Boating NZ March 2022

Unsurprising perhaps, but unfortunate nonetheless, this ongoing Covid-19 saga has seen the cancellation or postponement of yet more events around the country. Among them are the Antiques & Classics Boat Show, held annually at Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes district, and the Auckland Boat Show in Auckland’s Viaduct basin. Both are highlights in the boating calendar for many, but the runaway spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant and associated restrictions on gathering sizes has made these events impossible to stage. For the organisers and exhibitors – as for many other events, boating or otherwise – cancellation is a difficult pill to swallow. All that preparation, organisation and investment coming to naught! In the case of the Auckland Boat Show, this is the third year in a row pandemic restrictions…

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An astounding photo of five whale sharks, feeding together at night in the waters of the Maldives sees Rafael Fernandez Caballero from Spain named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2022. Fernandez’s photograph triumphed over 4200 underwater pictures entered by underwater photographers from 71 countries. The photo captures a unique ocean event, taken in demanding photographic conditions. CATEGORY 1. WIDE ANGLE WINNER: Rafael Fernandez Caballero, Spain – Whale sharks at night, Maldive Islands. “We counted at the same time 11 whale sharks surrounding us. It was a unique moment that no one there had thought it could even be possible.” Judge’s comments: It is said that Jacques Cousteau only saw three whale sharks in his whole life, so a photo of five together is something special… Darkness was the opportunity, but…

Iconic charity celebrates 55 years of Keeping New Zealand Beautiful. The phrase ‘Be a Tidy Kiwi’ is deeply rooted in Kiwi culture, stemming back to the 1970s campaigns by environmental charity Keep New Zealand Beautiful that encouraged New Zealanders to take a mindful approach to disposing of their litter. Now, a full 50 years on from the launch of that iconic campaign, Keep New Zealand Beautiful continues to build on a rich legacy by educating, inspiring and empowering Kiwis. 2018 LITTER BEHAVIOUR STUDY: KEY FINDINGS 78% of items littered are cigarette butts Almost half of all littering happens within 5 metres of a bin 16% of Kiwis litter THE 2019 NATIONAL LITTER AUDIT: KEY FINDINGS Cigarette butts were the most frequently identified item nationally, with 39 butts recorded per 1000m²…

The Antique & Classic Boat Show, held annually at Lake Rotoiti in the Nelson Lakes National Park, is another event to fall victim to the Red Covid-19 alert setting. Organiser Pete Rainey said, with little prospect of the alert level changing in the near future, the difficult decision was made to cancel the 2022 show, which was set for March 5 & 6. “With a 100 person limit at outdoor events we had no option but to officially cancel the show,” he said. “We typically draw a couple of hundred owners and a crowd of around four-thousand over the two days of the event, so it’s a real shame for us, for boat enthusiasts, for businesses in St Arnaud and for the local school which runs a food stall at…

The New Zealand Ocean Racing Team has withdrawn from the round the world Ocean Race starting from Alicante, Spain, on January 15, 2023. Sponsorship difficulties in a Covid climate, along with the withdrawal of Auckland as a stopover port, have made it just too hard to raise the necessary funds. “Gutted that we won’t have a Kiwi team in the race next time round but I hope the boat can go to a team that can make it happen,” Bianca Cook told Television One. The team had put in a huge effort over the last three years preparing their VO65 class boat. The last Ocean Race involved a winning margin of just 16 minutes after four months of racing on the water, showing just how close the class has developed…