The Innerview – Ground Control

December 5, 2007   

Ashley Perrin is a 24-year-old professional sailor. We met in Brixham, England as she is Ocean Planet’s shore team manager.  Ashley has over 35,000 ocean miles to her credit. Including; Fastnets (3rd), Double handed Round Britain (2nd), two Mackinacs, Pac Cup, double handed Atlantic crossing, Dubai-Muscat Race, Cork Week, Cowes Week, America’s Cup Jubilee, Key West, SORC, numerous cross channel races and Pacific coast races along with Caribbean circuit and women’s match racing circuit.  Recently, she was America True’s project manager for their Volvo Campaign along with being their Volvo Sponsor manager. She is the youngest ever-elected member to the RORC and is a special member of the SFYC. Currently, she is in Florida participating in the Osprey Cup.   On top of being very good at what she does, she is one of those people you like to work with, professional and down to earth. MoMP.

You are the Shore Team Manager for Ocean Planet. It’s no secret that the program has limited funds.  How much more difficult is it from your perspective for the team to first, be competitive then remain competitive as the race goes on?

AP Our overall budget is comparable to other boats in this race, such as Pindar and Hilfiger, but we differ dramatically in our design. Pindar and Hilfiger are based upon the normal Open 60 design ethos (sail plan and width) and both have already been around the world. Ocean Planet has taken a different approach it is a more radical design. Ocean Planet’s radical plan requires a larger R & D budget than our competitors, resulting in lower repair and maintenance budget, creating a challenge for our team.

Since Bruce is newcomer to the Open 60 scene, he was able to take this approach without risking his reputation in this arena. Other skippers have in the past been slightly radical but only in one aspect of the design at a time i.e. Yves Parlier went with a rotating mast a few years ago with the large side spreaders but the rest of his boat was not much difference from the norm. Success of a program like this would be better supported with funding from a major sponsor than the very generous donations of many individuals. An easier proposition financially for a non sponsored boat would be a Open 50 as they cost 40% less even though they are only 10 foot smaller.

If money weren’t an issue, what one thing would you add or change to Ocean Planet’s program? 

AP A full time shore support team would be a tremendous help.   Typical programs have several people with different expertise, working full time. Since Bruce stopped in Spain, his South African stopover is shortened, putting additional pressure on us to turn the boat around for the next leg.  We’ve got a new main and hardware to install Cape Town, in addition to autopilot, engine servicing, rewiring navigation lights, fixing a disturbing crack in the hull, leaks, rigging. All in around 20 days.  This is a lot of maintenance work for a short-handed crew.  I am grateful that Jason Winkel of Argo Rigging will joining me in Cape Town.

What’s the hardest part of the job, waiting and watching while the boat is racing or the work when the boat hits port?

AP The hardest part is the work when the boat hits the dock. I would rather be sailing, than being a spectator.  In Brixham, England, I worked 18-hour days for 14 days straight.  There never seemed to be enough time to complete all the tasks and repairs.  Due to the time difference, I’d finish working on the boat and then have answer 20 emails a day regarding the boom shipment, battens and other communication from the U.S. So when my workday ended in the UK, the US workday was just starting, creating both a UK and US work schedule for me.

How much does sponsorship play into the fact that the French, British, Italians and Kiwis are dominant in Ocean Racing?

AP Sponsorship does not dominate as much as you might think. Sponsorship is hard to find in the world. The French dominate the Open 60 circuit, and the Kiwis lead the Volvo 60 circuit. The French are more into single-handed sailing. It is understandable if you’ve ever sailed on a fully crewed French racing yacht; it’s like sailing with 10 skippers!  (I’m half English so I’m allowed a French joke every so often J) 


Managing the masses on the dock.

The French, British and New Zealanders have another advantage over the Americans. They sail in more varied and tougher conditions than the Americans do on average. England has a huge variety from big Atlantic swells on the west coast to short breaking waves in the shallows of the North Sea, and accelerating wind through the Dover straits. Add in man made hazards like oilrigs, the busiest shipping lanes in the world, a few fishing boats and you have a big obstacle course.

We also have races like the two handed Round Britain race. This has been a training ground for big names in offshore sailing: Steve Fossett, Robin Knox Johnston, Chay Blyth and Ellen MacArthur. The race has four 48-hour rolling stops in remote places like Crosshaven, Barra, Lerwick, (which is as far north as Cape Horn is south.) and the attrition rate of the fleet is high. If you survive the rugged storms battered west coast and dodge through the oilrigs and sand banks on the east coast you then have to fight the gales in the Channel. Despite this race being a full circle, you spend 80% of the 2000-mile race going upwind as the low pressure systems keep on moving through.

I think that these nationalities produce more ocean racers because their racing schedules include predominantly offshore races. Some of the RORC weekend races across the English Channel can be very rough indeed. Typical European sailors do that sort of thing almost every weekend. Our winter races require getting up at 5am on a Sunday. We travel at over 200% of the posted speed limit down the M3 to the boat to wash the ice off the deck with salt water so that it doesn’t refreeze. On the other hand, US sailor typically race inshore on their weekends and if there is ice on the deck they are smart and just don’t go out OR go ice yachting!! 

You mentioned to me once that in France, shore team captains are looked at differently than in the States. Can you elaborate on that?

AP In France a person who prepares racing boats is called a ‘preparateur’. The singlehanded sailing scene is treated much like the Formula One racing car circuit. The people working in shore teams have the same expertise as the skipper, awarding them the same respect. Single-handed sailing is a team sport. This was evident getting Ocean Planet ready for Leg 2 in Brixham, England. We used over 1000 hours of volunteer services and we couldn’t have done it without their support. I wrote a long page on Oceanplanet’s website to thank everyone, I was blown away by the volunteers efforts.

We all love the classic, “man against the sea” stories.   In France, England and New Zealand Ocean Racers are seen as national heroes.  Why is the attention given to American sailors watered down in comparison?

 AP Inshore racing is the primary form of sailing done in the US and it is not a story about survival. While the general public doesn’t fully understand the details of sailing, they do relate, however, to stories about surviving the elements. Ocean Racing would gain more interest in the US if a personality, which the general public could identify with was successful  like Ellen MacAurthur has been in Europe.  The public pays attention to sailing projects that have well planned and executed media campaigns, like Offshore Challenges did with Ellen MacAurthur.


Round Britain Doublehanded
As far North as Cape Horn is South
Mad dogs and Englishmen J

If anything, what needs to change?

AP In regards to sponsorship there needs to be more structure and commitment from the sailors.  Sailors need to provide more than just offering to stick the company’s name on the boats hull and go sailing. They should be willing to work with the company to maximize the sponsorship both internally and externally. Unfortunately, in the past some sailing sponsors had been used poorly or have not fully understood the projects. In some cases someone at the top management level decides to sponsor but the sales/marketing department doesn’t know itself what to do with the property.  Going forward, there needs to be a more business like approach towards sailing sponsorships.

 

What are your feelings on “all women teams”?

 AP I am in Florida at the moment racing in the Osprey Cup, a women’s match racing event. The best analogy I can make is why do parents send their kids to a single sex school vs. a mixed? The answer is different for every person. I think women’s teams allow some women to learn without feeling threatened. On the other hand, in order to be the best you have to race amongst the best. At the moment the “best” tend to be guys, since they have more experience, I guess. I don’t believe women’s teams are natural. There is a whole different dynamic onboard, which in my experience, I have not particularly enjoyed. I think co-ed teams are the way to go, in real life situations men and women work alongside each other. There is a catch 22 though in that in is still hard for women to get on certain top boats. However, in my experience if you get on with your job and do it well it doesn’t matter what sex you are, you will automatically earn the respect of the guys anyway. If it is a boat full of chauvinists there is no point in forcing the situation, find another boat.

Do you think that approach helps or hurts women’s credibility in what really is a male dominated sport?

AP I think it depends on how the women on the team conduct themselves as to whether their credibility is affected. Anyone is respected if they admit when they are not as experienced and don’t use excuses for a poor result. In my experience guys are sometimes more willing to answer questions and share their experience than women are. If they are willing to give you advice that is a reflection on the individuals personality not guys in general. 

What are your short and long term goals inside the sport? 

AP In 2003, I am going to concentrate on improving my small boat helming – I will be taking my boyfriend’s Etchells to San Diego for the mid winters. I believe it is the best place to learn and I don’t mind loosing – too much J.  I would like to do some Grade 4 women’s match racing events as skipper with an experienced skipper as my mainsheet person. Match racing is great because you do at least 9 starts a day which means over 25 mark roundings and you get good at getting the boat up to speed fast.

Any big boat racing in your future? 

AP Defiantly that is all I do right now. I’ve dreamed of doing the Volvo since I was 12 and I got almost there last year with my own boat, but things didn’t work out. If I have the energy and the money, I may try to do it again next time round. I had Ellen MacAurthur signed on as navigator and a great co-ed team lined up. So if things work out like that next time, maybe that’s where you will see me next.

When are you going to come to the dark side and start racing multihulls?

AP I have only sailed multihulls once in a regatta in Dubai. It was fun – maybe when I get monohull sailing under my belt I will change sides!

Especially in the States, you don’t hear too many instances of people getting rich in sailing.  How do you compensate your income?

AP In the past I’ve worked as a sailmaker and as a shore team manager on race boats, like Ocean Planet.  I know I can always earn money by working on boats and doing deliveries but you’re right, not many people make a lot of money in sailing.  I’ve started a company, www.oceanracing.com, which manufactures and sells duffle bags made out of re-cycled race sails as well as Canterbury of New Zealand clothing. We are always looking for sails with a ‘pedigree’ and can turn them into duffle bags for a boat owner. At the moment working on a new line of products, which I think will be very different and practical.

At what age do you see yourself stepping away from sailing professionally and putting your full attention into “sail” bags?

AP Well I don’t know at what age. I’m only 24 and am not looking at retiring soon. My goal is to blend my love of sailing with something that would allow me to earn a better living.  Oceanracing.com will allow me to be near home while earning a salary I can live with.  It is already keeping me busy. In the coming months we’ll be expanding our product line.  Although, I can’t say too much about that now.

Along with my new business, I would like to perhaps attempt another Volvo 60 campaign. Last year I had a boat and sponsorship lined up but it all disappeared like my stock portfolio! I will continue to race as much as possible, something I want to do concurrently with running www.OceanRacing.com.  It is out on the racing circuit that great new product ideas for sailing come to mind, not sitting in an office somewhere.

Who’ll win the America’s Cup?

AP Alinghi – they have the experience of performing under fire and their boat doesn’t seem to be too slow.

Thanks Ashley. 

Bay of Islands

December 4, 2007   

Last weekend I rented a car and took a trip up to the Bay of Islands. It is a 240km drive from Auckland. I did my usual ‘gunk holing’ leaving Saturday morning and stopping along the way getting to the backpackers at 5pm. This time I had no Annabelle which was sad but I survived!

As I drove through Wellsford I saw signs for a christmas parade and indeed people were lining the street and they were starting to close down the main road through town. I drove on through and parked on the north end of town after the barricades. Wanting to try and get in a festive mood I sat on the side of the road with lots of families – the kids all excited about the prospect of Santa Claus and ‘lollies’ (sweets or candy). It still doesn’t seem like Christmas though as I have a sunburn and am in shorts and t-shirts all day :-). The parade was small but a noticeable amount of effort was put in by the community so it was fun to see.

Next stop Mangawhai for the saturday market where I picked up some packed lunch then a beautiful beach walk at Mangawhai Heads before getting back on the coastal road. The drive reminded me of HW 1 from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach. Whangarei is a commercial town but the Town Basin is great for boat spotters and there is an amazing second hand boat parts store which I ducked into to get out of the rain.  At Kawakawa I had to get out and check out the ”World Famous” public toliet and also watch some bowling.

At Opua I took the car ferry across to Russell and the Wainui Lodge backpackers both are small scenic towns on the shore of the Bay of Islands. The owner of Wainui Lodge had built the place himself he was a very gracious host and was very worried about my obvious tiredness giving me a lecture on taking time off! I spent the evening exploring Russell which is has a lot of history for a NZ town as it was the first capital of NZ and one of the first European settlements.

 I was planning on some tramping on the Sunday but everyone I had talked to said I must see the Bay of Islands from water. So I did the unthinkable and paid to go sailing (my clients should ignore this comment!). The owner was a Canadian from BC and between a few other crew including his daughter he made the day trip very enjoyable. There was a lot of wildlife to see – the dolphins loved us – and we went for a walk on one of the islands. At 5pm it was time to pile in the car for the trip back to Auckland so I would be back for monday morning work. I took the coast road around from Russell through Oakura to Whakapara. It was a very windy road and a lot slower than the car ferry option back to Opua I thought it would be worth the extra distance as it was meant to be scenic, it was but no more than the main road.

The coast of NZ is starting to blossom with color as the NZ christmas tree (pohutukawa) is starting to flower. These trees are trough and adaptable gaining a foothold in inhospitable rock crevices surviving being drenched costantly with sea water spray.

Mexico for Thanksgiving

November 30, 2007   

Mary Coleman owner of the Farr 40 Astra that I race in San Francisco with her partner Jim Forrest bought a penthouse condo on the beach in Puerto Vallerta. She kindly invited a few of us to spend Thanksgiving with her in the sun. I bought my ticket long before getting my 3 month job in New Zealand so it was a long haul to say the least to get there.

The catering truck ran into the Quantus plane in AKL the pilot thought it was fixed so after sitting at the gate for an hour and half he put us on the plane. We sat on the plane for 2 1/2 hours on the runway leaving AKL at 11:50 at night. There was a medical emergency in flight and we were met by an ambulance and fire men. Then when we landed in LAX the tow bar broke off the plane so they had to repair that before they could get us to a gate. Missed my connection to SFO so they wanted me to sit in LAX airport for 8 hours waiting for another flight – not my idea of a good time. Long and short of it was I got my flight changed to 8am the next day to Mexico from LAX so I didn’t have to go back to SFO and arrive at 11pm to leave early the next morning. Next challenge was to find someone to stay with in LA over Thanksgiving week when everyone is going away. So I started dialing for dollars as it were. Found a friend willing to give me a bed then had to figure out how to get to the bed! Again all the rental cars were booked with the big rental companies so I ended up paying a lot of money for a local company which gave me a dirty car with 140,000 miles on it. A far cry from the one I got last weekend in NZ which had 7km on the dial for less money :-). So off I drove down to Newport Beach.

5am wake up to make my early flight down to Mexico. This was my first time to Mexico (I don’t count Tijauna) but nuevo Vallerta is really just condo complex after condo complex on the shore of Banderas bay so I was in effect staying in the US. Mary, Jim, Magda, George, Bob and Terri had been there for the week so by the time I turned up on Wednesday they were already in local relax mode. Gus and Delphine came in the same afternoon as myself.

Mary had as usual planned everything beautifully and provided copious amounts of delicious food. Thanksgiving morning we went for a ride on a steam launch through the canals and saw all the wildlife including croccodiles, pelicans, dolphins and many iguanas. We had a typical thanksgiving dinner with a flair at a restuarant in the cobbled streets 20 minutes from the house. It was a warm night and there was the usual mexican band walking amoungst the tables.

On Friday we rented a boat for the day and went to a small fishing village along the coast there wasn’t much sailing until the afternoon when a little wind came in. The boat was a 30 year old beautifully restored wooden yawl built to take a beating. The crew was attentive and Gus, Delphine and I had a great time swimming from the shore back to the boat – a touch cold at first but you got use to it. We had dinner at a French place on the beach it was good food but we weren’t sure it was worth the two hour wait for our entrees!

Saturday was a lie on the beach and read a book day. In the evening we all crammed into the Jeep with two of us in the boot and went to PVYC for drinks. Then on to PV old town to Fajitas Republic a really good mexican restuarant on cobbled streets of old Vallerta. A stroll along the boardwalk was needed to walk off the food. There were fireworks from a pirate ship, sculptures, jugglers, all amongst the typical warm climate atmosphere where everything overflows onto the pavements at night. Delphine had cotton candy and then it was time to go to Mary and Jim’s favorite bar. I liked the bar because it played country and western! The also had a donkey – a real live one – for patrons to ride around the bar – we have some great pictures of Gus and Delphine on the poor donkey. Lots of margaritas, shots of tequila and in my case shirley temples later we made our way home to comfortable beds.

Sunday it was time to go home to San Francisco. My flight luckly left and arrived on time so I was able to get to Daniel couch in Marin in time for 8 hours of sleep. Monday I was able to spend a great day hanging out with my nephew who has learnt to walk and is very proud of himself. He wants to do it himself now and not be held back in anyway. Then it was off to the airport again for another 13 hour airplane trip back to Auckland, NZ.

Carrying Inflatable PFD on Planes

November 29, 2007   

Carrying Inflatable PFD’s with you on Commercial Aircraft can be a distressing event, unless you plan on it in advance. The issue is, that the charged cartridge on the inflatable is a Hazardous Material as defined by the FAA Regulation (49CFR175). There is an Exception 25 in the Regulation that allows the carriage of charged inflatable PFD’s (one PFD per passenger and one spare cartridge), but leaves the option to the Individual Air Carriers whether or not to accept them on their flights.

These same rules apply whether you take your inflatable as a carry-on or check it through. Life becomes more involved for us sailors since the U.S. Air Carriers do not follow the U.S. FAA Regulations in this area, since most deal with international flights where the Federal Laws have no jurisdiction. Therefore, the U.S. Air Carriers subscribe to a higher level of regulations called the International Air Transportation Association (IATA). The IATA is more restrictive than the FAA, but in this case, they mirror the FAA. The IATA does not call the cartridges “hazardous materials” as the FAA does, the IATA calls it a “Dangerous Goods.” For more ideas on boating items you may be carrying that may be considered a Dangerous Good look at this IATA list.

See http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm#9 look at the section entitled Disabling Chemicals & Other Dangerous Items or go to http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/compressed_gas.shtm

When ordering your tickets with the airline, speak directly to the airline, not your ticket agent and ask them, if it is acceptable to carry your Inflatable PFD that contains a charged CO2 cylinder that meets FAA Regulation 49CFR175.10, Exception 25 and the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulation Table 2.3.A. If the ticket agent calls their Hazardous Materials department (some air carriers call this their Dangerous Goods Inspectors), get the approving authorities name and phone number as well as the name and phone number of the approving agent and have that information ready with you when you check in. Believe it or not, the final decision will be made at the gate, with the final decision made by the gate attendant. In the safe environment of air carriers, everyone appreciates it when they error on the side of caution.

If you have a crewsaver or spinlock lifejacket you can get a letter from the manufactuerers that can be of assistance to you. See
Spinlockand see very bottom

Coromandel Peninsular – New Zealand 08

November 18, 2007   

by Annabelle Booth

The NZ weather has been good to us recently but we still do get days of drizzle and mist-you know its a grotty day when you can’t see the Auckland Harbour Bridge. This week-end, Ashley and I went to a place called the Coromandel Peninsular. It is a lovely spot and only 2 hours from Auckland. We did a walk up to a place called The Pinnacles, which is basically a rocky outcrop that used to be magma from a volcano. It is meant to take 3 hours to get to the top but we managed it in about 2.5 which was rather satisfying! The surrounding area is where they used to do alot of kauri log mining. You have to climb up steep stone steps on the walk which they used to send the pack horses up- I don’t know how the horses got up- some of it was very steep and the paths even went across rocky streams! The loggers set up a dam system which they used to send the logs down the hill. One of the streams was renamed Calamity Creek as it was very steep waterfall and all the logs shattered at the bottom…. They used the dam system to send up to 28,000 logs downstream- huge amounts!!

We spent the night in the Dept of Conservation hut with 40 others! The hut actually sleeps 80 and it was full- there were lots of family groups so it had a nice atmosphere. It reminded me of the walks my family used to do in HK. We walked down the hill, along the Billy Goat trail. We were very lucky as we did actually see a billy goat!

After the walk, we drove to Hot Water Beach and Hahei Beach where we took a sea kayaking trip to see Cathedral Cove. It was great fun on the kayak. Ash is an experienced kayaker but I am a novice- apparently I need to work on my technique which is not as efficient as it could be! The kayak leader heard of Ash’s experience and decided to liven up our kayaking trip by launching us from the beach straight into a massive wave- we did not turn over but it was a very comical/hair raising experience taking a wave full frontal! I was in the front, as I did not trust myself to steer the kayak, so got the brunt of it!!

Tonight, to save costs I am staying the night on the boat with Ash. The boat is 90 foot long and amazing- it has all the mod cons including air con, fridges, freezers, washing machine, dryer, computers, jacuzzi up top and some lovely guest cabins. The staff cabins are pretty good too. I am now seriously considering doing some sailing courses and trying to get a job as a stewardess on a boat.

Walking on an active volcanoe

November 12, 2007   

This last weekend Annabelle and I drove down to Whakatane via the south shore of the Hauraki Gulf. It was a beautiful drive and we stopped at a village hall to buy some homemade cakes for lunch!

 We got to Whakatane in the early afternoon on saturday and checked into the backpackers and then spent the afternoon walking around town. We saw a Maori canoe, a cave that is special to the Moari people and checked out the enterance which reminds me of Morro Bay – there is a standing wave at the harbour enterance and lots of rocks. The harbour is long and narrow and on a rock at the enterance there is a statue of a maori woman.

 On Sunday morning we got on Peejay V a 73 foot custom built powerboat for a ride out the White Island which is 50km offshore. The trip was uneventful except for one of the passengers passing out right next to me – the crew reacted very professionally. The owners of White Island Tours have worked hard to create a great experience they have it down pat.

 

You are given a gas mask, hard hat and are divided into groups and get into the 15 foot dinghy that ferries you to the pier on White Island.

Below is from White Island tour website

White Island is one of the most fascinating and accessible volcanoes on earth, carrying with it an A grade level of scientific importance.  As New Zealand’s only live marine volcano, scientists and volcanologists worldwide are attracted by its unique features.
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The volcano is estimated to be between 100,000 and 200,000 years old.  However, the small portion of the island that is visible above sea level has been in its present form for an estimated  16,000 years  – evidence of a continually changing landscape.

 Walking on White Island is like walking on the moon.  Virtually no vegetation survives the harsh acidic environment inside the crater walls.  Instead, lush beds of yellow and white sulphur crystals grow amongst hissing, steaming, bubbling fumaroles.

 Giant mounds, remnants of the 1914 Great Landslide, dwarf visitors as they wind their way up to the Main Crater.  Venturing to the edge, they are greeted by an amazing sight – an immense crater, with towering walls shielding its spectacular lake and punctuated by steamy vents from which the power of the inner earth constantly belches forth.

 Neighbouring Donald Duck and Noisy Nellie Craters each have their own stories to tell and a view from on high.  Down below, bright yellow chimneys of delicate sulphur crystals enhance the alien landscape and lure the visitor for a closer look.

 In contrast to these natural features, stand the ruins of an old factory, the only human testament to the numerous failed sulphur mining attempts of days gone by, and now slowly being reclaimed by Mother Nature.

 Scientific equipment is discreetly positioned around the volcano.  Its activity is constantly being monitored by IGNS (Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences).  A seismograph, survey pegs, magnetometers and a camera all provide information on just what the volcano is up to.  Up-to-date images of the island can be viewed hourly at www.geonet.org.nz

 White Island currently sits on an alert level rating of 1, meaning she is always active, constantly steaming.  Misty, roaring, ashing, rumbling .

 Annabelle and I used our gas masks quite a lot the sulphur really does irritate your throat. The weekend was an exciting experience. Next time I think I will do a diving trip out here – apparently it is amazing as there are pockets of hot air escaping from underwater fumerals.

 We got back really late to Auckland on Sunday night ready for work on Monday morning.

 Hope you had a good weekend where ever you were.

Packing List for Milford Track

October 30, 2007   

I carried a 75litre backpack with the following items.
Cooking Pots
lightweight eating utensils
Plastic water bottle (used as a hot water bottle and a mug)
Sleeping bag
Shirts: Poly T-Shirts 2 long sleeve
Fleece: Lightweight Longsleeved Fleece Pull-over
Thermal Shirt: Longsleeved Thermal Top
Mini First-Aid Kit (moleskin & ibuprofin)
Matches and a Lighter (for lighting the stoves in the huts)
Whistle, Space Blanket
Ear Plugs (people snore!)
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Pack of cards for in the hut
Pen/paper
Longjohns: I never got cold enough to wear them
Underwear: 4 pairs
Rain Gear: I took my Musto foul weather gear and was totally dry.
Gaiters: Knee-high, cheap set (next time I wouldn’t take a set)
Lightweight fleece hat
Rain hat
Mini-Flashlight/batteries
Bug repellent (take lots the sandflies are nasty)
Zip-Lock Baggies for everything you don’t want to get wet and for carrying out garbage
Bio-Degradable Dish Soap (though the huts all had plenty)
Scrub Pad for Cook Kit (1/3 of a sponge with a scrub top – again the huts all had plenty)
Toliet Paper (the huts had them as did all the toilets along the track)
Hiking shoes (it is necessary to have Vibram soles (stiff) I prefered these over my full hiking boots.)
Sandals (for huts and stream crossings)
Hiking Socks (4 pairs as they get wet and don’t dry)
Salopettes (I took my quick dry mid layer sailing salopettes and they were great for hiking in)
Loose fitting quick drying shorts
Gloves: Windstopper Fleece (didn’t use them even in the snow over the pass)
One large emergency meal (just in case you have an extra day on the track like we did)
Next time I would take fresh ingredients for the 1st nights meal as the walk into the first hut is only an 1.5 hour stroll.
If you don’t have a rain cover which I didn’t make sure everything is doublebagged in black plastic bags in fact even with a rain cover this is a good idea.

Tongariro, Taupo and Rotarua

October 23, 2007   

 

On Sunday I drove Annabelle to Hamilton after the night at Waitomo as the bus trip to Raglan would have taken all day. Then back to Waitomo to pick up Lisa and on to Tongariro National Park where we were going skiing. It was the last weekend the slopes were meant to be open however, a quick look at the morning ski report showed rain not snow so we took our time getting there stopping at Rapid Canoe Hire a family run business just off HW 4 near Taumarunui. We rented a two person canoe for the afternoon and went over 5 or so rapids down the Whanganui River. The owners of the canoe hire drove our car down river meeting us at a road bridge – we took the car and headed south to Tongariro and they took the canoe and headed to their next meeting point further down river with the people who had spent all day on the river.

 

The canoeing was fun and reminded me of my school trip on the Ardeche River in France. Lisa was in the front and I steered sometimes more successfully then others through the rapids. It was sometime a challenge as it was quite windy so when it came to lining the canoe up to go down a rapid you had to take the nose off the wind at the right time requiring watching the gusts etc. At one rapid I could tell we were possibly going to lose it so I did a three point turn purposely grounding the front of the canoe in a gravel island then ending up going backwards and turning to exit going forwards! Another time we ended up doing a similar maneuver however, this time not on purpose – a little rusty on the canoeingJ. There were large amounts of pumice stone floating down the river so we collected pieces of the rock to put in people’s Christmas stockings!

 

We got to the ski slopes at Whakapapa Village in time for some snow tubing and after checking into Skotel (the highest hotel in NZ) just behind the beautiful Grand Chateau we went for a short but beautiful walk to build up an appetite. The national park has three volcanoes which are active hence the brochures and wall posters telling you what to do in the event of an eruption – Mt Ruapehu last erupted in 1995. Next time I am in NZ I think I will tramp the Tangariro Northern Circuit a 5 or 6 day walk amongst beautifully colored volcanic lakes. 

 

We hoped to do the Tangariro crossing the next day (Monday – a bank holiday in NZ) but the fog was dense and it was raining and blowing hard in the morning so we got in the car and drove till we found good weather at Lake Taupo. A short stop at Huka Falls where the water has carved a cleft in the rock and the water is beautifully clear and turquoise. Stopped along the road at the Bee Hive a store where you can taste different honeys just like wine tasting. Next time I come to Taupo I am going to bring my fly fishing rod and have a go at catching the world famous trout. Next stop was Orakei Korako ‘the place of the adorning’ one of the finest thermal areas of NZ it is relatively remote and therefore not packed with people. To get over to the thermal valley you take a ferry across Lake Ohakuri. There is a walking track taking you around large, colorful silica terraces, geysers and a magnificent nature cave with a pool of jade green water.

 

Onto Rotorua a very touristy town built in the crater of a volcanoe and the area of the most energetic thermal activity in the country. We had a picnic lunch next to Lake Rotorua and visited Ohinemutu ‘the place of the young woman who was killed’ a lakeside Maori village. There is a small historic church – St Faiths’ Anglican with beautifully decorated interior of Maori carvings, stain glass windows and painted scrollwork. Also a large meeting house built in 1887 which was unfortunately closed up however; we peeked through a hole in one of the windows.

 

The Bath House is a Tudor style building built in 1908 and it is set amongst very English style croquet lawns and rose gardens in the Government Gardens. We spent as long as possible in the museum there was a particularly interesting exhibit about the Maori Battalion that participated in WWII. We joined in on part of a guided tour led by a lady whose great grandfather was a mediator between the Maoris’ and Europeans casting a more personal light on some of the exhibits which were actually given to the museum by her family. More time was needed here but we had a long drive back to Auckland for work the next morning.

Caving in Waitomo

  

By Annabelle Booth

I have had a few exciting trips around the North Island with my friend Ashley.

Last week-end was a national holiday so we took a trip to Waitomo Caves which is a natural limestone cave complex.   The latent geographer in me was very excited by the caves!  We donned wetsuits, helmets and abseiling gear and then took a 4 hour caving trip.  I have never abseiled before so it was interesting doing it in the dark, through gushing rainfalls and against rock wall, which sometimes seemed to disappear from under my feet….   There are lots of glow worms in the caves- they are very cool creatures who burn more brightly they hungrier they are.  I enjoyed it but it was pretty scared at times.  We also managed to get lost down there!  The guides directed us and said they would meet us further on and  we missed the blindingly obvious turn and continued merrily through the cave!  Luckily, we soon realised we had made a massive wrong turn and retraced our steps…. 

I have all my fingers and toes crossed that we will not get lost this week-end- rather unexpectedly I have a ticket to walk the Milford Trek, a four day walk which involves 3 nights staying in a mountain hut!  It is meant to be an absolutely beautiful walk but it is going to be hard  walking plus it will be very wet and cold and we have to carry all our stuff.  We are flying down to Queenstown and then taking a bus to the start of the walk.  I am excited but also a little nervous especially as the weather has been terrible on the South Island.  They have had 2 earthquakes in the last 4 weeks, avalanches, gale force wind- it is certainly going to be an interesting trip! The huts also have rangers who help you along the way and ensure everyone is ok. 

After the trek, we are going to travel back to Queenstown and drive to Christchurch.  Along the way we will visit Milford Sound, the glaciers, Mount Cook and Geraldine (a small Canterbury village).   i can’t wait to hit the South Island as everyone says that it is really beautiful and is the real NZ.

New WAAS Satellites

September 21, 2007   

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently decommissioned two WAAS GPS satellites and activated two replacement satellites. This means the WAAS firmware in certain older and some current model GPS receivers are no longer able to receive WAAS correction signals. There are a number of ways to determine if your GPS receiver is receiving signals from the new satellites. If your GPS unit has a satellite status page, which most do, check to see if it is receiving data from satellite #51 on the east coast and/or satellite #48 on the west coast. If you are not receiving the data, you will need to either upgrade the firmware in your present GPS, change some settings or replace it entirely to obtain the improved accuracy provided by WAAS corrections.

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