set off for about four hours of exercises. Towing systems,

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Sullivan’s Bay

BBQ cooks Ian Henderson, Paul Caffyn

Spectators at the Kayak Games

Neil Thompson demonstrates and assisted rescue assisted rescues, paddling techniques, emergency overnight stopovers, compass bearings and estimating travel time scenarios were all played out, rafting up from time to time to discuss these issues or lessons learnt. All in all a very well executed morning and the perfect site. With nearly 200 people on the water, it was surprising that once we left the beach we were hardly aware of the others. Lynnis Burton, Paul Herbert sort themselves out

Back at base was the welcoming sight of a food marquee and the wet weather precaution of a couple of tents. Food supervisor Christine Watson had it all under control: 450 sausages had been ably sizzled by chief BBQ chef Ian Henderson assisted by Paul Caffyn and Stephen Law, whilst Helen Lory, Leslie Saysell, and Alison Sheeran had chopped and sliced up boxes of tomatoes and cucumber, and buttered bread ready to feed the masses. There was also bottled water from Waiwera, and lovely fresh apples. As evidenced over the whole weekend, many hands made light work…and many paddlers appreciated and scoffed the lot. After that no one was too keen to move… people chatted, loath to have another Coastbusters finish. For fifty folk, it didn’t – they paddled or drove around the corner to Martins Bay for the inaugural International Kayak Week. But that is another story. PS The green things were water cress fresh and pureed. PPS to find out more try these websites; www.coastbusters.org.nz www.adventurephilosophy.com www.tsuamirangers.com

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Andy with his 12kg Kingie.

Big Catch!

by Andy Bangs

Dawn on Good Friday was a morning all keen fishermen dream of. No wind and barely a cloud to be seen. The swell forecast was less than 1 metre, great news for a novice kayak fisher with dubious skill in the surf. The Fish n Dive went onto the roof rack, 8kg soft bait rig and net in the boot and I was off to Motiti Rd, Papamoa. High tide was around 7am. I had been doing well on the snapper during the last couple of hours of the outgoing tide so I was keen to see if the fishing was as good for the incoming up to high tide. At the beach in the half light of dawn I set up the Cobra, dragged it into flat calm water, paddled for 500 metres and looked for the current lines which promise good fishing. Lacking a sounder I guessed where to drop the first Berkley Gulp/Pink Shine soft bait to check the depth. Before I could decide if I needed to paddle further a 1.5 kg snapper took the bait. I dispatched it and the bait went down a second time. Same result, another hard fighting pannie in the bag. Yeeha this was looking promising! Third drop, nothing. I moved to deeper water about 1 km from the beach as the sun rose and counted 12 other kayaks. Popular pastime! In a good patch of current I dropped the same bait. WHAM! A solid hook-up. The rod bent and 8kg braid peeled off the screaming reel. By crikey a rather large snapper to join the other two in the bag. But the run continued and all the 100 metres of braid disappeared. I was down to the mono backing. “This ain’t a snapper. Hope it’s not a shark!” 30 minutes later I glimpsed colour then a rapidly pumping large yellow tail powering a kingie back to the depths. For 20 minutes this awesome fish towed me around the ocean until, at last. it was beside the kayak. Lacking a gaff I got about one third of the kingie head-first into my snapper net, put the rod in the holder, grabbed its tail and hauled it in. I was rapt! I have caught kingies in a boat before, some bigger than this, but this was my first in a kayak.I weighed it at home: 12kg or 26lb. Funny how you think they will weigh more! Now I’m looking forward to good snapper fishing before winter kicks in. Roll on spring!!

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Peter van Lith on the last couple of drops on the Ohinepango Stream. Stream

Taranaki Yakity Yak Club trip on the Waihohonu and Ohinepango. Central North Island, crystal clear spring fed rivers with narrow gorge sections and beautiful scenery on the Eastern side of Mt Ngauruhoe. photo’s by Kim Batten

Lester Kelly in his Super Rad enjoying the extra challenge a low volume boat gives.

Ross Benton looking cool and calm, must be the glasses glasses.

THE SEVEN DWARFS FROM NORTH SHORE - AND THEIR GUIDE - KAYAKING IN SAMOA There once was a young girl from Hull At no point was there ever a lull With a trip name of Fuzzy The Samoans called her their ‘Cuzzy’ And she flew the whole time like a gull. Orgie came with a unique kind of laugh A bit like a half strangled calf But his own special turf Was out in the surf And as a planner times two and a half. Our guide was a guy known as Morty He was long and tall and haughty ‘Go there, come here’ he cried We paddled, we turned and we tried We hit a few rocks and were naughty.

We all loved the girl they called Sleepy It was a worry when she went all weepy She paddled so hard Her arms were like lard And she used language that was known as ‘bleepy’. There was an old fella called Dopey Whose trip name should have been Gropey His hands they would roam He’d always come home We think he will always be hopey. We all heard the blonde jokes from hell They suited our girl very well She was our Blondie Who waved a gold wandie And said ‘what is my future, pray tell’.

Rowdy had the banter and chat She knew she would never get fat Her smile was a killer Her dancing a thriller And she stayed as sleek as a cat. It was hot in Samoa they say Rocky aimed to go all the way He tried and he tried She fought and she cried And they stayed friends at the end of the day. A Good Trip from Richard & Leslye Saysell, Andrea Pichler, Jane Wheater, Nick Webb, Sue & Ian Gunthorp (not in trip name order).

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TRANS sea-kayak outrigger surf-ski

Trans Taupo – 3 join sub 4 hour club Three craft and their six paddlers became the first to join the Trans Taupo exclusive ‘Sub 4 hour club’ in the inaugural event on the weekend. After a flood of late entries, 77 craft of various types took to the water with exactly 100 paddlers/rowers on board for the first race of its kind across of pure crystal mountain fed waters of Lake Taupo (New Zealand’s and Australasia’s largest freshwater lake). The day could not have dawned better as the early morning mist cleared. Paddlers/rowers congregated in mass on the tranquil waters of Tokannu Bay. Variable 10 knot winds were forecast (assuring paddlers would get a bit of everything) with a predicted high of 19 degrees, the same temperature as the water. The scene was perfect for the battle of human powered craft and a crack at breaking into the sub 4 hour club. The mass start always had spectacle written all over it and it did not disappoint those amongst it and those watching from the shore. For the first time in the known history of open water racing, surf ski paddlers, sea kayakers, waka ama kaihoe (outrigger paddlers) and ocean rowers lined up side by side fellow sportsmen/women eagerly awaiting the start of NZ’s newest and longest open water race. Craft set off on the Trans Taupo voyage at 8:05am on Saturday 12th April 2008 to the cheers of watching friends, family and supporters. With Lake Taupo ¾ of a metre lower than normal after a cracker summer, paddlers/rowers raced for a good line down the centre of the marker poles and out into the larger Waihi Bay at the southern end of Lake Taupo. It was

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surf ski paddlers who immediately set the early lead, paddling over the shelf into deep water of the bay and heading around the Tongariro River delta. In amongst the lead group were race favorite and arguably in form NZ’s no# 2 surf ski paddler Simon McLarin (Auck), ex-top multisporter Tim Grammer (Auck), past world down river team’s race champion Aaron Cox (Wanganui), and Simon Greenwood (Auck). They were soon joined by the force of the Wanganui River Scullers quad ocean rower (of Lance, Murray, Tony and Pat) who starting conservatively had powered to the fore once out in the open water. Not far back in a second bunch was NZ’s World Ranked Number#1 Female Surf Ski paddler Katie Pocock (Auck) and with her the leading Double Sea Kayak men’s pairing of Dave Rudge and Jerome Sheppard from Wellington. Passing Check Point 1 (CP1) and refuelling point at the mouth of the Tauranga-Taupo River, the Wanganui River Scullers had managed to break clear of the surf ski paddlers with the exception of Simon McLarin who, sitting on their wash would just not let them go. Feeling a little guilt he dropped back momentarily to the chasing ski paddlers to urge them to come up with him to the lead quad rower, before he made the jump back up onto their wash alone. Through CP2 (and the team transition point) at the northern end of Mission Bay and 16.8kms gone into the crossing, little had changed, with the Whanganui Ocean Rower with Simon McLarin in tow leading the way. A few hundred metres back from them was the surf ski trio of Tim Grammer, Simon Greenwood and Aaron Cox. And the same distance back again was a bunch of surf ski and sea kayakers including leading woman Katie Pocock. After a flat calm journey across the lake, the leaders then rounded Motutere Point and began the leg up to Hatepe Point into a light head breeze. This leg, although closest to the shoreline, proved to be the competitors toughest as the breeze strengthened a little as the day began to heat up. Passing CP3 (the last checkpoint and refuelling opportunity) at Hatepe Point, and with the largest most exposed leg of roughly 20km into Taupo to go, Simon McLarin decided he would take on the Wanganui River Scullers in an all out drag to the finish. Over 5km’s out in Lake Taupo off, Te Kohaiakahu Point, Simon Mclarin took advantage of the gathering variable winds and lumpy lake conditions to take the lead and edge ahead of the Quad. But the rowers refused to give an inch and the battle pursued. First to beach their craft in front of the Taupo Yacht Club and run 20 metres up to the finish to take out the inaugural Trans Taupo challenge in impressive fashion was 46yr old individual surf ski paddler Simon McLarin in the now race record of 3hrs 45min 49 sec. Just 1 min 46secs back in 2nd

was the quad ocean rowing team the Wanganui River Scullers. Fighting hard all the way and doing his best to reel them in was Tim Grammer a mere 37 seconds further adrift. All three craft (6 paddlers/rowers) became the first to join the illustrious Trans Taupo ‘Sub 4hr Club’. In an impressive show of paddling strength and fitness, Katie Pocock beached her surf ski and raced ashore to be a notable fourth overall across the line, merely 23 seconds outside the 4 hr mark and missing joining the Sub 4 Club with the lads. With unfinished business, she’ll no doubt be back to etch her name in the club’s lifetime members book next year. Fifth over the line and first double sea kayak was the men’s pairing of Dave Rudge and Jerome Sheppard (Well), just 41 second outside adding their names to the Sub 4 hr Club. The winning male single sea Kayaker was Rick Martin (Hastings) in 4hrs 22min 47 sec in 17th place overall, and Rowina Hayes (Taupo) took line honours in the women’s single sea Kayak in front of her home town crowd, 53rd overall. Bryce Irving (Tauranga) edged out Tonga White (Ngaruawahia) by 2mins 12 sec to take the single men’s waka ama title, coming in in 14th place overall. Best amongst the men’s single ocean rowers was Craig Smith (Hunterville) in 27th spot, and just 11 min 1 sec back keeping him honest in 30th overall

was Tracy Moorehouse (Wanganui) 1st female single ocean rower. The Team Tasman crew of Gordon, Steven, Simon and Scott muscled their purpose built Bridge to Bridge Tasman Sea crossing boat across the lake in nothing short of what was a spectacular sight, finishing mid-field in 40th position. The all women’s double sea kayak was won by Auckland’s Julie Hopkins and Prue Fry (41st overall to finish) and the mixed doubles sea kayak title was won by Christine Couldrey and Paul Dutton (Raglan) in 4 hrs 8 min 23 sec, 13th overall. Finally Christian Liebergreen (an overseas tourist) and team mate Stu Golding convincingly took out the single sea kayak relay combination, joining forces at the last minute and each competing half of the journey across the lake with great combined success. The Trans Taupo will be back in March 2009, which is pleasing news all who competed in or watched the inaugural event and are speaking of their return next year. If you’re keen to join them, be sure to get your entry in early for year 2. Many thanks are extended to all the Event Sponsors who got behind the event when its success was an unknown. Further gratitude goes out to the Tuwheretoa, Harbour Master, local Coastguard and Regional Council, plus friends and family for their tremendous support in getting the event up and going, and making it such as great success.

Photos courtesy of www.photochick.co.nz

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2008 Trans Taupo Final Race Results SINGLE SURF SKI FULL COURSE MEN PL

First Name(s)

Surname(s)

FROM

Simon

McLarin

Auckland