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WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!
ISSUE 26 SEP/OCT 2021
WEST COAST HUNTING
BBQ COMP LIFE TRADIE PROFILE
ROWAN CROWE
SPRING FISHING OPTIONS
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WORK HARD, PLAY HARD! WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!
WELCOME TO ISSUE TWENTY SIX OF RHEEM OFF-SITE
CONTENTS 04 WEST COAST HUNTING 08 TRADIE PROFILE 14 CHARTER REVIEW 16 BBQ COMP 19 NEW TOYS 20 RHEEM BIG 6 CHALLENGE 22 SPRING FISHING OPTIONS 26 GUARDIAN ANGEL REVIEW 28 FIORDLAND ADVENTURE Cover Photo: Aaron Styles
We made it. Spring has arrived. The snapper are flooding back in to the coast to gorge themselves before spawning, the conditions at our favourite hunting haunts are already on the improve and surfing soon won’t require a 5mm wetsuit. Before things started warming up, however, photographer and South Island local Struan Purdie made sure to drag an Aucklander into the Southern Alps for a weekend of hunting. He kicks off Issue 26 by sharing the story of their extremely successful weekend on the wild west coast. I put pen to paper next, interviewing former rock-star and current family man Rowan Crowe for this month’s ColorCote Tradie Profile. Off-Site’s own Josh Rudd was lucky enough to head out with Hauraki Express fishing charters recently, and he picks up where I left off by sharing his thoughts on
their operation. Low ‘n’ slow BBQ expert Kezza Packer then takes us deep into the world of competition BBQing, which he says is about far more than just cooking meat. If you’re sick of chasing workups in Auckland-like traffic jams, charter captain Nick Jones has a few solutions. He talks us through some Hauraki Gulf spring fishing options that don’t involve dropping sliderstyle lures under birds. To round out the issue, adventure specialist Steve Dickinson gives us the play by play of his recent trip to Fiordland, confirming there’s no better place to visit if you’re an adventure-loving Kiwi. As always, get in touch if you have any stories of your own to share. Message us on Instagram (@offsite_magazine) or flick me an email at ethan@nzfishingnews.co.nz. Enjoy!
ETHAN NEVILLE
Rheem off-Site is published bi-monthly by NZ Fishing Media Ltd. Offices are located at 177B Marua Road, Ellerslie, Auckland, Ph (09) 579 4060. THE BOSS Grant Blair QS Grant Dixon PROJECT MANAGER Ethan Neville ARCHITECT Ricky Harris CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Leah Foxcroft HAMMER HAND (Advertising) Josh Williams | 021 862 579 | sales@nzfishingnews.co.nz EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Ethan Neville | 021 176 1366 | ethan@nzfishingnews.co.nz Advertising within this publication is subject to NZ Fishing Media Ltd’s standard advertising terms and conditions, a copy of which is available by emailing grant@nzfishingnews.co.nz or by calling (09) 579 4060
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Hunting
A WEST COAST
WHIRLWIND Struan Purdie thought he was in for a tough weekend when he offered to take an Aucklander and another mate new to hunting into the Alps, but he needn’t have worried. He shares the story of the weekend…
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he enormous bull tahr was just 30 metres away, staring right at us, waiting… for what? Jimmy lifted the rifle and then an ominous sound. Click. A misfire. The bull remained fixed to the spot. The West Coast of the South Island is a magnificent place for an adventure, particularly if it involves hunting. Red deer, Himalayan tahr and chamois are all originally imports to New Zealand but now very much at home amongst our towering alps. It was a brilliant clear morning as we lifted off the helicopter pad and headed into the mountains for an adventure of our own. Along for the ride was Josh, a mate from Auckland who was yet to shoot a chamois, and Jimmy, a good friend who was just new to hunting. Neither had been in a helicopter
before so were both fizzing by the time we arrived at our basecamp, our home for the next two days. We wasted little time once the machine departed, shouldering packs and heading for the tops. It didn’t take long before we started spotting animals with a couple of chamois bedded down high on a ridge. We kept climbing, hoping to loop round them. However, after a couple of hours of hard slog we crested a brow, with the wind now at our backs, only to see them galloping away across the basin. The terrain seemed to stretch forever. Every ridge we reached revealed another basin topped with steep bluffs. It was magnificent country – but it all quickly disappeared as an ominous bank of thick fog rolled in from the coast, reducing visibility to less than 50 metres. It all happened within the
space of 15 minutes, leaving us no choice but to climb higher. I left the boys to carry on as I answered the call of one too many coffees earlier in the day. When I finally caught up to them at the very top of the block, they were crouched down looking very excited. “Tahr!” whispered Josh, frantically pointing over the ridge. Sure enough, a group of four females were resting lazily on a bluff a couple hundred meters away. I handed the rifle to Jimmy as he was yet to shoot a tahr. He lined up on the nearest nanny and slowly squeezed the trigger. Click. What a time for a misfire. Jimmy raked another round into the chamber. Boom! A clean miss. The group bolted into the next gully, and we hurried along the ridge to see if we could catch up to them. Five minutes later, I slowly peered over and almost fell with shock after
Josh and Jimmy climbing high into the alps in search of chamois and tahr.
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1 seeing a big bull tahr looking back at me, just a stone’s throw away. He must have been with the original group but remained out of sight during the first two shots. The pressure was on as Jimmy lined up the big bull. Click. Another misfire! By now I suspected some dodgy handloads so hastily swapped out Jimmy’s rifle with Josh’s. All the while the bull remained glued to the spot. Jimmy took aim and finally dispatched the monster with a solid shot to the shoulder. Relief flooded over us, but it quickly faded as the bull tumbled off a steep bluff system below us and out of sight. It was certainly going to be a tricky recovery with a frozen creek now between us and the tahr.
2 The next two hours proved gruelling with a tricky descent down to the tahr, a finger-numbing skinning job then a hard slog back up. By the time we reached the top ridge, the light was quickly fading, and we were still three hours from camp. When we finally did reach the tents, we were all exhausted yet buzzing from an amazing first day on the hill. The next morning dawned as clear as the first and we weren’t wasting any time. Our pick-up was scheduled for 1pm ahead of a weather front due later that afternoon. We started up the face opposite camp with chamois the clear target for the day. By the time we reached the ridge, we’d spotted a couple of flighty
nannies but nothing within shooting range. I was getting nervous with time quickly running out to secure Josh his first chamois. We decided to creep along the ridge with the hope of spotting something below us. Well, it turned out the chamois gods were smiling on us, as we soon spotted a male and female feeding 250 metres away. Josh and I slowly crept downhill to get into a good shooting position. Josh settled in behind the rifle. By now, both chamois were looking up intently and whistling nervously at us. The nanny was closest while the buck was partly obscured by a patch of scrub. “Shoot the nanny!” I hissed, keen to at least get something on the
1) For Josh and Jimmy, this was the first helicopter they’d ever travelled on. 2) Not a bad lunchtime view for the boys. 3) The trek was gruelling, but definitely well worth it. 4) Aucklander Josh doing his best to survive the cold. 5) After a couple of misfires, Jimmy was finally able to nail his tahr. 6) Not one to listen to instructions, Josh shot the bigger of the two chamois.
3 deck before they both bolted. Boom! The buck crumpled on the spot. Josh was beaming from ear to ear. We picked our way down to him and were stunned to find an absolute cracker, bigger than any chamois I’d shot. “Lucky I didn’t listen to you!” Josh exclaimed. The buck would later measure just shy of 10.5 inches – an awesome trophy for any hunter but an extraordinary buck to call your first. We snapped some pictures then stripped off the head, skin and meat before hightailing it back to camp. It had been a whirlwind of a hunt – two awesome alpine trophies taken within 36 hours. We were a bit bummed to be leaving so soon but the prospect of getting caught in the approaching storm and Josh missing his flight back to Auckland were enough to convince us to get off the hill. Back at the truck, we waved goodbye to the pilot and started hassling Josh about planning a North Island trip. Damn we’re lucky to live in this paradise.
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THE COLORCOTE TRADIE PROFILE w w w. c o l o r c o t e . c o . n z
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ROWAN CROWE
Rowan Crowe hasn’t lived an ordinary life. From rock-star to apprentice builder, he’s done a fair bit in his twenties and thirties. For this issue’s ColourCote Tradie Profile, Off-Site Editor Ethan Neville caught up with Rowan to hear more about what it’s like to take ‘the road less travelled’.
L BUILDER
MUSICIAN
FAMILY MAN
ast year, Rowan Crowe lost his job in finance during the chaos of lockdown number one. At something of a crossroads, he decided to put his family first and leave the Big Smoke for a quieter life in Whangamata. With there being about “three jobs” – to quote Rowan – in the area, he enlisted as an apprentice builder at the humble age of 35. The first half of his working life, however, could not have been more different – and if you’re familiar with the band Goodnight Nurse like the rest of us nineties kids, you’ll already know why. When we properly met at a mutual friend’s 30th birthday a few months ago, I was bit taken aback when the tatted up punk musician who used to teach drums at my school told me he was now living in Whangamata, spending most of his time surfing and applying himself in a trade. I left that party with a few questions that needed answering, so I got in touch and organised a time for a call. He was having his smoko at 11, and he’d love to catch up then if I didn’t mind him eating and chatting. I didn’t, so after the usual pleasantries were out of the way, I asked him the first and most obvious question: how on earth did a local Kiwi boy end up travelling the world playing music? The contrasting sounds of Christian ballads and secular punk music, it turns out, were the catalyst for his musical journey. “It was mostly in high school that
I started hearing punk music, and that’s where things changed. I grew up with Christian music, and then I heard Blink 182 and The Offspring and Sum 41, and I was like, ‘What is this?’ They were fast and aggressive and raw. “I started bringing bands to our school to do lunchtime gigs. In the weekends, I’d head to the city to watch bands… and so I stumbled into the world of music.” By the time he was finishing high school, little else was on Rowan’s mind. “A few friends of mine and me flew to America in our Year 13 holidays. A friend picked us up in a van, and we drove across the country watching our favourite bands and seeing who could last in Walmart the longest with no shoes on (America has a strict no shoes no service policy).” When Rowan came back to NZ, all his time and energy was put into getting back to America – and he didn’t mind how he made his money. “I finished school and got a job in a powder coating factory just to save money. I saved up and then the next year we went over for four months. Me and my friend bought 4000 disposable cameras off eBay for 45 cents each, and sold them for $10 each in America. So on the Van’s Warped Tour – the coolest punk band tour – I was selling cameras. “It was then that I started watching this band Underoath. I’d go watch them cause I loved them, and then I just asked if they needed
For Rowan, family always comes first.
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Rowan and his mate Jesse formed Jury and the Saints when he returned home from America. a hand with anything. They were always stoked to have a helping hand. After a while, I wondered if they had any bunks on their bus, so I asked them… Six months before I was on a bus on the way to high school listening to Underoath on my discman, and now I was on their bus listening to them live every day on stage.” Once this tour had finished up, Rowan returned to NZ again for a little while, saved up some money, and then caught the first plane he could back to America – and so began what would become a pattern for most of his twenties. It was the next trip to the States when he stumbled across this little band who were just playing small gigs for about 12 people. They’d
called themselves Paramore. “Ah, that makes sense,” I thought when Rowan told me this. When I was in my last year at school, a rumour spread around the Hibiscus Coast that Paramore were at the Red Beach rocks (which are walking distance from my family home), and that the Goodnight Nurse bassist Rowan Crowe was teaching them how to do bombs. I can confirm now that those rumours were true. The year after Rowan met Paramore in America, the band were doing some shows in England, and so were Underoath, so he flew to the UK and toured with them. Rowan was ‘living the dream’ travelling around the world with bands, but strangely enough, it
“...it was hilarious watching 10,000 people trying to lie down at the same time.”
was about this time that he had his first doubts about his future in the industry. “I started noticing the changes in everyone. No one’s doing drugs cause it’s fun; it’s cause they’re depressed. It’s like a dream world. I was living two lives: this fantasy world in America, and this world where I was back in NZ and not sure what to do with my life at 26. “I started noticing that my friends with kids never saw them. And some of the men in particular were bitter, and I started seeing the problem with this lifestyle… My highest value was to have a family at some point, and this seemed like the opposite lifestyle for that. “And then one year, I just decided not to go back. I thought, maybe I could just do it here.” So, that’s what Rowan did. He and his friend started a band called The Chase, and he exchanged his big American and UK tours for touring with other local bands. One of these NZ bands was, of course, Goodnight Nurse. They had already made a name for themselves, and were still on the rise when their bass player left. “They couldn’t find anyone to replace him, so I offered to play bass. They didn’t think I’d want to because it’s not hardcore music. “My first show with them was at the MTV awards in Sydney and I had to walk down the red carpet – it was crazy having Good Charlotte walk past us while we were playing. On the way over, we were playing an acoustic show on the plane, and
Rowan with his boy Aurelius.
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Rowan pursuing a couple more of his hobbies. everyone was having beers, so all the passengers had to take a piss. The toilets were literally overfilling, so the flight attendants had to ban people from going to the toilet.” But the pop punk era of the mid 2000s, like all eras, started to fade. Goodnight Nurse was coming to a natural end, and each member decided to go off and do their own thing. “That’s when I started Jury and the Saints with my mate Jesse. Paramore took us on tour around Australia, and that was fun playing in front of 10,000 people every night. We had a blast on that tour. One night we told the crowd that we wouldn’t start the show until everyone was lying on the ground – it was hilarious watching 10,000 people trying to lie down at the same time. In one of our songs we would get Hayley Williams, the Paramore singer, to come out wearing an iron man mask and play the drums to one of our songs while I did flips up and down the stage. “At this stage I was teaching music at schools and doing that kind of thing, trying to integrate music into my life. I didn’t care about trying to make it my whole life. It’s probably more a passion that’s fun. And this was part of figuring out what to do with my next life stage.” What followed for Rowan was a few years doing a variety of things. His overriding goal was to educate himself, so he started by getting
a job cleaning windows which would let him listen to audio books and podcasts. For four years, he consumed three books a week. “I became fascinated with the concept of investing and that you could make money when you slept. I ended up getting a job with Pie Funds to learn more about this world. They were creating a new Kiwi Saver type product and they were after a product ambassador. This was the first time I ever worked in an office, and I was definitely the odd one out – I was covered in tattoos and didn’t go to Kings
College.” But then Covid hit, and in Rowan’s own words, “it changed everything for me.” “I asked the same question: what do I want? And the answer for me was family time. The first 1000 days of a kid’s life are the most important for attachment, so I wanted to be there as much as I could. So we thought it’d probably good if we were surrounded by family in a little beach town. “There’s these two worlds: theory and real world results. I had lived in quite a lot of theory world for a
The ultimate band photo – Goodnight Nurse in the early days.
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When Rowan first started touring with Paramore, they were only playing shows for 12-odd people; Right: Rowan doing what he does best.
long time, so I wanted to get into something more practical.” Building, of course, was the obvious answer in this regard, and thankfully, he absolutely loved it. It’s also given him what he’s truly been after: time with his family. “It’s perfect man. So good for the family – and for surfing. I can go for a surf at lunch for an hour, and if the surf’s good the boss says just to keep surfing. And for family time, it’s so good for this stage of life. I have breakfast, lunch and dinner with my family almost every day, and that’s what matters most to me, and that’s what building is so
good for.” And so, after an hour of chatting and, at least for Rowan, a few mouthfuls of soup between words, we were at the present. I’d learnt a lot during our conversation, but the thing that still sticks with me now is that there really is no rush. Who takes four years out to read and listen and learn about themselves? Rowan did, and for him, that was time unbelievably well spent. I guess that narrower path – you know, the one with a few kinks in it which takes you forward as often as it takes you sideways – might well be worth the extra effort.
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Charter Review
A DAY WITH After spending a day onboard one of Auckland’s top fishing charters, Off-Site’s own Josh Rudd had a lot of good things to say about their operation...
Midnight Express, an Extreme 985 Game King, was a great fishing platform for the day. Photo: Paul Rountree
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HAURAKI EXPRESS
I
n the early hours of a crisp pre-winter morning, Off-Site big cheese Ethan Neville and myself found ourselves wandering through the Auckland CBD, a spring in our step and full of confidence. But we weren’t there for a beer or kebab or any late-night escapades for that matter; we were there to go for a fish with local charter legends Hauraki Express. We’d heard only good things about Hauraki Express and the operation they run. Ethan and I were also coming off a bad run of fishing outings, and as a result had been deprived of self-respect and mojo – so this was the perfect cure! We were joined by Paul Rountree and Steve Turner, with skipper Nick
Jones at the helm. After a few g’days and a safety briefing, Captain Nick gave us a comprehensive overview of the game plan ahead: “We’ll start with some snaps, and finish with some kingies.” No complaints were heard, and the hammer was put down. As we took off to find some midgulf workups, Midnight Express – an Extreme 985 Game King – made light work of the slight chop we’d been met by, making for a comfortable and relaxed crew. Captain Nick was good for some chit chat on the way out also. No ‘skipper’s secrets’ were withheld, and instead he was keen to share some local knowledge of the surrounding fishery. Before we knew it, we had
rendezvoused with some gannets and dolphins. Nick dished out some Daiwa slow jigging outfits, and it was apparent that the boys were most definitely ‘on’. We fished the tail end of the work up using kabura and inchiku-style lures. After dropping our lures to the seafloor and retrieving them upwards, everyone started bringing in snapper of above average size, and in reasonable succession. Most snapper were hooked in the bottom third of the water column, with a handful taking our lures on the drop. The mood lifted as we realised the trip no longer ran the risk of failure. Very quickly, however, the bite disappeared. Our lines were brought up, and before we knew it, we had
Steve with a tasty Hauraki pannie.
Josh’s livebait was only in the water for a minute before this kingie swallowed it. found ourselves at a new spot enjoying another hot snapper bite. A smooth operation indeed! After some sandwiches and chippies, we got on with targeting kingfish. Hauraki Express have a good reputation for their consistency in the kingie-catching department, and this reputation was certainly upheld. Captain Nick found some positive kingfish sign, and then took his time positioning the boat to ensure we’d drift across it. “Drop now, three colours,” were his orders, and we did exactly that, sending our live baits 30 metres down where Nick had seen the sign. And as if it was scheduled, multiple
hook ups ensued. Everyone caught a kingie in this short and sharp session (except for Ethan – he didn’t catch one despite his best efforts), with the average fish size sitting at about 90cm. It was smiles all round as we pinned it home. The Hauraki Express service had ticked all the boxes fishing wise, and more importantly, it did so in an efficient, safe and enjoyable manner. By 4pm, we were back at Westhaven where our catches were processed by the Kai Ika Project. It was like clockwork. After a few ‘hoorays’, we dispersed in different directions to enjoy our evenings, fresh fillets in hand.
The skipper had no trouble finding the birds.
The Kai Ika filleter made quick work of the crew’s catch.
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Low ‘n’ Slow
Team Barbecue BOI, The Cook Cartel and The Pit Crew Barbecue celebrate their respective wins at Tai Tokerau Low N’ Slow Competition held over Queen’s Birthday weekend. (Photo: Steven Cook)
BARBECUE M COMP LIFE
Competition (noun): The activity or condition of striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others.
For Kerren ‘Kezza’ Packer, BBQ competitions are about more than just cooking meat. He’s been to his fair share of comps around NZ and believes there are few better places to find community and make lifelong friends. Kezza explains…
It’s a chicken drumstick, but not as you know it.
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ost will accept the above definition as fair and reasonable when discussing the topic of competition, but this does not delve deep enough to accurately describe what ‘barbecue competition’ is all about. Throughout the calendar year, the New Zealand Barbecue Alliance (NZBA) and Steak Cookoff Association NZ (SCA) sanction, keep records for and administrate dozens of regional barbecue competitions
Will this be the perfect steak? Photo: Steven Cook.
Clint Lindsey from Black Dog BBQ testing their chicken hand-in for doneness.
that are hosted in some of New Zealand’s most spectacular settings. From snow covered alps to West Auckland hot rod shows, barbecue competitions are hosted in a wide range of places, bringing together barbecue royalty, newbies, onlookers and above all else, a strongpositive community of like-minded people who live by the mantra “barbecue is family”. I’ll start by explaining the differences between NZBA and SCA events.
New Zealand Barbecue Alliance NZBA is traditional American “low ‘n’ slow” competition where
competitors are tasked with turning in barbecued meats like pork shoulder (butt), beef ribs, pork ribs, half chicken, lamb and what has been crowned the “King of Barbecue” – the mighty and unforgiving beef brisket. At set times during a defined cooking window, usually around 18 hours from start to finish, teams must hand-in each of their anonymous entries to a panel of “blind” judges who are looking and tasting for three criteria and marking a score out of 10 accordingly. The judging panel are asked to use non-comparative methods when scoring each of the hand-ins,
Presentation is an important part of the judging criteria.
“For me the primary things are the culture and the friendships. The overall experience is unlike any other style of competition. Obviously we are there to produce the best BBQ we possibly can with hope of bringing home hardware. The level of competition is continually being raised and the push to be better every outing is always enticing. For me the brotherhood/ sisterhood comes first – that was what drew me in from the beginning.” Ken Van Mackleberg – Barbecue BOI Barbecue Team
meaning individual scores need to reflect the barbecue that is in front of them and not be compared to previous entry’s attributes. This is easier said-than-done because a judges score ultimately hinges on the briefest of looks and on a single bite!
Presentation Criteria As with all foods, we “eat with our eyes” first and the presentation criteria is based on just that. Teams hand in their entries in regulation sized boxes with lids, and then the boxes are opened one-at-a-time in front of a table of judges. Does it look good enough that you are inspired to eat it? Has this team taken care to neatly present their offering? Are the portions evenly sliced, pulled or chopped? Are the individual portions easily identified? Are there excess sauce spillages on the box or an out of place sprig of parsley? Any foreign objects found in the box, like a wayward toothpick or small section of butcher’s twine, could mean a disqualification!
Taste Criteria As it sounds – judges must then use their taste senses to identify flavour profiles that either appeal or don’t! This section is where the teams really do roll-the-dice. What appeals to one judge, may not another – some may like “sweet-heat” whereas another may not. Teams will often lament the fact that in one competition their hand-in scored highly, then in another the exact
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SCA main focus is for competitors to hand in the perfect medium rib eye steak, but also back this up with ancillary sections to inspire creativity. The result is hand-in boxes that are built around a central theme – chocolate dipped bacon roses, salmon wheels with pecan and crème cheese, crayfish tail bisque, BBQ Bloody Marys – the list goes on! The timings, hand-in windows and judging criteria are similar to NZBA competitions but most entries are individuals rather than teams.
Barbecue Life
The Rum & Que Barbecue Team have been consistent in 2021 with multiple Grand Champions titles. Photo: Mathew Melville same cut of meat, methods and flavour profiles score low – the only change is the judging panel! Doneness/Tenderness Criteria “Mouth Feel” is a term in barbecue judging that refers to how chewy, mushy or pleasant the eating experience is. This is another subjective criteria for teams to get right on the day, but most people will agree that chicken should not be chewy and competition pork ribs should allow for ‘bite through’ rather than fall off the bone (a clean chomp mark should be left after a single bite). On this note, pulled
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pork should not be overdone and mushy, money muscle should be tender but with a clean bite through, and beef brisket should have a tender and juicy ‘mouth feel’ with little effort required to chew. Most barbecue teams that finish in the top 10 are only separated by just a few points, showing just how strong the competition field is in New Zealand and just how well they are executing the above criteria.
Steak Cookoff Association NZ SCA competitions are fast becoming popular here in New Zealand. The
BBQ COMP HIGHLIGHT VIDEOS
Smoke on the Coast 2021
Tai Tokerau Low and Slow Barbecue Competition 2021
Barbecue competition is so much more than winning trophies and bragging rights. It provides a vehicle for community, comradery, expressions of creativity, education, time spent with whanau and for life-long friendships to be created. In uncertain times and with the day-to-day pressures that life in general dishes up, barbecue competition brings people together, strengthens relationships and helps with general well-being, so if there are any groups of mates or families out there reading this who might be keen to get involved, just do it! The community will welcome you with open arms and provide all the advice you need to get started. If you’re keen to get a taste of what these comps are like, search HammerHead visuals on YouTube and watch a few videos of recent events.
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New Toys
Kawasaki KX112 The ALL-NEW KX112 is arriving in New Zealand soon! The new model is based on the popular KX85 L motocrosser and features a longer piston stroke, contributing to low-end torque that translates to stronger drive out of the turns. This makes the KX112 ideal for teens and shorter adults looking for more predictability in the rev-range, as well as mini-racers transitioning between the KX85 and big bikes. A new shroud contributes to increased airflow, while a new stronger transmission takes care of the extra performance. Coming to Kawasaki dealers soon with pricing to be confirmed.
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“It is quite appropriate that a couple of teachers get to go on a trip sponsored by Rheem, because they put a massive amount into education.”
THE RHEEM BIG 6 CHALLENGE
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hen West Auckland plumber Richard Boynton heard he had won the Rheem Big 6 Challenge, he thought “I haven’t been hunting for about 30 years and I have never caught a fish.” So, it was definitely going to be a challenge. Richard grew up in the small settlement of Waimana on the edge of the Ureweras. “As a youngster, I would hold the spotlight for my brothers, but it has been a long time since I shot a deer,” he told host Geoff Thomas. “I hope I am up to it.”
The Waimana River is full of trout, but Richard had never actually been fishing – anywhere. The adventure promised to be full of ‘firsts.’
Richard’s two trout were the first fish he ever caught.
He brought good mate John Petere who, like Richard, is a teacher at Unitec. After 25 years on the tools, Richard is now
putting something back into the trade and is busy teaching apprentices.
As John said, “It is quite appropriate that a couple of teachers get to go on a trip sponsored by Rheem, because they put a massive amount into education.” The first morning saw the team set out into the hills near Rotorua and slowly make their way along a bush edge. They saw plenty of deer, but they were all hinds and the rules stipulate the animals must be males. The object is to try and score two different recognised game animals – a goat, boar, chamois, thar or deer – two different saltwater fish species which are recognised for world records, and two freshwater fish which are on the licence. These could be rainbow or brown trout or salmon. Richard lined up a fallow spiker but the shot went wide, and then soon spotted another spiker standing in some thick scrub. He took his time with the shot and bingo! Down it went. Score number one on the board. Now he has 48 hours from the time of the shot. They raced back to Geoff’s place at Lake Tarawera and after buying fishing licences online, Richard and John manned the rods. The trout fishing was good and Richard soon had his two trout – his first fish – and as they didn’t have to leave for Auckland till the next morning, they spent a leisurely afternoon on the lake, finishing with seven good trout in the bin. Some of the
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trout even went into the smoker, as they only needed two fresh fish for the final photo of the bag. The score: three points. Lunch time the next day saw the team arrive at Half Moon Bay Marina where the snapper fishing boat was waiting and while June is not the favoured time to chase snapper on the Hauraki Gulf, skipper Paul was confident they would find some. “But the second species might be harder. We got a kingie last weekend, so fingers crossed,” he added. The weather was forecast to get up from the south-east, so Paul tucked in around the corner from Matiatia where they were out of the wind, and with two berley bombs on the bottom, the bites started. Richard hooked and boated his first snapper and as the tide turned and started running, the bites picked up. The team soon had a dozen good snapper in the bin, and Richard had one more point secured. But they couldn’t get a second species. Time was almost out when one of the floating baits took off, and Paul called, “That’s a kahawai!” After a short fight, it was in the net. For someone who had never caught a fish and hadn’t hunted for 40 years, Richard did a fantastic job. His final score: 5/6 (stag, two trout, one snapper, one kahawai). It was John who summed up the trip nicely: “That is the best weekend I have had in a long, long, long time.”
Richard scored a nice fallow spiker. Another first – Richard’s first snapper.
Richard’s mate, John Petere, also managed his first trout.
John, Richard and Paul Green with the four fish in the bag.
ON THE DECLINE Despite awesome work by kiwi conservation groups all over Aotearoa, kiwi populations are still declining at a rate of 2% every yeard. That equals 27 birds every week.
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Spring Fishing
Brooke Jones with a nice spring gurnard – this one took a liking to a slowly moving soft-bait.
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DIFFERENT SPRING OPTIONS Spring in the Hauraki Gulf is now well-known for two things: (1) intense work-up action and (2) the huge number of pushy Auckland boats fighting for space around them. Charter captain Nick Jones shares a few of his favourite spring fishing opportunities that you can pursue away from the crowds.
D
on’t get me wrong – I love the classic northern NZ spring fishing option of chasing workups for snapper. But sometimes, especially on weekends in areas close to Auckland, it can all get a bit too busy out there. I find fishing in a crowd somewhat ruins the serenity and experience for me – that’s when having some different options up your sleeve can make for an interesting change of scenery and often a tasty end result!
Gurnard Let’s start off with the humble gurnard. Not too many people specifically target these succulent morsels, but early spring is the perfect time to find them in numbers close to shore on both the east and west coasts. The areas to find a good carrot patch at this time of year are sandy and muddy bottom areas either out from beaches or in west coast harbours. In the Manukau and Kaipara harbours, the gurnard can be prolific, and most anglers fish on the channel edges during the
Big daytime calamari are a common spring treat.
“these strange critters like to hang out in groups over shallow kelp beds, so cast right up into the nooks and crannies.”
change of tide when the current slows down. Old school ledger rigs adorned with small shellfish or skipjack tuna baits, in combination with some berley attached to the anchor chain, work well. Sometimes it takes a while for the gurnard to congregate so don’t give up on a spot too soon. Drifting with soft-baits or kabura-style lures can also work, particularly off the east coast beaches where water clarity is better.
Squid While squid are regularly caught around urban shorelines and wharves under artificial light, it can be shoulder-to-shoulder at the more popular spots. Hence why I prefer prospecting sheltered rocky and weedy shorelines with a squid jig during the day. We are blessed with miles and miles of
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“The only trick is finding spot x – they often aren’t found on a chart!”
good territory accessible either by shanks pony or boat, and these strange critters like to hang out in groups over shallow kelp beds, so cast right up into the nooks and crannies. Once you’ve hooked one, odds on there will be more so make sure your mate casts into the same spot or you get your own lure back out there as quickly as possible. The duller, natural-coloured jigs (brown, dark green, dark purple etc) tend to work better during the day, but experiment with different sizes. A general rule of thumb is to use larger jigs like a 3.5 as we move through spring to match the growing size of squid over the season.
John dory Good numbers of john dory move into inshore reefs over spring and although they can be caught with lures such as soft-baits, they are
The writer with a highly sought-after john dory.
A king taken at dawn on topwater gear. 24
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“Look for areas of current, terns and gannets working, or on calm mornings, fish boiling on the surface.”
suckers for a live jack mackerel deployed close to the bottom. Drifting or anchoring up over isolated reefs or headlands with baitfish present and fishing livies on or close to the bottom can yield a bag of the best eating fish around.
Hapuku Provided you pick your weather, spring is a great time to head out to the deep blue and harvest a few hapuku. They generally move in shallower to reefy areas from 80-200m and are getting ready for spawning, which means they can be easier to catch. The only trick is finding spot x – they often aren’t found on a chart! You can either hold the boat over a spot with the engine in-andout of reverse or drift a likely area. Drifting means you cover more ground and gives more life to dead
baits – however, it can be difficult to keep your bait in the strike-zone on the bottom if there is much current or wind.
Topwater kingfish Late spring is a great time to get up early (and by early I mean well before sunrise) and bust out the topwater fishing kit, with kings starting to hold over the shallower reefs. Look for areas of current, terns and gannets working, or on calm mornings, fish boiling on the surface. Generally, after a few casts you’ll know whether there are kings around, and if you’re getting follows but no strikes, try changing your lure, lure colour, and/or action. If this doesn’t work, move onto the next spot! So there are a few options to wrap your brain around – don’t be afraid to try something different out there to miss the crowds.
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WORK HARD,
PLAY HARD!
ISSUE 23 2021 MAR/APR
WIN A PAIR OF
OAKLEY SUNGLASSES
PG 17
LE TRADIE PROFI
ETHAN OLIVER GAMEFISHING
GETTING STARTED
FIORDLAND HUNTING
FOILING
AZ E JOIN THE CR
When a high-pressure system arrives in spring, it can be worth heading out wide and bottom bashing for hapuku.
TALK TO US SO WE CAN SHARE YOUR STORIES WITH OTHERS. Ethan Neville 021 176 1366 ethan@nzfishingnews.co.nz off-Sitenz
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Product Review
GUARDIAN ANGEL ELITE SERIES LIGHTSR E T T E B D N A BRIGHTER Off-Site Editor Ethan Neville and mountain biker Nat Sharp took to the hills behind Orewa, North Auckland to put one of the Guardian Angel Elite Series lights through its paces…
A
few weeks back, NZ Fishing News editor Miah Dixon and I ventured up north for a night-time squid fishing mission. Aside from our high expectations for pulling in a few tasty cephalopods, it also gave us the perfect opportunity to try out the new Guardian Angel Elite Series lights. We had already mucked around with them in the office, and were surprised and impressed by how powerful their magnet mounting system is. The big
The Guardian Angel light let Nat keep biking with confidence even after the sun had fully set.
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point of difference between these lights and other more conventional wearable lights is they don’t need straps – you just slip the magnet under your jacket and the light will stay fixed to your shoulder. The squid fishing was a success, and the light even played a role in attracting bait – and therefore squid – to the wharf we were casting from. But I also knew that to test these lights properly, they needed to be put through their paces in a harsher, or at least faster, scenario. So, I got in touch with former Auckland
champ cross country mountain biker Nat Sharp and asked him to take a Guardian Angel Elite Series light, along with the Guardian Angler Bike/Rail Strap Mount, for a night-time spin. We met at a private track in the back of Orewa just on dusk, and set about attaching the mount. About 20 seconds later, we were done. The light came out of its packet next, and we had a quick look around for how it attaches (yes, we refused to read the instructions), before Nat just tried placing it on
The lights are not only functional, but also look great when mounted on handlebars.
top of the mount. Yep, that was it – the magnet is more than strong enough to hold the light in place on the handlebars, no matter the size of the jump or the speed of the descent. Nat’s verdict at this early stage was extremely positive. “I liked that it was way quicker to use. I’ve used other lights where you’ve had to cable tie the mount to your helmet, and then screw the light in. You need an Allen key, and you have to remember to bring cable ties. “The other thing is that it didn’t have a bulky battery. Other lights I’ve used have had a cable running down your back to a battery pack – which bangs around your neck and is super annoying. You can also yank it out when you move your neck.” With the set up out of the way, Nat then took the bike down the trail. With the sun now well and truly over the horizon, this would be the true test of the Guardian Angel light. Again, Nat was impressed by its performance. “I was sceptical at first
“there are four different light controls that vary their brightness.”
considering the size – it’s smaller and doesn’t have the massive battery so I didn’t think it would be bright enough. But I was shocked about how bright it was. I could see the whole trail. It was really wide, which is great for seeing around corners.” The lights are actually visible up to five miles, and while Nat kept the light consistently on, there are four different light controls that vary their brightness. There is also an emergency option which immediately turns on all the LEDs at once. As a nice bonus for those who don’t mind biking or tramping in wet or rough conditions, they have an IP68 waterproof rating and are shock proof. After a few times round the track, Nat confirmed that he’d definitely be using these lights again. If you’re after a durable and easy to use light for anything outdoor-related, it’d definitely be worth giving the Guardian Angel Elite Series lights a shot.
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Adventure
FIORDLAND SEEING IS BELIEVING For adventure specialist Steve Dickinson, now is the best time to book a flight to the deep south and explore its seemingly endless outdoor opportunities. He shares a few tips for making the most of your time in Fiordland…
F
iordland is a Pandora’s Box of adventure – once you take the lid off, it just keeps coming. Around every bend there is a view, an activity, or a lookout, and every one of them is as impressive as the last. You can fly into Milford, and I have done it, and it is amazing, but the two-hour drive to Milford Sound is equally great and not one
to be rushed. It takes around two hours; however, you could spend the whole day and longer along this section of the country. The road runs alongside Lake Te Anau before weaving its way to the sounds. The majesty of the drive out to Milford Sound reminds me of Yosemite National Park; it’s overwhelmingly impressive and it’s right in our backyard. The road is strewn with trails and tracks, with two of
Left: The crew fished the upper reaches of the Waiau River from a jet boat; The writer says the ‘proper’ way to see the Milford Sounds is by kayak. 28
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New Zealand’s Great Walks, the Routeburn and the Milford Track, found along this stretch. I think the only proper way to see the Milford fiord is by kayak. Kayaking in Milford Sound puts your place in the world into some perspective. You feel a sense of insignificance surrounded by such grandeur, and in a small kayak the fiord rises starkly from the dark ocean, leaving you humbled by
the sheer beauty of the place. It is also extremely hard to get your head around distance here. On my last trip our guide, Ollie, explained this as the “dwarfing effect”, where things look a lot smaller than they are since there is little to compare them with. It was not until a large boat cruised up next to Stirling Falls that it gave any perspective to how huge the falls are. It turns out they’re 151m in height (that is
“You could spend months in this region and still not tick off your ‘to do’ list”
three times the height of Niagara Falls!), but the mountain behind at 1,300m is so high it dwarfs the falls by comparison. There is loads to do in Milford Sound and the surrounding area. Boating, hiking, kayaking, sailing, diving, and fishing are all options, and the operators cater for everything from one day charters to weeks of exploring. In the past, it’s been overrun by overseas tourists, but it’s now a lot quieter, making it a perfect time to visit. A lesser-known place to visit in the region is the Mavora Lakes, which is about an hour’s drive from Lake Te Anau (the last half an hour is down a gravel road). Do not be put off by the travel time – the drive, like everything in this area, is well worth the effort. Do not make the mistake of thinking this is just another lake. The scenery is so diverse in this part of the country that you can explore Milford Sound, Te Anau and Mavora Lakes and experience three quite unique environments. Mavora Lakes are made up of two lakes joined together by a small river. We did try to fish and although we could see the fish clearly, many of them breaking the surface as they looked for bugs, we could not catch any. You could spend months in this region and still not tick off your ‘to do’ list, but if you’re only there for a few days, then I would suggest fishing the upper reaches of the Waiau River. This section holds one of the largest stock of fish in the country with drift dives confirming as many as 600 fish per kilometre of river. We decided to fish it from a
Fiorldand is home to some of the best hiking trails in the world. off-Sitenz
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FINAN
FIF FF
No No appro appro
Clockwise from top: There are endless rivers and fiords to explore in this part of the country; One of many breathtaking waterfalls; The crew caught plenty of trout in the Waiau River. jetboat. The river was deep and clear and after our guide Sean gave us a few tips, it didn’t take long to hook our first rainbow trout. We had complete novices onboard and everyone caught fish in abundance. After the boasting photos were taken, we returned the fish to the water and did it all again. There is an option to keep fish, but we decided against it. Once the morning fishing was finished up, we headed off to catch our helicopter and get flown into the Kepler Track. This is one of New Zealand’s great walks and as a result, the tracks are well formed and easy to follow. The terrain ranges from lush native bush to tussock-covered ridges and alpine peaks. To complete the circular track of 60km would usually take 3-4 days but with only an afternoon spare, we opted to walk the last 10km 30
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down from Luxmore Hut to the lake edge at Brod Bay, where we were picked up by the water taxi and taken straight back into town. The start of the track from Luxmore runs along the tussock covered ridge, with Lake Te Anau in the distance on one side and a mountain on the other. Behind Lake Te Anau is Mt Murchison, which rises 1,275m above sea level and is where the last wild population of takahe can be found. They were thought to be extinct for almost half a century until someone spotted them here. (You can see the takahe at the bird sanctuary in Lake Te Anau, which is worth a walk around and it’s free!) It is hard to describe how beautiful the area looks from up on that ridge – it is stunning. Our walk down took us through dense native bush and underneath sheer limestone cliffs, and eventually
“It is hard to describe how beautiful the area looks from up on that ridge”
wound down to the shore of Lake Te Anau. As I have said all the way through this article, there is simply so much to do and see in Fiordland. If your time is limited down there, then make sure you choose how you spend it wisely. I hope the ideas I have outlined here help you with your choices, but if you’re still short of ideas, you’ll find everything you need at www.fiordland.org.nz
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