Spring in New Zealand

Owen Sinclair is out early this spring - spring in New Zealand, of course. An early trip was to lovely Lake Rotoroa (above), dramatic scenery that we don't have much of in England.
Owen writes:

Lake Rotoroa is great. It is one of two vehicle-accessible lakes in the Nelson Lakes National Park and the Department of Conservation discourages waterskiing and jetskis from it, in favour of them using the other (Lake Rotoiti) This helps maintain the serenity to some extent. The fisherman on the lake are normally in powerboats but there aren't too many and they are generally orderly.
The lake looked prettier in some ways a few months ago when the mountains were coated in snow. On the other hand, when I rowed there the weekend before last the kowhais (yellow flowers) along the lakeside were in flower with tuis feeding on them and calling and there was native clematis (white flowers) relieving the green of the forest in places. Plus eels at the Durville Hut jetty (sorry no photos of those)
Cheers,
Owen

Here is a slide show of Owen's recent trips from Marahau to Falls River and return, and around Lake Rotoroa. Thanks Owen!

A boat that looks back to the past and another that looks to the future were caught on camera by Owen Sinclair at the Rotoiti Classic Boat Show in Nelson Lakes National Park, South Island, New Zealand recently.

The past was represented by a reproduction of an old whaling boat, the future by a dramatically transparent skin-on-frame skiff. Owen writes:

Hello Chris,

These were the two most interesting rowing craft at the show; the whaler was built recently by Ron Perano to the lines of a whaleboat which was built in Tasmania, used for whaling in Cook Strait (I think this was one of the few shore-based whale fisheries  in the world, if not the only one) and donated to the Canterbury Museum in 1926. 

The Perano family was one of several associated with whaling and has many descendants in the area today. Another whaling family was the Guard family and a Guard was on the whaleboat today. 

I was offered a row, an entirely new experience. The oars are long, heavy and flexible and pivot between thole pins. 

Although it was an impromptu crew with half probably aged over 70 the boat moved along really well with six rowers and a man steering with a sweep oar. 

The oars were stowed, once the whale was harpooned, in sockets: one photo shows the sockets and another shows the oars in the stowed position. A wonderful opportunity, completely unforeseen and greatly enjoyed. Thank you Messrs Perano and Guard.

The sliding seat craft is coated with transparent film, secured in place with zips. The frames are plywood, the stringers are alloy tubing. The boat collapses into a bag for transport. This is a prototype and a project of Kent Luxton of KJL Sails, Picton. Full of innovation. I will try to get more detail for you sometime.

Regards,

Owen Sinclair

I don't know which of these boats I want to row more.
The whaleboat looks huge fun and very seaworthy, but the ability to carry a rowing shell in the boot of the car and assemble it into a boat that will attract huge amounts of attention wherever it goes is also very appealing.

Of course, one could own both and carry the collapsible shell in the whaler. Double the fun!

Thanks again, Owen.

Rowing in New Zealand

The horror of the Christchurch earthquake makes one worry about friends in New Zealand, however far they live from the area, so it was good to hear from Owen Sinclair, who writes:
Hi Chris,
I'm trying to distract myself from thoughts about the earthquake in Christchurch. I'm OK, being 250 miles away, but I lived in Christchurch for about 25 years and still haven't heard from some friends and family there.
Anyway; some photos from a day trip from Totaranui in Abel Tasman National Park into the Awaroa Estuary and up the Awaroa River, last weekend.
The entrance to the estuary is less than a one hour row along the coast; I went in with the tide and back out on the ebb. Saw numerous native birds and some stingrays.
Part of a great weekend away, which left me feeling great until news of the earthquake.
regards,
Owen