Newsletter 19
Christmas Greetings
22/12/04
Dear Southland Sea Kayakers
It is just over a year since our network started and we now number 75 members. It is interesting to reflect on the accomplishments we have made in that time. We have had 2 weekend kayaking skills courses at Monowai, 4 rolling sessions at Splash Palace and several surf landing/launching practices at Oreti Beach. We have had a number of social evenings at H&J Outdoor World and a number of network trips from day ones on the Oreti and Otepuni Rivers to more ambitious ones on the Foveaux Strait between Bluff and Centre Island. One of our members has even been to Greenland kayaking! Terry has developed an excellent website for the network and Matt has provided a venue for our social evenings and developed the largest kayaking shop in Southland. Also Doug Bath has a good range of dry and semi dry kayaking clothing and kayaks at Gladstone Cycles.
Network skill level
One of the primary aims of the network was to raise the skill levels locally and I think we are well on the way to achieving this. Our courses have been well received. In addition Belinda and I have done the Day Skipper course and the VHF course with the Coastguard and I highly recommend these to people. They are run locally and information about courses are available by ringing 0800 40 80 90.
Kayaking in 2005
The next big project is our kayaking expedition to Preservation Sound starting on 29 January. Things seem to be progressing well and we have 15 kayakers booked on the trip. . We are establishing our base camp on Coal Island and our DOC/SW Endangered Species Project is to disc and lightly clear all the taped tracks on Coal Island in preparation for stoat trapping. We have a programme of exploration, tramping, photogrphy, skills classes and emergency kayak building for the rest of the trip.
At the end of February Belinda and I are flying to Tasmania to go sea kayaking in the South West at Port Davey for a week. In the autumn we hope to run more kayaking trips and during the winter we are going to concentrate on our rolling classes at Splash Palace. I really have not planned ahead of that but I am keen to lead a group across the Foveaux Strait sometime next year.
Lastly I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to making the network a success. I've really enjoyed it and it has encouraged me to carry on planning activities.
On behalf of Belinda and myself we wish you all a Happy Christmas and all the best for 2005.
Stanley
22/12/04
Dear Southland Sea Kayakers
It is just over a year since our network started and we now number 75 members. It is interesting to reflect on the accomplishments we have made in that time. We have had 2 weekend kayaking skills courses at Monowai, 4 rolling sessions at Splash Palace and several surf landing/launching practices at Oreti Beach. We have had a number of social evenings at H&J Outdoor World and a number of network trips from day ones on the Oreti and Otepuni Rivers to more ambitious ones on the Foveaux Strait between Bluff and Centre Island. One of our members has even been to Greenland kayaking! Terry has developed an excellent website for the network and Matt has provided a venue for our social evenings and developed the largest kayaking shop in Southland. Also Doug Bath has a good range of dry and semi dry kayaking clothing and kayaks at Gladstone Cycles.
Network skill level
One of the primary aims of the network was to raise the skill levels locally and I think we are well on the way to achieving this. Our courses have been well received. In addition Belinda and I have done the Day Skipper course and the VHF course with the Coastguard and I highly recommend these to people. They are run locally and information about courses are available by ringing 0800 40 80 90.
Kayaking in 2005
The next big project is our kayaking expedition to Preservation Sound starting on 29 January. Things seem to be progressing well and we have 15 kayakers booked on the trip. . We are establishing our base camp on Coal Island and our DOC/SW Endangered Species Project is to disc and lightly clear all the taped tracks on Coal Island in preparation for stoat trapping. We have a programme of exploration, tramping, photogrphy, skills classes and emergency kayak building for the rest of the trip.
At the end of February Belinda and I are flying to Tasmania to go sea kayaking in the South West at Port Davey for a week. In the autumn we hope to run more kayaking trips and during the winter we are going to concentrate on our rolling classes at Splash Palace. I really have not planned ahead of that but I am keen to lead a group across the Foveaux Strait sometime next year.
Lastly I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to making the network a success. I've really enjoyed it and it has encouraged me to carry on planning activities.
On behalf of Belinda and myself we wish you all a Happy Christmas and all the best for 2005.
Stanley