Maritime Carol

Two brothers - Peter & Andrew - were set netting in the lake. They weren't letting the line run through their fingers and if it got tangled they weren't going to do anything until the net stopped. Then they heard someone  calling out to them. " Come with me and I will teach you to catch men."  Even tho they were so focused on what they were doing, they knew this was the better option.  Immediately they stopped the nets and went ashore.  James & John were fishing on the boat with their father Zebedee .  The first set of floats had just hit the water w hen James & John heard someone   calling them too.    ( After years of no ear protection Zebedee didn't hear the call.)    The last thing  Zebedee saw of the boys, they were walking along the beach with Peter, Andrew & Jesus.  The four fishermen went all over Galilee with  Jesus   when he was teaching in the synagogues and preaching...

The bow dipped, the bilge alarm came on and we were obviously taking on water...   Three years ago contract skipper Brian Climo departed Westhaven on a routine dolphin & whale watching trip.     Dreamweaver's thirty six passengers and four crew had heard the safety briefing, seen the life jacket demonstration and a trip report had been given.       The 23rd February, 2015 was no different than any other Dreamweaver charter and they were soon steaming around North Head towards TiriTiri Matangi.    The crew had worked together before and at the end of each trip they'd socialize over a beer or two.    After thirty five years at sea, Brian knew the Hauraki Gulf well and was confident of his skills as a skipper.    He knew Dreamweaver had a current Survey Certificate but didn't know that her bow section had previously been repaired three times.     As the day progressed, lun...

If Matapouri is for the surfer and Tutukaka the game fisherman, Ngunguru River is perfect for a river cruise - bush lined, peaceful and home to so much history it should be declared 'a must do'. This former scow infested river is definitely historic, and as we motor upstream mine workers cottages soon give way to rimu, totara and manuka trees mixed with willows and ferns. It's two hours before high tide.   "We'll just feel our way up." says Capt Percy. I'm on board MV Kiteawa a 24' luxury pontoon boat 'fully surveyed for a maximum of fifteen passengers' and we're spending 3-4 hours exploring the river. Capt Percy is an expert on this area and points out former tram lines, hidden bridge abutments and a rusty scotch boiler.   "From as early as 1892 these coal mines and clay quarries serviced Auckland needs..." he says as he paints word pictures reminding us how things once were. Facts and figures, stories and...