C&K mag #31ss- final - Canoe & Kayak

DVD REVIEW
Review by Neil Watson
Hosted by John Dowd and based on
programmes developed by John
Dawson and Dan Lewis with guest
authors Shelley Johnson and Lee
Moyer. www.seakayakvideos.com.
Copyright 2004.
WHAT’S ON
‘Intrepid Kiwis’
Intrepid Kiwis have sought adventure
as kayakers or solo sailors,
circumnavigators or ocean rowers.
They have journeyed 100 000 nautical
miles in Chinese junks, rowboats,
kayaks, motorboats, traditional ocean
going canoes and small yachts.
Mark Jones was a guest of honour and a keynote
speaker at the recent opening of the New Zealand
National Maritime Museum’s latest exhibition -
‘Intrepid Kiwis’.
Mark peppered his highly entertaining speech
with scary stories, extraordinary tales of survival
in icy seas and hilarious reminiscences. He
illustrated his extraordinary world first kayaking
journey around the Antarctic Peninsula with
memorabilia of the “uncompromisingly and
unapologetically wild environment of Antarctica.”
Throughout his life Mark Jones has shared his
passion for adventure. He was a senior instructor
at the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre
and Deputy Director at Tihoi Venture School.
Currently he lectures on Outdoor Leadership
programmes at AUT. His adventures in New
Zealand and overseas include caving, whitewater
rafting, sea kayaking, mountaineering and
rock climbing.
SEAMANSHIP for KAYAKERS.
Getting There (and Back).
This is the second of John Dowd’s kayaking DVDs
I’ve watched. Greg Dunning in Issue 28 of this
magazine reviewed the first, ‘Getting Started’.
Have you ever scratched your head when
paddling companions with a yachting or armed
services background mysteriously arrive at your
destination before you do, even though they
failed to take the direct route? How did they know
there was an island ahead when you couldn’t
distinguish it against the backdrop of the
mainland? How dare they tell you the bearing to
get to a distant beach you can’t see and then head
off to an alternative destination leaving you to it!
How did they know to change the trip plan when
2 hours later the decision was obvious? How did
they get you through the reef that night without
parting the gel coat from your boat? How did they
know that the night lights over a kilometre away
did not belong to a couple of yachts but the rest
of the group you were supposed to rendezvous
with at 0400?
On this remarkable Antarctica adventure, Marcus
Waters and Graham Charles joined him. The
journey began from the Argentinean research
base at Hope Bay on 15 January 2001 “ the
dreaming was over and reality smelt like penguins
and old socks”. They were delivered to the frozen
waters of Antarctica where they spent the next 35
days sea kayaking and surviving the rigours of this
harsh environment. They lived off porridge and
freeze-dried foods cooked on a little white
spirit stove.
Avalanches spontaneously occurred immediately
in front of them. Winds of phenomenal velocity
forced them to find shelter on barren rock faces
or perish. Despite dangers Mark said “at the end
of each day we finished with a song in our hearts”
and his greatest memories aren’t of danger or fear.
He recalls the breathtaking beauty and colour of
brilliant sunrises and sunsets, the majestic
mountains, the Jurassic Park-like leopard seals,
50-foot whales, and penguins, comic masters of
the scene.
Would they do it again? “You bet”.
The exhibition also features:
Paul Caffyn the first person to kayak around New
Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, Japan, New
Caledonia and along the coast of Alaska.
Andrew Fagan, 20 years ago sailed the smallest
yacht - Swirly World - in the Solo Trans Tasman
Yacht race.
Rob Hamill (with the late Phil Stubbs) won the
Trans Atlantic rowing race in record time in 1997.
They rowed ‘naked’ virtually non-stop for 41 days.
The rowboat, KIWI CHALLENGE, is a dominant
presence in the exhibition.
John Dowd describes navigation as “knowing
where you are and systematically moving to
where you want to go”. The DVD starts with
beginners paddling along the shoreline using
landmarks to navigate a route (piloting). It is soon
apparent that navigation is not just about using a
compass. Variables such as weather, currents and
paddling ability are progressively introduced
along with the methods available to help you
tackle more ambitious routes.
The value of the DVD is in the understated savvy
born of years of kayaking shared by John and his
colleagues. The delivery is as succinct as the title.
The infamous Motley Crew continues to parody
the approach most of us take to getting there and
back. The structure and content of the
presentation beg you to laminate a bit of chart,
grab a compass or shout yourself a GPS unit, and
get out there and do it!
Available at all Canoe & Kayak stores. $39.95
Brian and Louise Pearce - crossed the Tasman
Sea in their small motorboat.
Donna Hammond and Ross Hickey -
circumnavigated Stewart Island in a double kayak.
Brian Clifford, accompanied by a crew of 3,
sailed a Chinese junk from Hong Kong to New
Zealand in 1961.
The late Dr. David Lewis - researcher and
adventurer who completed the first
circumnavigation of the world in a multihull.
Adrian Hayter who sailed solo around the world
in both directions.
‘Intrepid Kiwis’ is at the Entrance Gallery of the
Maritime Museum, Auckland.
The exhibition runs till Sunday, October 9.
Rob Hamill
ISSUE THIRTYone • 2005 41