Offsite issue 8

ISSUE 8 AUGUST/SEPT 2018

WORK HARD, HARD! WORK HARD, PLAYPLAY HARD! WIN OA A PA IR SUN KLEOF GL Y PG ASSES

21

SNOW TIME HIT THE SLOPES! PG 14

TORREN HICKLING LIVING...

PG 10

s

THE GOOD LIFE!

INSIDE

MOTU TRAILS

BY MOUNTAIN BIKE PG 4 WINTER DIVING TURNS IT ON PG 18

RHEEM: FREE RANGE HUNTING PG8

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WORK HARD, PLAY HARD! WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!

Great Barrier

SNAPPER EMBRACE WINTER! SNOOPING W

WELCOME TO EDITION EIGHT OF RHEEM OFF-SITE

CONTENTS 04

BIKING THE PAHIKI TRACK

08

FREE-RANGE HUNTING AT ITS FINEST

10

TORREN HICKLING ENJOYS THE GOOD LIFE

14

SNOW TIME – HIT THE SLOPES!

18

GET INTO WINTER DIVING

21

OAKLEY WINNERS AND WIN WITH OAKLEY

hen you plunge your hand into the sea and it feels warm, even though you know it is as cold as it ever gets, the air temperature outside must be really cold!

June saw some record low temperatures around the country, but also some fine, sunny days where it was a pleasure to be outside.

Fortunately, winter has plenty attractions for those of us who love taking our recreation in the outdoors and we feature some of those in this edition of Rheem Off-site.

This season is shaping up to be a cracker for snow sports enthusiasts with plenty of snow for the ski fields of both islands. Starting on page 14, Grant Blair discusses the relative merits of skis and snowboards, while also taking a look at gear selection and hiring versus owning.

Malcolm Dawson is a keen mountain biker who hits the trails year round. He explores Pahiki Track, part of the Motu Trails complex, thoroughly enjoying the ride. See page 4.

The water might be cold, but that doesn’t deter a keen surfer like Torren Hickling, the subject of our Tradie Profile this issue. He’s out whenever he can and actually welcomes a stormy day.

Nor does it deter champion spear-fisher Darren Shields.

The diving can be spectacular and the cold isn’t a problem if you have the right gear, writes Darren, starting on page 18.

So don’t let the cold get to you. Get outside and enjoy the opportunities winter brings, because spring is just around the corner.

JOHN EICHELSHEIM, EDITOR

Off-Site is published bi-monthly by NZ Fishing Media Ltd. Offices are located at 177B Marua Road, Ellerslie, Auckland, Ph (09) 579 4060.

MANAGING DIRECTOR Grant Blair MANAGING EDITOR Grant Dixon OFF-SITE EDITOR John Eichelsheim DESIGNER Debra Tunnicliffe OPERATIONS MANAGER Sarah Ng EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES John Eichelsheim 021 775 789 johneichelsheim@gmail.com ADVERTISING MANAGER & ENQUIRIES Scott Taylor 021 862 579 sales@nzfishingnews.co.nz Advertising within this publication is subject to NZ Fishing Media Ltd’s standard advertising terms and conditions, a copy of which is available online at www.fishing.net.nz or by calling (09) 579 4060 Cover photo: courtesy of Grant Blair.

offsitenz 3

Off-Site Feature Bik in g tra ils

a I got into biking ites r few years ago, w , Malcom Dawson s more as a fitnes ing h thing than anyt e r else. Friends we I riding a bit and t’s thought, hell, le give it a go.

I

am not really the gym sort of person: I don’t like running and finding the time for team sports can be an issue with all the travel I do for work, so riding it was.

Like most sports, cycling has evolved.

Whether your gig is skiing, fishing, golf or motorsports, it always seems to start close to home with one bit of equipment and then you catch the bug and the journey begins. My evolution grew into mountain biking and exploring wilderness trails.

One of the great things about mountain biking is that there are so many good rides to discover – every district seems to have a booklet, Information Centre, or just visit Doctor Google. We are spoiled for choice.

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I had some business in Gisborne, so what could be better than to leave early, grab a mate and go on an adventure. After a bit of research and some phone calls to accommodation and information centres, we were off to Opotiki to ride the Pahiki track, one of the Motu Trails network of mountain bike tracks.

Saturday night at the Irish pub in Opotiki on St Patrick's Day was not what I expected, but it was entertaining to say the least. We had a quick, wellpriced and good quality meal before trying to find our accommodation about 20km out of town up a hidden valley called the Bushaven on the edge of the Te Waiti Stream.

Transport for the ride was provided by a shuttle ride through Waioeka Gorge to Matawai, then a short drive to Motu. We chose to get out there and let the other group continue by shuttle to the start of the track.

A quick coffee in the coolest little café at Motu, a conversation with the café’s host about shooting pests and some local history was just part of the great hospitality. The cafe even has its own certified Kiwi enclosure out the back. We could have spent hours at this location, as I think we were the only customers for the day, but we had to head off.

Some mountain bikers want to do the big downhills, some are hill climbers and some are trail riders.

I haven’t decided what I am yet. The Pahiki Track is 25km of solid downhill, but we wanted to get a bit more out if it, so we elected to ride 8km mainly uphill on an easy gravel road up to where the track started.

The Pahiki Track starts at the top of the Onukuroa

LEFT Malcolm Dawson takes a break on Motu Trails Pahiki Track.

road

Pahiki Track offsitenz 5

road

sizable slips. The track maintenance crews had done an excellent job cutting new tracks, although for safety these were best walked across, not ridden. The ruts and wash-outs just made the trip even better, as we looked down 100-metre rock slips to the river below.

The latter part of the ride was a gentle doddle along the Pakihi Stream, where I missed having my polarised glasses, as I am sure the river was loaded with trout. I will bring my fly rod with me next time for sure.The trail ends as you ride past some cool swing-bridges and Barry Crump’s old house. After that it is an easy ride back to Bushaven through rolling farmlands where we had the opportunity to shower and change.

I wish I could have spent another night and explored some of the trout fishing, but we had to head to Gisborne for work and then prepare for another ride in the Whirinaki Forest in a couple of days’ time.

There are many North Island trail rides available, but this is one of the best. It is easy to organise via www.motutrails.co.nz or Opotiki Information Centre.

The track is a graded ‘advanced,’ but I would suggest that the rating is over cautious. In my opinion it is a grade 2 or 3, mainly downhill, making it a good ride for all ages and abilities. Just a moderate degree of fitness is required.

Hill. The ride starts in dense bush with a gentle descent around the edges of some awesome rugged North Island rain forest. DOC maintains the track well: it is about two metres wide and provides an all-weather, all-year ride. There are a few steep drop-offs to the side of the track, so caution is required, but that just adds to the adventure.

We built the pace up and started to smash out some kays, forgetting that the track might be used as a two-way track. Hell, we thought, who would be walking up this hill anyway? Common sense kicked in after a while and we reduced our descent to a reasonable pace while taking in the breath-taking scenery and marvelling at the fact that early settlers walked this track over 100 years ago.

After a about two hours we stopped for a bite to eat at a Pahiki Doc hut about halfway along the track.

There we met other riders who had been riding at a more moderate pace and were having a more civilised lunch break. A couple of pictures were taken and then we were off again.

In the weeks prior to our ride heavy rains had scoured out sections of the track and created some

y k c o R 6 s Rheem Off-site

LEFT Next time I'll bring my fly rod and try a bit of trout fishing.

BELOW LEFT The ride starts in the bush where the track is well maintained.

RIGHT In places we had to contend with washouts and slips, but maintenance crews had done an excellent job of cutting new tracks.

SOME MOUN TA WANT TO DO IN BIKERS T DOWNHILLS, HE BIG S CLIMBERS AN OME ARE HILL D TRAIL RIDER SOME ARE S. DECIDED WH I HAVEN’T AT I AM YET.

Our Motu Trails Pahiki Track adventure took a full day door to door, of which only three hours 45 minutes was riding time, for a total trail distance of 58km. The shuttle, café and the views took the rest of the time.

If you ride this trail, I hope you have as good an experience as we did. We loved it. Hell, we live in a beautiful country, blessed with so much to do and so little time. There are plenty more great rides I have yet to do, but I will get to them one by one. A day in the saddle in the wilderness – it doesn’t get much better!

Enjoy the ride.

CONTACT: WWW.MOTUTRAILS.CO.NZ OR OPOTIKI INFORMATION CENTRE.

offsitenz 7

FREE-RANGE HUNTING AT ITS FINEST Occasionally a trip comes along which sets new benchmarks; where achieving “firsts” takes on a whole new meaning.

It all started on a very cold morning at Subway in Waiouru. Now very few people make the journey to Waiouru just to have Subway’s chunky sandwiches but in this instance it was an ideal place to meet.

Two Aucklanders drove south and two southerners drove north with a plan to meet at 11 o’clock. The northerners approached the army town at 11.03, not bad timing. And the southerners were waiting in the carpark. Even better timing.

Matt Scrimgeour from Mico in Wellington was pretty excited about the prospect of shooting his first deer and Motueka plumber Henne Russen was also pumped. As a keen hunter, Henne was used to walking and stalking the mountains of the South Island and occasionally seeing an animal, and even less occasionally shooting one.

“Reckon we might see a few?” queried Henne.

“I would love to shoot one!” added Matt.

Rheem Sales Manager, John Bebbington just smiled, “I think you’ll see a few.”

About an hour later the vehicles pulled up at the gate to Ngamatea Station where guide Glen Ewart was waiting.

After dropping the Wellington car at a handy park, the team in two Hilux’s headed out across the station. Now when you see road signs on the property you get the feeling it’s a big one and Ngamatea is huge – 80,000 acres to be precise, much of it in bush and scrub. The station is also home to 100,000 sheep and 8,000 cattle.

Add 2,000 beehives and you get an idea of the scale of the operation.

Ngamatea Station also plays host and caters to serious hunting, with trophy hunters seeking Sika stags and other hunters wanting meat for the freezer. The Japanese or Sika deer are found only in the Kaimanawa and Kaweka Ranges and Ngamatea is the best place to hunt them.

Surrounded by free-range hunting, Henne and Matt headed out from the rustic lodge in the 4WD buggy for an afternoon driving around in comfort with Glen the guide. They saw a few animals, starting with a bunch of about 20 deer along a ridgeline where Matt prepared to stalk and have a shot at his first deer.

“I haven’t fired a rifle for years,” he admitted as Glen lined him up on a hind 250 metres away. Glen had a telescopic sight which adjusts for the distance, so he checked the range with a range finder and dialled in the range on the scope and then placed the crosshairs on the deer’s shoulder. Glen explained how he wanted Matt to aim for the deer’s shoulder. “Forget about the head or neck. We don’t want wounded animals running around. Hit the shoulder and you get the lungs and heart and even if they run a short distance, the dog will find it.”

His Lab knows the game, sitting patiently while the hunters stalk and line up the shot, then racing off at Glen’s command.

The sound suppressor on Glen’s 7mm-08 rifle ensures the sound doesn’t spook everything in the area and at the muted crack the high-fives from Glen and Matt told the story. So did the grin he couldn’t wipe off his face.

“What a buzz. Amazing! Can I shoot another one?”

“Shoot two or three if you like”, responded Glen.

“Who is riding up front?” asked Glen. The front passenger is the one who cradles the rifle, and takes the next shot, so Henne didn’t need a second invite.

He has a long-term contract with DoC to service the plumbing and gas facilities in the huts around the top half of the South Island and is choppered in regularly.

“If the weather comes in and I am stuck there, I take the rifle and go for a walk,” he added with a wry smile indicating he probably always prays for bad weather.

“But I have never seen anything like this! Riding around until you see something, and I have never seen so many animals!”.

Henne’s first shot was set up with a tripod as it was over 300 metres away. An experienced hunter, he calmly dropped the Sika hind.

D

Matt took the next shot and by the end of the hunt the team finished with six deer from six shots.

“Best I ever had was seven deer with six shots – one went straight through and dropped one standing behind. Those blokes came back again and took 18 shots for six deer,” said Glen.

That’s hunting.

The animals all went to a home-kill butcher based in the Hawkes Bay to be followed up with a delivery of sausages and steaks to Motueka and Wellington.

“I can’t wait,” said Matt. “I love venison!”

“A truly unbelievable experience!” added Henne.

E

A

B

A - The sika deer come out every evening right by the hut, and are not concerned about the vehicle.

B - Matt with his first deer.

C - Guide Glen Ewart leads Matt Scrimgeour along a ridge at Ngamatea Station. It is big country.

D - Henne sneaks up on his first Ngamatea sika.

E - The team heads off to look for another animal.

C

Tradie Profile Tor r en H i c k li ng

Surfer, builder, fisherman – and Kraken lover...

10 s Rheem Off-site

I have known Torren Hickling since he was a young teenager and best mates with one of my sons, writes Steve Dickinson.

T

orren’s a guy who is always laughing and enthusiastic to ‘go and do stuff’. At 30 years old, he is an accomplished builder working in Auckland as a self-employed contractor, mainly on renovations around Pt Chev and Epsom and after 12 years on the tools, he knows how get a job done (apart from marrying his long-time partner Ella, who is as cute as a button Everyone agrees he is punching way above his weight!).

ON SURFING SD: How old were you when you started surfing and why did you get into it?

LEFT Torren with a respectable kingfish.

ABOVE Out the back at Maori Bay. BELOW Surfing local waves.

hand breaks I’ve ever seen.

SD: Where did you surf the biggest waves?

TH: I started as a wee grom at 10 years old under Dad’s wing at Maori Bay, Muriwai. Dad dragged me out the back one day and it felt huge. I later found out due to photos it was only one and a half to two foot but it felt HUGE! Being able to read and understand the power of the ocean has given me great respect for it. The ocean is my ultimate zen zone, whether on the board or in a boat. Being on or in the ocean is my ultimate form of meditation.

I’ve been surfing as part of a pack with three of my best mates since high school. We struggle to hit the waves without each other. If I’m at work and a drop of rain hits the floor, the phone lights up and we’re outta there!

TH: My biggest surf was a bluebird winter’s day at Raglan out at Indicators with perfect six-foot runners. A Raglan local was shouting at everyone he didn’t know, telling us to go back to Auckland. It was my first taste of what it felt like not to be surfing on your local waves.

SD: Where did you surf the best waves?

SD: Overseas surfing – where and how was it?

TH: Best waves I’ve ever surfed were at Raglan, Shippies [Shipwreck Bay, Ahipara] and Bingin in Bali – the best left-

SD: Worst wipe-outs?

TH: Low tide days out at Maori Bay, being dredged across the sand with all oxygen knocked out of my lungs.

SD: How often do you drop the tools when you know there is some swell and the wind swings off shore?

TH: Every time! Ella, knows she’ll always be a surfing widow.

TH: Enjoyed insanely good conditions at Bingin, Bali. At least two surfs a day at sunrise and sundown.

offsitenz 11

THE OCEAN IS MY ULTIMATE ZEN ZONE, WHETHER ON THE BOARD OR IN A BOAT.

ON BUILDING SD: Do you have a preference for bigger projects over smaller ones?

TH: Bigger projects are always better for the yarns, but I enjoy the jobs where I can work with other builders who are also passionate about the craft. I always want to achieve the best outcome for the client.

SD: Are you still hands-on or more into project organising?

TH: I’m hands-on, but as time goes on and the body gets a bit sore, I’ll pull out my organisational skills and get those young pups to work.

SD: What’s the most challenging thing about running your own business?

TH: I’m a contractor. The most challenging aspect of my job is making sure the job meets my (very high) expectations.

I want to make sure the client is stoked with the result, so I can be a stickler for the detail.

SD: The worst part about building?

TH: Digging holes in winter. Why? Because it’s cold or they keep filling up with water. Who wants to be shovelling dirt?

One word – nobody!

SD: How do you get most of your work?

TH: I have been getting my work through the same contractor, who specialises in residential renovations, including extensions and villa restoration. Luckily the reno market has been very steady throughout my career and we’ve been able to build some beauties all across Auckland.

SD: Who did you do your apprenticeship with?

TH: BCITO.

ON FISHING TH: My love for fishing started at a young age up at 90 Mile Beach with my grandfather in a 1942 Willys Jeep with the kite fishing rig hooked up to the front. Memories as a young fisher are of me digging tua-tuas for bait with Granddad and

12 s Rheem Off-site

Dad and loading up the longline hooks with tua-tuas and mullet.

We’d sit back with a few VBs for an hour or two waiting with anticipation to see what we pulled up. When we got home, Granddad and Dad would fillet our keepers and I’d run down to the wharf for round two.

Our family bach at Houhora has been at the centre of my best fishing memories and my ongoing quest to catch more kingies.

SD: I know you like a fish – who do you go out with most?

TH: My Mum and Dad, but when the wind is over two knots and Dad doesn’t want to go out, I ring up the lads and we go out on a mission. Ella’s happy with the promise of sashimi.

SD: Any specific places?

TH: An island off Henderson Bay, stick baiting and popping for kingies. Closer to home, we head out on the Kaipara and also love chasing the work-ups in the Gulf.

SD: What type of boat?

TH: A 5.7-metre McLay with a 100hp four-stroke.

SD: Best snapper – where and when and on what?

TH: Best snapper I ever caught was last summer, in the work-ups out off the Cable Zone. I didn’t have any scales, but I reckon she would have been between 6-7kg. Fresh fish for days!

Before that I hadn’t cracked it with a big snapper but was just happy to get a feed in the bin. I’m never chasing the big donkeys or wanting to take too many.

SD: Are you a plastics man, a bait man or both?

TH: Lately I’m liking lures because it’s the cleanest way of fishing and means no need to wash dried bait and blood from the decks of the boat.

SD: Biggest kingi – where, when and how?

TH: A specific kingie mission off Henderson up on Northland’s east coast. I would have thrown the stick bait at least 40 times and had them follow all the way to the boat every time with no takes. Finally, after a few hours, an 11kg kingie fell

victim and we headed home feeling absolutely stoked. It’s such a rush seeing them follow the stick bait or popper and getting that initial hit. A kingie catch never gets old.

SD: Fish you are most proud of?

TH: Any kingie I catch on top water gear is a winner.

SD: Most embarrassing moment?

TH: Being kicked out of my 7th Form ball in a bright yellow suit. I’m pretty sure home brew rum played a part in it. The fact that this was over 10 years ago must mean it’s time to get loose…

SD: Biggest achievement to date?

TH: Buying a house with my girlfriend Ella.

ON MARRIAGE AND HIS FAVOURITE TIPPLE… SD: Ella is such a great catch, I presume you keep asking her and she keeps saying no?

TH: It’s gonna happen, mate. She just needs to learn how to surf first. So, next summer maybe? Watch this space.

SD: I am guessing it would be the Kraken as the drink of choice?

TH: Kraken all the way – or maybe a delicious cold craftie.

But if we’re up north at the bach, you’ve got to follow Granddad’s drink of choice – VB. Nothing else is allowed through the door.

LEFT A Far North skipjack tuna.

ABOVE Snapper and kingfish from the McLay.

HARD!

ISSUE 7 LY 2018 JUNE/JU

D, PLAY RD! ORDK, HPALRAY HA WR A H K R O W WIN

ell prop

JetISHING

ed

A PAIR OF OAKLEY SUNGLASSES

PG 13

F ! PG4 FUN 0

WE WANT YOU! THE AIM OF RHEEM OFF-SITE IS TO FEATURE SOME OF THE INTERESTING OUTDOOR STORIES TRADIES HAVE TO TELL. YOUR STORIES!

ING FLY FISNHD! PG14 U O F CE D RD LICEN NGE GAME BI LOST AN X CHALLE OF YOUR E BIG SI E MOST s

INSIDE

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!

TH MAKE TH NQUERS WDEN CO NEIL BO

Send us your best hunting, fishing, diving and outdoors images as well - we have a pair of top quaility Oakley sunglasses to be given away each month for the best image.

Tradies, Rheem off-site is YOUR magazine. Please share your experiences and adventures with us. You don't have to be a puiltzer prize-winning writer - that is our job!

Look forward to hearing from you.

JOHN EICHELSHEIM

EDITOR RHEEM OFF-SITE

TALK TO US SO WE CAN SHARE YOUR STORIES WITH OTHERS.

EMAIL JOHNEICHELSHEIM@GMAIL.COM PHONE 021 775 789

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Off-Site Feature

SNOW TIME

Snow Sports

14 s Rheem Off-site

Winter’s here and Grant Blair asks the question: skis or snowboards?

B

oth snowboards and skis are great options so your choice of platform will come down largely to preference. It’s been said that skiing is the easier of the two to learn but the harder to master.

Skiing with a smooth, flowing style takes a good number of hours, hard yards and the occasional mouthful of white fluffy stuff.

Skiing is the more natural of the two disciplines, with each leg independent of the other one, but that does mean those planks can cross up, which usually doesn’t have a great outcome! Recent developments with twin-tip skis means that tricks like skiing backwards, once the exclusive domain of snowboarders, are now options for skiers.

Learning to snowboard is a hard and bruising exercise, but providing you master heel and toe edging, you can progress to a reasonable level very quickly.

Having both feet strapped together on one platform means that if you feel you’re going to fall you probably will. Skateboarders and surfers are used to the side-on stance and somewhat reduced peripheral vision and so have a bit of an advantage in getting going.

For both options, a bit of speed generally makes things like turning easier, but it can be a fine line between enough speed and all hell breaking loose. It’s easy to become a passenger on a plank or two hurtling towards a hospital bed at warp speed.

Staying in control is rule number one on the slopes, for the safety of yourself and others. Wrist, arm, shoulder and ankle injuries are more common in boarders while leg and knee injuries occur more frequently in skiing accidents. Any of those will ruin a good holiday in the snow.

THE GEAR

Technology has woven it’s way into all sports and snow sports are no exception. Ski boots need to fit well because poorly fitting boots will end in tears. Hire boots are more malleable and multi-fit these days, but if you’re considering owning anything, the place to start is a pair of comfortable boots.

Boards and skis are fine to hire, and with the relentless technology race, hiring is probably a smart move as your

offsitenz 15

gear will be out of date by next season. For the best advice on what suits your level of expertise call in to a local ski shop and talk to the experts. Most shops will have good deals for a few days’ hire and some will not charge if the local ski areas are closed and you didn’t ski.

Keep an eye out for demo days on the mountain as these are a great opportunity to try the latest gear and find something that really works for you.

WHERE TO?

The South Island’s ski fields are easy accessible from anywhere in the country and many would argue they have better average snow conditions over the season. The smaller club fields have fewer facilities, from lifts to road access, but can

TOP The South Island's ski fields are easily accessible from anywhere in the country and tend to have better snow conditions. Bigger fields have great facilities.

BELOW Follow the fall line and face your shoulders downhill.

16 s Rheem Off-site

be a ton of fun with a group of like-minded mates or family.

Check out what’s available online as there are many options.

You’ll find all the larger fields have great facilities, including good road access, high capacity lifts and unlimited quantities of flat whites if that’s your thing.

LOOKING SHARP ON THE SLOPES:

Old school thinking is follow the fall line and keep your shoulders facing downhill. It still works and is the base for developing a style that turns heads.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Grant Blair has been skiing for around 50 years.

SKIING IS THE MORE NATURAL OF THE TWO DISCIPLINES, WITH EACH LEG INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHER ONE...

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Off-site Feature Wi n ter D i vi n g

I’m surprised by how often I hear people say, “I’m putting my gear away for the winter,” writes champion spear-fisher Darren Sheilds.

W

We have all seen those beautiful cloudless, windless winter days – why not be out diving when they roll around? With the right wetsuit you can say goodbye to cold water streaming down your neck or in through the zips. Once you own a proper wetsuit you will never experience that discomfort again!

I have just spent 14 days in Fiordland with snow on the hills, and being Fiordland, some nasty wind and rain at times. I never got cold. The diving there is some of the best you could ever experience and it’s the middle of winter.

Great Barrier Island in mid-June was brilliant as always – the wind was strong from the south-east, the sea conditions were ordinary but shelter and good visibility made for fantastic hunting. Most gutters I snuck into had a good-sized snapper sitting in them, almost like they were snuggling up waiting for the warm water to come. They made easy targets and my float boat was soon loaded with my day’s limit, something I rarely achieve in the summer.

While the red cray [spiny rock lobster] population is in massive decline in some areas, we have noticed a swing up in numbers of packhorse crayfish. My staff member and good friend Jeremy Vial recently took a group to the Aldermen Islands to catch a feed.

They all ended up with a number of packhorse and red crayfish, the bigger packies weighing around 3kg each. To top this off, they got several kingfish shot from a school that he guessed held close to 100 fish, and yes, all in the middle of winter!

Do you still want to put your gear away? If not, here are some tips on what you need to do to get the most out of your winter diving.

Throw that old suit away. Yes, throw it away! It’s not worth anything. I bet it can almost stand up on its own it’s so stiff!

Buy yourself one of the new, super-soft suits that mould to your every curve – and remember you don’t want zips.

Zips let in water and make a suit stiff!

Get yourself a good overcoat to wear over your suit between dives. Wind chill will cool you down no matter how good your wetsuit is, so wind protection is a must.

Good booties and gloves will also ensure your extremities are warm.

Keep an eye on the weather a week out from when you intend to go diving. I find Swell Map is reasonably accurate and by using it I can usually make an accurate evaluation of where I should head, based on what area has had the most wind – and very importantly, rain – during the course of the week prior to my intended dive. Rain often means murky freshwater running into the sea from the land. Your diving

WINTER 18 s Rheem Off-site

DIVING ! t i o t et in G

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RIGHT A windproof coat over your wet suit keeps wind chill to a minimum.

BELOW Fat winter kina and heaps of Fiordland crayfish.

BOTTOM Good wet suits mean warm, happy divers.

will be unpleasant if you can’t see anything.

Plan your day efficiently. Days are a lot shorter during the winter. I like to leave a ramp around 7:00am in the winter and return by 4:00pm at the latest; it’s almost dark by 5.30pm and I’m not keen on cleaning fish and sorting out the boat in the dark. During summer we leave a ramp at first light in some cases and don’t return until close to dark, which can be be as late as 9:00pm.

Safety is an issue you need to take seriously during winter: if something does go wrong, a night in a boat could end in disaster if It's cold, whereas in the summer, while a breakdown is not ideal, as a diver you should be able to survive the much warmer temperatures.

An area I do well in during the winter months is inside harbours or diving the inner Hauraki Gulf. Again, the still winter days and colder temperatures mean no plankton blooms and less sediment stirred up, which can enhance the water visibility of inshore areas.

One very memorable harbour dive was a 10-minute swim from one of Auckland’s busiest beaches. I shot enough fish

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BUY YOURSELF O N THE NEW, SUPE E OF R-S SUITS THAT MOU OFT L YOUR EVERY CU D TO RV – AND REMEMB E ER DON’T WANT ZIP YOU S LET IN WATER A . ZIPS ND MAKE A SUIT STIFF!

h t i w WIN

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Include a caption of of who, what, when and where the picture was taken. You could win one of two Oakley Polarised Caliber Sunglasses valued at $299 per pair. The winners will have their photos published in our next issue of Rheem Offsite.

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Jeremy and his crew with a catch of winter packhorse crays and kingfish from Great Barrier Island.

INTER THE STILL W DER L DAYS AND CO S MEAN E TEMPERATUR BLOOMS N NO PLANKTO DIMENT AND LESS SE ..

STIRRED UP..

for the table and found several nests of packhorse crayfish. I had a good look and left them alone, but it was a fantastic sight, one which I bet very few would believe unless they saw it for themselves.

The spot, 90 percent of the time, would be too dirty to worry about diving, but a clear winter’s day unveiled the jewel. It was close enough to land that I could see and hear cars grinding their way to work at 8am on a week day morning.

I swear that seafood taken in harsher conditions tastes better! That warm glow you feel after a job well done is a fine thing preparing freshcaught seafood for others makes it all the more satisfying.

Don’t put off winter diving, embrace it and enjoy the challenge. It might just surprise you.

Let’s make the trade shortage history Plumbing World’s Young Plumber of the Year competition is well on its way to finding a 2018 champion.

Testing all facets of the well-rounded modern tradesperson, the winner will have a mix of business acumen, industry skills, good general knowledge, and solid core applied skills. Plumbing World, along with suppliers and the wider industry, have enjoyed the opportunity to meet and recognise new talent and promote high standards.

Meanwhile, our young competitors have had some fun with the challenges! Need a pic & caption showing them having some fun with the challenges.

Throughout July and August, 80 branch champions will come together across eight regional finals, before the ten national finalists duke it out for the title in October.

It’s no secret that New Zealand is facing a massive shortfall of skilled workers. With the demand for building work booming in our major centres, there are simply not enough qualified tradespeople on hand to complete the work. This puts the quality of our country’s infrastructure at risk.

So what’s the solution? For starters, letting young people know that a future in the trades can really pay off. Plumbing World is proud as punch to lead the charge in recognising excellence among the plumbing trades. As a result we hope to see school leavers see the plumbing trades as a desirable career—and make this skills shortage a thing of the past.

Visit www.youngplumbersclub.co.nz to keep up with the action.

22 s Rheem Off-site

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raiNing and we’ve got footings to be Dug,

it’s me.”

Building stories. When you live to support those who live to build, you spend a lot of time listening to them.

It’s how we learn what makes your business tick so we can give you all the support you need to get the job done.

That’s what makes us the building supplies specialist.

See more building stories at itm.co.nz/livetobuild

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Whether you’re just starting out, growing your business, or taking a step back, the plumbing industry is nonstop. We’d know – Plumbing World is 100% Kiwi-owned by 100% real tradies.

It’s about backing your plumbing business in your office, on the tools, and into the future.

Talk to us about how you can earn MaxPoints on every purchase, and take the rewards even further by becoming a Plumbing World shareholder. plumbingworld.co.nz Your team in black.

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