Off-Site Issue 27 November/December 2021 by NZ Fishing Media

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!

ISSUE 27 NOV/DEC 2021

LOW ‘N’ SLOW BBQ

TARGETING

TROPHY FISH

HAPUKA

HONEY HOLE TRADIE PROFILE

JON WILKS

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WORK HARD, PLAY HARD! WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!

WELCOME TO ISSUE TWENTY SEVEN OF RHEEM OFF-SITE

CONTENTS 04 TARGETING BIGGER FISH 08 KAIKOURA HONEY HOLE 12 TRADIE PROFILE 18 SAVE THE KIWI 20 WATER SPORTS 24 LOW ‘N’ SLOW BBQ 28 TRADIE’S STORY

Cover Photo: Earlybird Media (Struan Purdie)

ell, who would’ve thought? I’m sitting at my dining room table writing this editorial, after yet another long month stuck inside. Thankfully, Level 3 has just arrived and there’s a bit of renewed hope in the air for getting back into the great outdoors – but that doesn’t make sitting at home during workup season any easier. On a positive note, tradies have been back on the tools this week, and it looks like the rest of us will be in the office soon enough. Hopefully by the time you’re reading this, our “new normal” will include catching fish and hanging out with mates! With that being the goal, charter captain Nick Jones kicks off this issue with a few tips on targeting bigger fish. Spring is no doubt the easiest time to haul in snapper, but if you want to grab yourself a trophy, it’d pay to listen to Nick’s advice. Struan Purdie picks up where Nick left off, giving

us the play by play of a very successful day’s fishing at the Kaikoura “honey hole”. This month’s ColorCote Tradie Profile introduces another South Island local – Jon Wilks – who is nothing short of a quintessential Kiwi. Adventure specialist Steve Dickinson then discusses some of the quirkier water sports we can enjoy at our local beaches, before Kerren Packer gives his take on the beef short rib, which is sure to be a low ‘n’ slow favourite this summer. Tradie and Off-Site reader Jonny Allison rounds out the issue by sharing some highlights from a recent Kawau Island build. 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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Saltwater

TARGETING

BIGGER INSHORE FISH Late spring is the easiest time of year to catch fish. You’ll find snapper schooling hungrily under birds, and kingfish and kahawai usually won’t be far behind. But for those of you who want quality over quantity, Nick Jones has some sound advice for upping your average catch size.

Hooked up to a monster – no better feeling. Photo: George Bourke. 04

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ovember and December are a productive time of year for inshore northern NZ anglers – snapper are hungry as they prepare their bodies for spawning and kingfish move inshore in numbers. However, sometimes us anglers prefer quality over quantity, so here are four tips to help target those bigger specimens.

Livebait This is at the top of the list for good reason – predatory fish love the real thing! Dedicating an hour or two at the start of your fishing trip to secure some livies almost always pays off. Good species to use are jack mackerel, slimy mackerel, koheru, kahawai, trevally, yelloweye mullet and piper. Mackerel are generally the most obtainable and

versatile livebaits – typical spots to catch livebait are sheltered areas like harbours, bays, channels, shallow reefs and wharves. You can either anchor up in a likely area and lure in livies with berley, or cruise around and find the bait with the fishfinder. Birds on the water (gannets, terns and/or shearwaters) are a good indication of baitfish, and the sign on your fishfinder will either show up as big balls in the water column or small scattered shapes around mid-water. Unbaited sabiki rigs are all I use to catch my livebait. If you are anchored up for the night, then catching your bait under lights can often be a simple task. When fishing around offshore islands or Northland, it’s worth getting your hands on koheru – in my opinion they are the number one kingie livebait. These beauties

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rest mode and retreat to areas where they can be safer, whereas some species become more active – take squid for example, which are a common food item for many species. Predatory fish take advantage of the dawn and dusk changeover period where they are less conspicuous, and their prey is moving around during the ‘change of shift’.

Big lures/baits

ors,

lid respond well to berley around exposed shorelines with clear water and good current flow, and can be caught with unweighted cut baits, micro soft-baits or tiny jigs. I rig my mackerel and koheru livebaits through the nostrils with a non-offset circle hook attached to strong fluorocarbon leader. With standard mackerel livebaits on circle hooks I fish with the drag set at strike and simply let the fish hook themselves. For larger baits, give some freespool on the bite to make sure the bait can be swallowed. Although kings are the obvious target with livies, a good proportion of the 20lb+ snapper I’ve seen have

hoto:

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succumbed to livies – even live kahawai on a couple of occasions! And don’t forget the tasty john dory which can’t resist a wriggling bait.

Change of light Change of light is my favourite time of the day to drop a line, and it is widely regarded that fish are ‘on the chew’ and easier to fool when it’s darker – perhaps because our movements, boats, terminal tackle and leaders are less obvious than in the full light of day. In my experience, especially when the water’s warmer, fish are more active during sunsets and sunrises. At night, some fish species go into

Big snapper are suckers for a live mackerel – this one was fooled close to Little Barrier Island.

Luke Farmer showing the benefit of using koheru for livebait.

While there is an adage that ‘elephants eat peanuts’, it’s no mistake that the saying ‘big bait, big fish’ is well-proven. Big fish are smart – they don’t like to waste their energy chasing or competing for small morsels. A big lure or bait is more likely to grab the attention of larger fish because it is more obvious, more appealing, or simply lasts longer without being inhaled by smaller fish. At a booming November workup, large lures like 150g Daiwa Pirates or speed jigs should entice the donkeys. If you’re soft-baiting, 7”+ baits will catch less but bigger fish. And if you’re straylining and catching a few nice ones, try lobbing out half a kahawai, half a skippie head, or a whole

A big stickbait enticed a bite from this solid kingfish. mackerel and waiting patiently.

Do the miles Another perhaps obvious but important tip if you’re after the big ones: do the mahi, get the treats. While big fish do pop up close to cities and popular spots, you’ll have a much better crack at trophy-sized critters in the more remote or hard to access spots. Take the western coast of the Far North for example – a big drive from home for many, no simple boat launching options, no anchorages, big walks for landbased fishos, and only a limited number of days each year where conditions allow it to be fished safely and effectively. But the fish are big!

It’s always nice to release the big ones. Photo: Ben Starns

While fishermen are notorious exaggerators, the scales don’t lie! Photo: Aaron Styles.

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Mainland Angling

THE KAIKOURA

HONEY HOLE

After forty minutes without a fish, the guys were stoked to pull in this healthy-looking groper.

The team’s 4.7 metre Buccaneer drew a few disapproving glances from the charter boat captains, but it was more than up for the job.

After their west coast hunting trip was cut short by bad weather, Struan Purdie and his two mates were forced to come up with a Plan B. So they hitched up the boat, packed up any fishing gear they could find, and set off for a spot just off the Kaikoura coast they’d heard a few good things about. Struan tells the story of the day…

ome people are die hard fishos, but that’s not me. I prefer to hold my breath and shoot my fish rather than hooking them. However, this trip to Kaikōura almost had me convinced on the rod and reel option. This story follows on from our West Coast hunting mission, which I wrote about in the last issue. The plan for that trip was to fly into the alps for four nights with a good friend from Auckland, Josh, and another mate Jimmy. However, the weather forced us to cut our hunt short or risk spending a full week and a half on the tops till the next weather window opened for a pickup. This meant we had a couple of unexpected days to kill so, after

a quick overnight pitstop back in Christchurch, we packed up the boat and headed north. Kaikōura is an incredible piece of coastline to explore with a unique underwater typography. Just 800 metres off the coast, the Kaikōura canyon plunges to depths of up to 1200+ metres. The canyon is part of the Kermadec Trench system which extends far out into the Pacific Ocean. As cold water moves along the base of the trench towards the coast, it begins to rise, bringing with it nutrients from the deep. This in turn creates an incredible fishery with deep-sea species such as hoki, bluenose and groper (known as hapuku in the North Island) in abundance. Our target for this trip was groper but we weren’t going

deep. Jimmy had sniffed out some coordinates for a hole 20 minutes from the boat ramp in 80 metres of water. What we lacked in groper fishing experience we made up for in sheer enthusiasm. We spent that evening at the pub getting way ahead of ourselves, even going so far as to discuss groper recipes. The next morning, we were up early and had the boat launched before dawn. There were definitely a few sideways glances at our wee 4.7 metre Buccaneer from the disapproving charter boat captains. None of this phased us though. We had our GPS mark and a boat load of confidence. What more do you need for a fishing trip? The sun was just popping up over the horizon as we rounded the peninsula. It off-Sitenz

A typically serene South Island morning. was a stunning morning. The swell had completely died off and the water was glassy. We pulled up at the spot with no other boats in sight. Our rigs were questionable to say the least. Although we had picked up a bunch of large hooks and sinkers, our three rods were a motley mix of affairs. The plan was

to rig up one main groper rod and a second smaller setup to try nab a blue cod or two. Jimmy was elected helmsman and remained glued to the GPS and sonar as he idled us onto the spot. The first drop was full of anticipation. Reels were whirring. The albatross were gathering.

The guys didn’t have the best gear or the flashest rigs, but that didn’t stop them catching some prime eating groper.

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“The first drop was full of anticipation. Reels were whirring.”

Everything seemed to being going well – until we hit the bottom. A series of short sharp bites, then nothing. According to Jimmy we had a window of about a minute before we drifted off the mark. We wound our lines in and tossed back a couple of perch. Jimmy lined us up again and down we went. We repeated this process for about 40 minutes. With each unsuccessful drop, our spirits sunk lower. Being a spearfisherman, my patience for sitting in the same spot catching nothing is abysmal. However, Jimmy assured me this is how fishing often goes. Then it all changed. Suddenly, Josh announced he had a reasonable weight on his line. Although he didn’t think it was a groper, it was the first bit of action we had had all morning. Hopes were high for at least a couple of cod. As his rig neared the surface, we got distracted trying to stop Nuuna the schnauzer from jumping out of the boat to chase the numerous albatross that had gathered. We didn’t even notice the hulking white belly that had floated

to the surface 20 metres behind the boat. “Groper!” Josh yelled. We hauled the fish into the boat with plenty of hoots and hollers. Although it was far from breaking any records, it was a groper and that was all that mattered. We snapped a couple of photos and sent a few high fives flying. We were over the moon. Time for more. Jimmy circled back round to our mark, and Josh and I dropped our lines. It was my turn on the groper rod and I was pumped. Not long after we both hit the bottom, Josh’s cod-slayer started bending. My rod, meanwhile, remained motionless. Josh wound up furiously, making sure to keep the tension on the line. We all piled to the side of the boat to see what he’d hooked. Amazingly, two groper emerged from the deep – a double hook up on an orange snapper flasher rig! We got them in the boat immediately, scared the tiny rod would snap in half. These two were smaller than the first one but still an awesome eating size. Over the next hour we managed

“we had a mountain of fish to distribute to family and friends. For me, this is the joy of hunting and fishing in New Zealand – being able to share the spoils.”

Josh was to be the lucky angler of the day, pulling in three of the team’s fish. to land half a dozen more groper, which meant the one fish bin we’d bought with us was maxed out. We made the call and headed for home, overjoyed with our success. After some massive filleting efforts, we had a mountain of fish to distribute to family and friends. For me, this is the joy of hunting

and fishing in New Zealand – being able to share the spoils. Since that trip, we’ve had a few more good days out at the Kaikōura honey hole and are certainly looking forward to many more this summer.

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THE COLORCOTE TRADIE PROFILE w w w. c o l o r c o t e . c o . n z

Jon at the helm on one of his many South Island adventures.

JON WILKS THE QUINTESSENTIAL KIWI Jon Wilks owns a small building company in Christchurch, and his journey getting there is one a lot of New Zealanders will be familiar with. Ethan Neville caught up with him over the phone during Level 3 lockdown for this issue’s ColorCote Tradie Profile.

’m not sure if you’ll find a more Kiwi Kiwi than Jon Wilks. When a mate got in touch and told me Jon was the bloke I needed to interview for my next Tradie Profile, I only knew he was a keen South Island builder who spent most of his spare moments in the

mountains hunting. It turns out, however, his working life started about a 1000km north on his family farm in Katikati – a small town not too far away from Tauranga. “I was home schooled, and have spent the rest of my life recovering from it because you get so much

stick from your mates,” he laughed over the phone. “Near the end, I wasn’t into the schooling side of things and university was not something that appealed to me, so I spent my time working on the dairy farm.” His older brother who he looked

Jon spends as much as time as possible in the high country hunting.

up to had moved on from the farm to the tools, so, as Jon told me, “I wanted to follow in his steps a bit.” His big break came when one of his older brother’s mates got injured, and the building company he worked for needed a hand straight away. “I started with the small company – only four of us – and managed to wrangle an apprenticeship with

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them. The boss was always asking me, ‘Are you sure this is what you want to do?’ I spent a bit of time not knowing if I wanted to commit, but building was practical and working with your hands is rewarding.” From there, Jon didn’t look back with building, and particularly enjoyed working in a smaller team, despite the way apprentices were introduced to the trade 15 or so

“Building a company for me is all about relationships”

years ago. “You get the usual stick about having a left handed hammer and left handed screwdriver, and you start to question it, but thankfully I didn’t fall for all of them,” he said, laughing again (which became a pretty regular feature of our conversation). Flash forward five years, and Jon was now a qualified builder with

Heading out hunting with mates has been a constant in Jon’s life. some experience under his belt. It was time for another change – and this took the form of a six month stint in Australia. Jon dabbled in a bit of commercial work and was even brave enough to do residential building in the scorching Perth heat, but eventually booked a return flight to NZ for Christmas. While he never truly intended to go back over the ditch after his holiday,

Yet another South Island adventure for Jon and his mates.

“The scenery is just epic down here. Big rivers and big mountains, and one of the things I really appreciate is the high country tops out in the open above the bush line.”

his Dad’s health sealed his decision. “In that period, my Dad got leptospirosis and was in intensive care for six weeks or so. I was at home just helping out around the farm, and the next thing I knew I was in the deep end through the calving season… This is the most hectic time of the year and I only had some part time guy from down the road helping me out… it was a crazy little period.” With his dad needing six months to recover, Jon hung around on the family farm for a good year or so, but once his dad’s health started improving, he reduced his workload and decided it was time for another break. As if to tick off the “young Kiwi bloke bingo” (farmer, tradie and stint in Aussie were already completed), Jon hopped on a plane for four months solo travel in Southeast Asia. “I was keen to get away for a bit, and it was awesome. I had some cool experiences and created some memories.” He visited four countries, and even survived a three week long journey travelling through Vietnam on a $300 100cc motorbike, which involved plenty of dodging and weaving and running repairs. When he arrived back in NZ, he went back to the farm, but knew it was still a bit early in life to be settling in Katikati. A few friends of

his friends had already moved to Christchurch, so he packed up the car and started the long drive south. “The scenery is just epic down here. Big rivers and big mountains, and one of the things I really appreciate is the high country tops out in the open above the bush line. You just go a couple of hours through the beech forest and you’re in this epic country. I spent a lot of my time hunting, fishing and even tramping.” The first job he landed was for a guy who would end up being not only his boss, but also his mentor, and this approach is something Jon has already taken on board with his own leadership style. After working for a few years for the small Christchurch company, Jon’s boss took an opportunity to move to Wanaka, and kindly let him take over the clientele with a similar business name. Holmesmade was born, and Jon quickly settled into his new role. “When I took over, there were me and two other guys from the company – one was an apprentice and one was recently qualified… They’ve now stayed with me for six years, which is unreal…” Over the next few years, the business grew steadily, taking on new apprentices each year, as well as a couple of qualified guys. There are now seven of them working in the Canterbury area – so my next obvious question to Jon was, on behalf of the younger tradies out there – “What’s the secret to growing your business and retaining your staff?” “Building a company for me is all about relationships – relationships with the teams, relationships with the clients. For me, it’s not about the dollar figure driving the company. It’s about providing a service for people and wanting to start the job with the client with a good relationship, and then I want to be able to enjoy a BBQ with them at the end of the job. That’s the goal. “Another big part of the job is problem solving. I used to call my boss all the time. Someone would call with a minor problem on site, but it wasn’t mild to me at the off-Sitenz

Family first – Jon with his wife and two kids.

Jon’s priorities have shifted over the last few years – planning family-friendly trips has become the norm.

time. I’d have a minor panic attack when I’d see the phone ringing. My old boss helped me out through those times and those problems get smaller and smaller as you get more experienced. And then you’re not worried about what problems may happen, because there are always problems to solve, whether it’s getting something amended through the council or changing the paint colour, it’s all about working with people and getting it solved.” This is one of the key lessons Jon has passed on to his own team – which he thinks is probably why they have hung around such a long time. “The guys I have around me all feel like we are part of the company together… I solve problems with them… and they do get to make decisions. “We haven’t tried to grow as such, it’s just been natural growth. When the right guy shows up for the team, the work’s there. The interview for Stevo my first apprentice was while we were snowboarding up Mt Hutt. We were just sitting down for lunch, and my wife was there, and we were just yarning and hanging out, and I thought this guy’s awesome and will get on well with the team. Now he’s now running a renovation job on the hill.” What is particularly impressive is that Jon has managed to grow this business while also being a committed father and husband. He got married three years back, and he now has a two year old daughter and a four month old son. He did admit his family commitments have changed his weekends, but I would say he’s still doing pretty well considering the circumstances. His

answer was telling when I asked him what he gets up to ‘off site.’ “I think I narrowed down to five hobbies: mountain biking, hunting, snowboarding, surfing and fishing.” Having a family and a business has meant making the most of every spare moment he gets, even if it is only a few hours. And if you’re wondering what this looks like for someone living in Christchurch, a recent trip with his mate Struan (another Off-Site contributor) provides the perfect example. “One Saturday, we said let’s get up to Kaikoura for the weekend to stay at a friend’s bach… We hooked the boat on, drove up there and stayed at the bach for the night. We then got up at the crack of dawn and were hoping to get out boating, but it was a bit rough, so we headed up the coast into DoC land hoping for an early morning deer. We had no luck, but still picked off a few goats off the hills. We then headed back to the car, got back into Kaikoura township and picked up the boat, and it was now glassy calm. We headed out to the secret spot, caught our limit of groper, headed back to the shore and then were home in time for dinner with the family back in Christchurch.” I was impressed. As work/family/ hobby balance goes, I’d say Jon’s got things about right. With our conversation drawing to an end, I couldn’t help but think Jon was quintessentially Kiwi – if someone asked me what the “Kiwi dream” looks like, it’d be hard to look past Jon for an example. People first, money second, and still making time to get into the mountains and on the water. Sounds about right to me.

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Rheem has been an iconic manufacturing brand in New Zealand for over 60 years and collaborating with Save the kiwi to grow our iconic kiwi population is a way of giving back to our community.

ON A MISSION TO SAVE THE KIWI

ew Zealand’s native forest has got to be one of the best places on earth. When you’re deep in the heart of it, all you can see is green. Rich soil and the crunch of dead leaves under your feet emanate a damp earthy aroma – you can smell it right now, can’t you? Above, the gentle rustling of the canopy makes you feel like you’re a million miles away from reality, the wind creating sounds that the city just can’t replicate. And the best bit? The chorus of birdsong all around. The flitter of a piwakawaka’s wings, the melody of a tūi’s song, and the iconic sound of a kererū’s wings as it defies gravity and somehow makes it to the next branch, merge to create a special sound, and a special experience, that can only be found in Aotearoa. The only sound that’s missing? The call of the kiwi. Just a few hundred years ago, New Zealand was home to millions of kiwi. If you’d been on one of the first boats to land on our shores, there were probably so many running around that you could have accidentally stood on one during a midnight stumble from your house to the long drop. But as kiwi habitat was cleared to make way for farmland and predators were introduced (and ironically more predators were introduced to control the first predators… we’re looking at you ferrets), kiwi numbers have been slashed and today the population hovers

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at around 68,000 – and that number continues to drop at around 2% every year.

New Zealanders identify themselves as “Kiwis”. In fact, introduce yourself to someone overseas and chances are they’ll call you a “Kiwi” too. But if the kiwi population continues to drop at this rate – 2% a year works out to around 20 birds a week – and if no one was to step in and do anything about it, there’s a very real risk that our namesake could disappear from the wild within a few generations. And then what would we call ourselves? Some people might think it’s ironic that we’ve been named after this small, flightless, seemingly defenceless bird that sleeps all day. In fact, the kiwi is all sorts of inspiration. It’s clever. Incredibly clever. Why wouldn’t you sleep all day so you can party all night, right? It’s cute. Everyone loves it. You see a photo of a cute cuddly kiwi and unless you have no heart you instantly turn into mush because of the fluff. It’s feisty. It doesn’t often take the first punch but if it’s backed into a corner, it will sure as hell stick up for itself, so beware its kick. It’s the underdog that we love to see overcome the improbable. Despite its small stature, tiny wings (yes it has wings, but they’re only an inch long and are basically useless), and general quirks (in proportion to its body size it lays a bigger egg than almost any other bird, and it’s

the only bird in the world with nostrils at the tip of its beak), the kiwi is slowly coming back from the brink. Save the kiwi (formerly Kiwis for kiwi) works alongside iwi, conservation groups, communities, organisations, and the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai to reverse the 2% decline of the national kiwi population and create more kiwisafe habitat all over Aotearoa. What we do is in the name. We work to raise awareness of the kiwi’s plight, how important this taonga is to all New Zealanders’ identities, and what people can do to help. We work to save the kiwi so future generations will have the chance to get up close and personal with our namesake in the wild one day, instead of having to resort to only seeing one behind glass (and if you’ve ever been to a nocturnal kiwi house, you’ll know how hard that is). Save the kiwi can’t imagine a New Zealand without the kiwi. That’s why we’re proudly leading the rescue mission to save the kiwi, and why we’re spreading the word to get every New Zealander behind the mission too.

To find out more about Save the kiwi and to get behind the cause, visit www.savethekiwi.nz.

Save the kiwi (formerly Kiwis for kiwi) works alongside iwi, conservation groups, communities, organisations, and the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai to reverse the 2% decline of the national kiwi population and create more kiwi-safe habitat all over Aotearoa.

Kids get up close and personal with a cute kiwi chick mid-hatch.

Some of the Save the kiwi team perform a health check on a wild kiwi.

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Watersports

DON’T BE A ONE

TRICK PONY K While the fun of surfing never really wears off, there are a wide range of other ways to enjoy the water suggests contributor Steve Dickinson.

iwis tend to be very much ‘one trick ponies’ – “I surf a short board, I windsurf a foil, I paddleboard,” but overseas, especially in places like Tahiti and Hawaii, being a waterman is a badge of honour. Guys like Laird Hamilton and Kai Lenny cover a range of disciplines that define them as the

ultimate watermen. Personally, I know a range of surfers in Hawaii and Tahiti who regularly longboard as well as shortboard, who will bodysurf or bodyboard just as happily as shortboard. They will pick a discipline to fit the water and weather conditions. Strong onshore winds might be terrible for surfing, but they are awesome for

Bodysurfing is a serious sport in its own right. Internationally, there are high end competitions and superstars of the sport. windsurfing. A large dumping shore break might be bad for a longboard but super fun to bodysurf. There are a lot of alternatives out there, so here are a few you might not have considered...

Bodysurfing Bodysurfing is a serious sport in its own right. Internationally, there are high end competitions and superstars of the sport. Tim Casinelli, director of the World Bodysurfing Championships competition, said, “Bodysurfing is as pure as you can get in a sport.” “The real interaction between your body and the wave that’s synchronised with the lack of equipment can explain its huge appeal,” he continued. You actually don’t need anything, just good technique, but a pair of fins will help. Some body surfers also use a hand plate which is a small board often made of wood that attaches to one hand. As you catch the wave, you can lift your body off the water by pressing down on the plate. Apart from body position, the plate also increases your speed at which you can travel through the water.

Bodyboarding, or is it boogie boarding?

“there are some amazing bodyboarders who can tackle waves that a stand-up surfer can’t even look at.”

inventing the first bodyboard, but there is a lot of conjecture about that claim. Historically in New Zealand, there was a lot of bad blood between surfers and bodyboarders (I’ve never been sure why), but there are some amazing bodyboarders who can tackle waves that a stand-up surfer can’t even look at. Body boarding, or boogie boarding, was hugely popular for a while in the 80s and 90s, but it has become more of a niche sport now. It is amazing what some of the world legends – the likes of Mike

Stewart, Jeff and Dave Hubbard, and Pierre Louis Costes – can do on a bodyboard. All of these guys have dominated incredible waves, pushed limits, and created moves above the lip that have been mirrored by the world’s best standup surfers – bodyboarders were doing 360s and big airs long before stand up surfers. What’s the difference between a boogie board and a bodyboard? Nothing. It’s a bit like a hoover and a vacuum cleaner; they’re the same thing but one is just a product name.

Bodyboarding was hugely popular for a while in the 80s and 90s, but it has become more of a niche sport now.

Tom Morey is credited with off-Sitenz

with jet nozzles underneath which provide thrust for the rider to fly up to 20 metres in the air or to dive headlong through the water down as far as one is willing to go. It is not easy and can go horribly wrong, but once mastered it’s amazingly fun – just do not attempt it in shallow water!

Flyboarding lets you fly up to 20 metres above the water, as well as dive headlong into it.

Wakeskating

“Soon you’ll be flying through the air, bouncing over the surface of the water” Flyboarding For a moment let’s ditch the usual water sports equipment in favour of this futuristic gadget. Flyboarding. This is not something you are going to go out and buy but there are a lot of hire places and resorts that now have them. Basically, you strap the jetpack on your back, and

soon you’ll be flying through the air, bouncing over the surface of the water, and imagining you’re a superhero. Well, at least that’s what it looks like. In reality, a flyboard rider stands on a board connected by a long hose to a watercraft, normally a jet ski. Water is forced under pressure to a pair of boots

Wakeskating is new and it’s a combo of land and water sports that takes skateboarding to the waves. It’s similar to wakeboarding, but without any bindings. Although harder to master, the impact of falling off a wakeskate is a lot less painful! Unlike wakeboarding, the rider is not bound to the board in any way, which gives the sport its own unique challenges. Instead, the top surface of the board is covered with grip tape, (in a similar fashion to a skateboard). It is kinder to riders during the inevitable crashes and this also allows a rider to ride barefoot. However, riders usually wear shoes while riding to get extra grip on the board, similar to skateboarding. The speed at which riders wakeskate behind a jet ski, boat, cable system, or winch is generally 30km/h, but this depends on water conditions, the weight of the rider, their proficiency

Wakeskating is a combo of land and water sports that takes skateboarding to the waves and is similar to wakeboarding, but without any bindings.

in the sport as well as personal preference. Wakeskating tricks are inherently more technical than wakeboarding. The tricks are based firmly on skateboarding as opposed to snowboarding. Numerous tournaments and competitions already exist throughout the world for the sport of wakeskating.

Skimboarding Skimboarding has a rich history. What started over 60 years ago on round wooden boards has evolved into a highly competitive water sport. Most people know skimboarding as “that thing you do on the sand at low tide,” and while this is true, skimboarding has become so much more than that. A skimboard is like a smaller surfboard without the fins. Instead of paddling out to the water and catching waves in, skim boarders will now start at the beach, use momentum to carry themselves out to the water, and then catch the breaking waves back to shore. It takes balance, and there’s a fair share of falling involved when learning to do it right, but it’s an

“there’s a fair share of falling involved when learning to do it right” alternative to surfboarding that some find safer and more enjoyable. Whatever you decide to experiment with, know that the water has a lot to offer – it is only the conditions that change. That

shift can be capitalised on. If it’s windy, you can add a sail; if there are waves, you can surf; and if it is nothing but a pond, take a chance and give flyboarding a go.

TRADIE

TRAILERS

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Low ‘n’ Slow

THE LONG & SHORT OF IT! BEEF SHORT RIB METHOD BBQ enthusiast Kerren Packer takes us through a low ‘n’ slow favourite – smoked beef short ribs.

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and smell sensors.

The Meat I suggest selecting a rack of grassfed beef short rib that has at least three bones present, has good marbling (fat striation), is meaty and weighs in at approximately three kilograms, uncooked.

The Trim

If brisket is the king of BBQ, short rib is surely the prince in waiting.

hen taken on a low ‘n’ slow journey, smoked beef short ribs are about as close as you can get to barbecue Nirvana. Nail this dish, and your guests will happily anoint you with the title of pit-master or mistress as the case may be. Incredibly rich, tender, and flavoursome, the beef short rib is a must for anyone that

wishes to take their barbecue game to the next level. Due to the “heavy” fat content, beef short ribs need to be given just the right amount of heat/time ratio to break down the collagens and with every piece of meat not being created equally, there is no real “cook by numbers” approach to executing the perfect short rib. What follows will serve as a guide, but the rest is up to your look, feel

Method Difficulty

Intermediate

Rub

Rum & Que – Bulldust, The Four Sauceman – The Beef, S.P.G.

Charcoal type

Briquette

Recommended wood

Pohutukawa, apple, oak, cherry.

Smoker temperature

275° Fahrenheit

Prep time

15 minutes

Cook time

6-8 hours

Meat finish temp.

204°-207° Fahrenheit

“...There is no real ‘cook by numbers’ approach to executing the perfect short rib.”

There is often more than enough intermuscular fat within the rib itself, so I like to expose as much of the beef as possible by removing pretty much all of the fat and silver skin present on the top layer of the rib. Some of the fat seams will run fairly deep down in the meat, but only trim down to the meat level otherwise you run the risk of the ribs separating and turning into a bit of a mess. Unlike pork ribs, there is no real reason to remove the underside rib membrane. In fact, I advise leaving it on to hold the rib bones in place as it makes good chewing when rendered.

The Rub The natural flavours of quality beef short rib don’t need disguising and, in my opinion, it’s a case of less-is-more. Choose a rub that doesn’t overpower those natural flavours and allows the beef to shine through. A simple homemade salt, pepper, garlic (SPG) or an off the shelf Kiwi rub like those from Rum & Que or The Four Saucemen are great options, or get creative as seen in the photos. A light spritzing with plain water onto the surface of the rib followed by an even covering of your

No two cuts are the same – when making a short rib selection, look for good inter-muscular fat to meat ratio, also known as “marbling”.

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It is easy to string superlatives together when describing well executed BBQ short rib – succulent, lush, rich, flavoursome... preferred rub is all that is needed. The water will help the rub adhere to the beef throughout the cooking process. Do not forget the edges and if leaving the membrane on, there is little point in applying rub to the underside. Set aside the ribs for approximately one hour to allow the salts and flavours in the rub to begin to work their magic.

The Smoke Set your smoker/barbecue up to sit around the 275°F mark for six or so hours and be sure to create an indirect zone. This means the rib will be away from the heat source (this is the basis for all low ‘n’ slow

barbecuing). Indirect barbecuing can be achieved in many ways. It can be as simple as having lit coals on one side of the barbecue and meat on the other, but if you have never done this method of barbecuing, I suggest using Google or YouTube to search up your specific smoker/ barbecue and getting more precise directions online. Briquette style coals will provide a more uniform and consistent temperature range than hardwood style lump coal and should be set up as a slow burning “fuse”. This means that the lit coals at the start of the coal “fuse” will slowly ignite the next and so on (such

“The Idea is to let the smoke kiss the meat, rather than smother it... ”

Barebecue’d short rib showing its “teeth”. This not only satisfies the tastebuds but also produces the visual theatrics to please the crowd.

methods are described as “snakes” or “minions” in various styles of barbecues). Next, add your preferred smoking wood chunks along the unlit coal ‘fuse’. This step ensures your barbecue has consistent smoke throughout the first three hours or so of the cook and will give your ribs that lightly smoked sweet and natural flavours and aromas. The idea is to let the smoke kiss the meat, rather than smother it, which will be a turn off for most tastes. My favourite wood pairings for beef are well-seasoned pohutukawa, apple, oak and cherry. Once your barbecue is up to temperature (275°F or thereabouts),

The heavy bark, a deep red smoke-ring and rich succulent meat is the goal for barbecue’d beef short rib.

nt meat

place the short rib bone side down on the grill away from the direct heat of the coals. Close the lid, take the kids to the park, mow the lawns, go back to bed or enjoy a beverage or two while the earthy smells of your fire and wood gently caress some of the tastiest and lush meat you and your guests will ever eat. Around the two hour mark, I like to check the progress of the cook by visually inspecting how the “fuse” is burning, the rub is setting, the colour is forming and the aromas are rising. Before closing the lid, I give the ribs a gentle spritz with plain water to introduce some moisture back on to the surface of the protein. Repeat this process every hour or so from here but remember that if you are looking, you’re not cooking! Opening the lid can prolong the cook by a decent margin. Between five to six hours in, the meat will be well and truly pulling back from the bone, exposing its “teeth”, and puffing up. The bark should also be nicely set (it won’t scratch off easily). Using a digital instant-read thermometer, spot check the internal temperature of the rib – we are looking for around 205°F now. This is also a good time to check the fuse, add more coal if needed, and give the ribs another light spritz. From here on, keep a regular eye on the internal temperature – somewhere in the vicinity of 204°F to 207°F is the goal. No two pieces of meat are created equal, so it is worthy to note

There are so many ways to utilise BBQ beef short rib, so get creative! that any times and temps provided in this article are loose guides only. The one and only test to confirm if it’s ready is whether it probes like butter – which means that a probe/ toothpick will easily penetrate the meat with little effort and it will have a slight jelly-wobble feel to it. From there, the serving

“beef short ribs... they are real crowD pleasers”

suggestions are many: bone out, bone-in, sliced, on mashed spuds, in burgers, on pizza, in a pie, braised with a rich red wine sauce, over southern style slaw or as part of a traditional Kiwi Sunday roast – they are all real crowd pleasers. So there it is, the long and short of barbecued beef short rib.

The first cut can be an anxious time for a budding pit-master! Will or won’t it make the grade? off-Sitenz

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Reader’s Story

HAMMERING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR By Jonny Allison

Jonny favours the rod and reel – he pulled in this kingfish while jigging in the Coromandel – but the set line was a far more practical option during work hours.

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Being a tradesman and a keen fisherman can be a complicated relationship. As a contracting carpenter, time is money. There are pros to this – every hour is dollars in my pocket; but cons follow close behind – days off fishing end up being expensive thanks to the loss of wages and the costly trip to the tackle store which always gets a bit out of hand.

“Taking a few fish and letting the resident islanders have some fresh snapper for smoko seemed like a good plan.”

his is admittedly an unhealthy mindset but a reality for many tradesmen with young families to support. Now throw this in the mix: a morning commute which involves watching the sun rise over the water, revealing that yet again it’s another perfectly glass day out on the Hauraki Gulf. You must learn swiftly to squash the thought of all the sea life about to erupt into a frenzy ready to smash whatever soft, hard or dead bait you toss into the water, so you avert your eyes (avoiding a nose to tail) and carry on driving – another win for the fish. As it would happen, the company I work for took a job building a new architectural home on Kawau Island in the Hauraki Gulf – a 300m² home comprised of three pavilions in a truly magical private bay. The lucky few with no dependants would

stay in an existing cottage onsite during the week in an old, quaint, cosy weatherboard house of two bedrooms no more than 100m from the waterfront. The walls are lined with memories of family time spent fishing and enjoying the beach. This new job provided the boss – who is also an avid fisherman – with the need to purchase a boat for getting himself to and from the island. This was, of course, something he showed little resistance to, so before you could blink an eye, a near new Surtees 4.85m was purchased with a 60hp Yamaha. The best thing about this purchase was that it was free for recreational purposes after knock-off. It wasn’t until spring that I finally got a chance to head to Kawau. I and one other were called

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ISSUE 27 2021 NOV/DEC

LOW ‘N’ SLOW BBQ

The building site had its own private wharf they could tie up to during the day.

G TARGETIN FISH TROPHY

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The commute to work had never been better. upon to push the site along to keep the build schedule on track. Having just finished a build in Remuera, my morning commute no longer involved pulling up to a line of traffic but instead to the wharf – a very welcome change. It was spring so it was my obligation to point out the odd gannet about to make a dive. It felt like a treat working out on the island – hard work but being by the ocean and surrounded with bush lined hills all day does something to you. As nice as it was, a certain

angst was rising in the fishermen among us; it maybe, just maybe had something to do with the hundreds of gannets diving consistently in the channel 200m offshore every day. But we were helpless and flat out with work so, once again, I would pull my gaze from the water and get back to it. One morning though, something happened. As my boss arrived at the wharf on the Surtees, I noticed a long line nestled in a rod holder along with hooks and traces on a rack. I looked at my boss and gave

The views from the building site were a nice change from the usual cityscape. 30

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“I looked at my boss and gave him a nod of approval – the man’s a genius”

him a gentle head nod of approval – the man’s a genius. A set line isn’t usually my go to when it comes to fishing. I originally fell in love with fishing for the sport using soft-plastics and came to enjoy fishing for the table shortly after. This was a great idea though. Taking a few fish and letting the resident islanders have some fresh snapper for smoko seemed like a good plan. The boss had keenly been studying the nav maps looking for a nice spot to set the line that would provide some regular fish. There was a channel that ran right past the bay between our island and a smaller island 500m from ours, and it also ran over a decent patch of foul and showed good sign with plenty of bait fish around. This proved to be a fine spot. A couple times a week or whenever the boys ran short on snapper, at least 3-5 snapper would be pulled in on the set line per drop. Most were a great eating size around 40cm with the odd fish between 5-10lb. These would be filleted shortly after they made it to land and the two Brazilians in our crew would waste no time preparing them for smoko. The young apprentice had been barred from cooking duties for burning the garlic rolls more than once. Watching the two Brazilians prepare smoko was an experience best spent sitting down and out of the way. It was much like a dance but in the kitchen – and with periods of yelling which sounded tense but ended with laughing. After the show, the fish would roll out hot on a plate – snapper pan-fried in butter served with fresh lemon plucked out of the bedroom window. It was refreshing to see how much everyone enjoyed the fresh fish pulled merely a few hundred metres from the rustic old cottage in which it was prepared and cooked. I think about the fact that this is what lucky families holidaying in this bay have been enjoying for countless generations. I too feel privileged to have had a touch of fishing cross paths with my workday and to share in the magical little bay.

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