Paddlers Finish Tasman Sea Crossing
canoe & Kayak Paddling News
1/14/2008
Australians James Castrission, 25, and Justin Jones, 24, spent 62 days crossing the Tasman Sea in their custom-built fiberglass vessel and battled strong winds and tides that spun them in giant circles and forced them to change their original plans.
The two pulled in at Ngamotu Beach near the town of New Plymouth on New Zealand's west coast shortly after midday, were greeted by a clutch of traditional Maori canoes and welcomed as pioneers by a crowd of about 2,000 kayak enthusiasts.
"NZ, thank you, thank you, you guys rock. This is so cool," Jones said, as the two hugged family members and drank a beer they were each handed.
Castrission paid tribute to Andrew McAuley, an Australian kayaker who vanished in February last year after making a desperate mayday call while trying to make a solo crossing of the Tasman.
"We have only got a small, small idea of what Andrew went through out there," Castrission told reporters. "Some nights when we were out there, we had each other to hold through the difficult moments."
The pair, who left Australia on Nov. 13, had intended to make it to Auckland, the country's largest city, before Christmas but changed plans after being buffeted during the journey.
During the trip, strong ocean flows forced them to make huge circles to avoid being carried far off course, meaning their eventual journey was much farther than the 1,400 miles they had originally planned.
Read more about the journey atThe Seattle Times World Report.
Read our prior coverage of Crossing The Ditch
Follow the trips progress at www.crossingtheditch.com
No comments have been added to this entry.
Add Comment
|
|
 |
|
|
||
|
||||||
|
During this special online offer, you can get a TRIAL ISSUE and receive 6 more (a total of 7 issues) for only $17.95 - you save 35% off the cover price! Outside the US? Canada or International GIVE A GIFT |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
||||||
