SAVEwith a - Canoe & Kayak

More documents

Recommendations

Info

W I N N E R S Winner of Rasdex - Paddle Jacket Issue 31 Tim Kitt, of Ashhurst, married to Chris with two kids Simone and Dylan is the winner of one of the Rasdex Adventure open neck paddle jackets in Issue 31. He works for Mainland products in Palmerston North as a transport supervisor. When holidaying at Waitarere beach (Levin) he got keen on sea kayaking. He recalls “We had an old canvas over wood sea kayak built by Frank Herbert in 1948. It used to take 4 people to carry it down the beach and 8 to bring it home. It was an amazing craft and although it had no watertight compartments it was unsinkable and we used to set out with longlines in some ‘adventurous’ conditions. Tim decided to get back into kayaking for both fishing and fitness and after testing various craft settled on the Cobra Fish n’ Dive (mainly due to stability). He reckons “The boat sits nicely on top of the Hilux with setlines, longlines, rods and dragnet strapped to the top. We plan to tour around the country with family to get at some better fishing spots. The kids are pretty keen so will be looking for a couple of boats for them. I can’t wait to try out the jacket!” Winner of Rasdex - Paddle Jacket Issue 31 Kay Raffell, who recently looked longingly at a paddle jacket whilst window shopping in Taupo, and paddled down the Whanganui in a blue cape, is the second proud owner of a Rasdex Adventure open neck jacket. She tells the tale of her kayaking journey to date. “I was introduced to a kayak about 30 years ago in the north of Scotland. My partner of the time was into sea and surf kayaking. He built his own fibreglass kayak and off he went... but he did let me have a go first...on the calmest of lakes. I was terrified! Fast-forward 10 years to New Zealand (minus the sea kayaking partner) where I found the most delightful place to live by the sea - Okura. I bought a house and then a little yellow play kayak for $50. I started going intrepidly where no Kay in kayak had been before...over the wild wavelets of the sandspit...then on the big ocean voyage round the headland to Long Bay...on the calmest oily swell of days. I was so proud! Pete Townend at that time had a small kayaking operation just up the street and I decided to do a skills course. I was, terrified of water...and especially putting my head under. Pete was one of the kindest and most sensitive of teachers I have ever encountered...after several times of being tipped upside down in the Okura river I came up...crying. Eager to get it over with I said...“I’m Ok. I’m just frightened”. But Pete looked at me and gently said “I think we’ve done enough for today”. Taking me along at my pace...he got me through all the drills and wet exits etc over the next few days. Thanks Pete. Soon after that I moved up to the Bay of Islands and with my new skills and confidence decided to buy a sea kayak. I can remember the trepidation with which I drove off with it on the roof and the thrill of putting in on the Kerikeri Inlet. Over the next 10 years I kept pushing my boundaries, until I was confident on the coast and round the islands, culminating in a solo four-day camping trip round the islands. During that time I’ve done more training...got all the safety gear and acquired a sail...the next best purchase ever, after the kayak! A few months back I had the chance to join up with friends for the Whanganui River Trip for my first river experience. I’ve now moved down to the West Coast of the South Island and on the trek down, with kayak on top...stopped to kayak on Lake Tarawera and in the Marlborough Sounds...where the wind can be SCAREY. Now I’m looking forward to just cruising on some of the beautiful lakes around here, with maybe a cruise up to Abel Tasman. I plan to join up with KASK and hopefully meet some other West Coast paddlers soon. “ 22 ISSUE THIRTYthree • 2005
WHITEWATER KAYAKING Potu Falls by Richard Powell Potu Falls is one of the many waterfalls around the Taupo area, which very few people know about. The drop itself is not too difficult, but as the pool at the bottom is not very deep!!!! a certain water level is required to kayak it. Two staff members from the <strong>Canoe</strong> & <strong>Kayak</strong> store in Taupo decided it was their day to go forth and conquer ...(insert fanfare) so.............. It was midday and there could be nothing better for me to do than take a Potu virgin off the Potu Falls. We collected our soggy paddling kit, which (much to Freddy’s disgust) was scattered around the premises of the base and loaded the trusty paddle wagon (along with kayaks Disco Stu and Amy RAD Rodger). After stopping for the standard road-trip ice cream and caffeine filled ‘V’s we were on our way. We parked as close to the falls as possible (not like kayakers are lazy or anything) and began our ascent of the gravel track kindly put in just for us by the local forestry company. Half of the next 30mins took us on a trek - scrambling down steep muddy, bushy cliffs. However, it was well worth the walk. The 7m-drop looked clean and easy - right into a nice big blue pool. The walk to the top in itself was a mission! One of us had to scramble up, followed by the paddles, then the boats and finally the second person. Looking over the drop sped the heart up a bit. The lip had a big rock to the right hand side, which caused a minor sieve. The native bush was kind, it had grown just low enough so that we could get our hunched bodies underneath the lower branches but unfortunately didn’t leave us enough room to paddle. Never the less we had walked all this way and we WERE going to paddle! I skirted up first and decided the best line would be right to left trying to avoid the densest scrub and boof left over the lip. Right! Onwards, soon I found myself floating down to the entrance... backwards! Luckily I hit a rock, which spun me forwards again... I tried to go right to left but instead drifted down the centre underneath the densest bush unable to paddle at all. The lip of the waterfall was fast approaching so I set up for my well-planned left hand boof. Down the ‘v’ I went, into a buffer wave and bugger it; there I was again; sideways. As a Richard last resort I put in a final sweep stroke before plummeting uncontrollably to the pool below. Surprisingly, this didn’t help very much. It simply caused me to pencil vertically and smash the front of my boat into the bottom of the supposedly deep blue pool. I surfaced upside-down with very sore feet and a tender rib cage. I rolled up. Not to be deterred by my spectacular exploits, the Potu virgin (Amy) was still amping to go. She skirted up and paddled towards the lip from right to left. Avoiding the dense scrub, she slid down the ‘v’ (straight I might add) and put in a nice left hand boof which caused her to style the drop - without even getting her hair wet! PRESS RELEASE Fuljames, Taupo NZRCA asks kayakers to respect access closure The Tauhara North No. 2 Trust has erected a locked gate at the ‘Hay Barn’ on the access road to N g a w a a p u r u a (Fuljames) rapids, on the Waikato River. Access (including foot access) past this gate is not permitted. The NZRCA understands that the landowners have closed access because some people were being disrespectful of their land. The landowners are concerned that people and large groups have been camping without permission, with unsatisfactory toilet facilities, leaving rubbish and mess. The landowners are also worried about their liability for people’s safety, and have concerns about other non-kayaking related issues - hunting, house truckers, dumped cars etc. The vast majority of kayakers respect the land and don’t make a mess or disrespect the area, but we ask that all kayakers respect the closure. Anyone who trespasses may jeopardize any future availability of access. The NZRCA will be exploring solutions for access and will be communicating with the security company which is managing the access on behalf of the landowners. ISSUE THIRTYthree • 2005 23
Page 1 and 2: WIN A KAYAK COURSE $5.95 NZ Win Cob
Page 3 and 4: So why choose a Q-Kayak? • Qualit
Page 5 and 6: EDITOR: Peter Townend Ph: [09] 473
Page 7 and 8: ISSUE THIRTYthree • 2005 7
Page 9 and 10: • I went on a charter fishing tri
Page 13 and 14: I was starting to think like a mum,
Page 17 and 18: NEW CANOE & KAYAK SHOP What does a
Page 19 and 20: For Sale Kayak Shops Interested in
Page 21: Getting into Multisport Kayaking? A
Page 27 and 28: HAWKE’S BAY 15 Niven Street Oneka
Page 29 and 30: Horses for Courses by Nicholas Carm
Page 31 and 32: WHEELS The Canoe & K ayak Trolleys
Page 33 and 34: Johnny paddling past Kelp beds.
Page 35 and 36: subdued as the wind and sea grew. T
Page 37 and 38: Coastbusters 2006 is all GO Coastbu
Page 39 and 40: Doug ISSUE THIRTYthree • 2005 39
Page 41 and 42: KAYAK DESIGN & BUILDING The birth o
Page 43 and 44: ACADIA 470 A great fun family boat
Page 45 and 46: We have many more kayaks available
Page 47 and 48: We have many more kayaks available
Page 49 and 50: Directory: Things To Do TAUPO Maori

SAVEwith a - Canoe & Kayak

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?