- Home
- /
- School Rowing
- /
- Head of Harbour....
Head of Harbour. Lots of beginnings, no end
For lots of rowers, the annual regatta is the start of something that continues throughout their lives.
It's the only schools regatta left in suburban Auckland.
You can stand at the finish and never know exactly where the line is or, in a close race, who crossed first.
No times are taken because the course is not measured.
Lining crews up is mayhem when it's windy, which is nearly always, and getting a boat in after your race will try any boat marshal's patience and seriously test a novice coxswain.
But for all those reasons and more, the Milford Head of Harbour at Lake Pupuke on Auckland's North Shore has never lost its magic.
For a crew from Carmel College and a young sculler from Howick College, Saturday's 89th running was the beginning of a rowing story. For three former schoolboys, it was the continuation of one that's still going strong nearly 60 years on.
A few Carmel College crews have competed at school regattas over the years, but never in big numbers or as a long-established programme.
As far as anyone can recall, they'd never boated an eight. So you can imagine it was quite a moment for the school that opened on the shores of Lake Pupuke in 1957 to finally get out there in the big boat.
Carmel College's first-ever eight. From left: Bernardita Hoyo Gibson, Gianna Alesich Sandford, Keira Cocks, Beth O'Brien, coach Chris Brake, Isabella Gobbie, Molly Smith, Lily Saxon, Meadhbh O'Farrell and Olivia Lim. Photo: Andy Hay
"I think they did really well considering it's the first time we've had an eight out," says last year's Head Girl Lily Dwyer.
"There's heaps of space to improve over the next few years which is exciting to see and I look forward to coming back down here next year and the year after and hopefully it keeps on going."
Next week Lily and her old Carmel crewmate Georgia Thorpe will continue what began at the school when they compete in the Club Eight and Double at the New Zealand Championships at Lake Karapiro.
Howick College coach Greg Reid was just about jumping out of his skin as the Girls Under 17 Single came down to the finish. The wind had got up and the chop was making things messy. And there was Year 13 student Yalini Velmurugan in her first-ever race in the single, handling the water like a pro to finish second in her division. It was just her third row in the boat.
Howick College's Yalini Velmurugan up at the start for the Girls Under 17 Single. Photo: Dave Mills Photography
"That's why we do it. That's what we're here for," says Greg. "She did so well in those conditions, and for her to go out there and row like that against much bigger and more experienced kids was awesome."
Yalini and her little sister were walking out of the boat park afterwards with their mum, who had a big smile on her face.
They'd spent the day on the packed embankment at Sylvan Park. It's one of the beauties of the regatta - for many it's a rare chance to come and watch their kids or grandkids compete in a setting where young children can be easily supervised and the family dog is welcome too.
Because it's local and done in a day, everyone in the family gets the chance to get along and watch the racing, from grandparents to the pooch. Photo: Dave Mills Photography
And while some schools have forfeited the opportunity to compete for the Boys and Girls Under-18 Eight over the years, winning the last two races of the day still holds massive prestige.
That's why you'll see what's become a tradition at HoH as the winning crew gets off the water and stops by the small corrugated iron judge's tower to receive haka from their fellow students. On Saturday it was King's College getting the stirring reception, their first Head of Harbour win in 20 years. And Baradene College took out the final race in a thriller over Auckland Diocesan and Epsom Girls.
For students like Lily Dwyer, getting the opportunity to test the rowing waters on Lake Pupuke over roughly 950 metres stretched out way beyond that.
"Rowing was definitely the sport for me. I'd done what feels like every sport that was available to me and I've only stuck at rowing. I've found the people that I really like being around and I've found the sport that I really like doing. I think it has changed my life in many ways."
It was definitely a life-changing moment when Allan Botica, Billy Holland and Taura Eruera first met at Sylvan Park in 1968. Allan had just stroked his Rotorua Boys' High crew to a huge upset victory over Billy and Taura's Westlake crew. It remains Rotorua Boys' biggest moment in rowing.
"They beat us by a canvas," says Billy. "After the race we ended up chatting because we swapped singlets and then everyone went off to their supporters and that was the last time I saw Allan until university the next year when we all ended up flatting together, me Allan and Taura and a couple of others."
The three have been mates ever since.
"I've been best man at two of his weddings," says Billy of Allan, who is still rowing and the Committee Chair at Auckland RC.
Billy's also godfather to Allan's daughter. Taura would have been there on Saturday but for a bout of Covid.
But he's still following closely.
And here's something you won't come across everyday. Allan's marriages have become woven into the seating order of his Masters Quad.
The bowman is still on his first marriage, two seat's on his second, three seat's on his third and Allan's stroking on account of fourth time round.
Allan's marriages may not have stuck but his friendship with Billy and Taura remain. Head of Harbour: Easily overlooked but a place where new rowing memories are made and old ones are constantly rekindled.
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and Maadi Cup-winning coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
Share Story
- Home
- /
- School Rowing
- /
- Head of Harbour....
Head of Harbour. Lots of beginnings, no end
For lots of rowers, the annual regatta is the start of something that continues throughout their lives.
It's the only schools regatta left in suburban Auckland.
You can stand at the finish and never know exactly where the line is or, in a close race, who crossed first.
No times are taken because the course is not measured.
Lining crews up is mayhem when it's windy, which is nearly always, and getting a boat in after your race will try any boat marshal's patience and seriously test a novice coxswain.
But for all those reasons and more, the Milford Head of Harbour at Lake Pupuke on Auckland's North Shore has never lost its magic.
For a crew from Carmel College and a young sculler from Howick College, Saturday's 89th running was the beginning of a rowing story. For three former schoolboys, it was the continuation of one that's still going strong nearly 60 years on.
A few Carmel College crews have competed at school regattas over the years, but never in big numbers or as a long-established programme.
As far as anyone can recall, they'd never boated an eight. So you can imagine it was quite a moment for the school that opened on the shores of Lake Pupuke in 1957 to finally get out there in the big boat.
Carmel College's first-ever eight. From left: Bernardita Hoyo Gibson, Gianna Alesich Sandford, Keira Cocks, Beth O'Brien, coach Chris Brake, Isabella Gobbie, Molly Smith, Lily Saxon, Meadhbh O'Farrell and Olivia Lim. Photo: Andy Hay
"I think they did really well considering it's the first time we've had an eight out," says last year's Head Girl Lily Dwyer.
"There's heaps of space to improve over the next few years which is exciting to see and I look forward to coming back down here next year and the year after and hopefully it keeps on going."
Next week Lily and her old Carmel crewmate Georgia Thorpe will continue what began at the school when they compete in the Club Eight and Double at the New Zealand Championships at Lake Karapiro.
Howick College coach Greg Reid was just about jumping out of his skin as the Girls Under 17 Single came down to the finish. The wind had got up and the chop was making things messy. And there was Year 13 student Yalini Velmurugan in her first-ever race in the single, handling the water like a pro to finish second in her division. It was just her third row in the boat.
Howick College's Yalini Velmurugan up at the start for the Girls Under 17 Single. Photo: Dave Mills Photography
"That's why we do it. That's what we're here for," says Greg. "She did so well in those conditions, and for her to go out there and row like that against much bigger and more experienced kids was awesome."
Yalini and her little sister were walking out of the boat park afterwards with their mum, who had a big smile on her face.
They'd spent the day on the packed embankment at Sylvan Park. It's one of the beauties of the regatta - for many it's a rare chance to come and watch their kids or grandkids compete in a setting where young children can be easily supervised and the family dog is welcome too.
Because it's local and done in a day, everyone in the family gets the chance to get along and watch the racing, from grandparents to the pooch. Photo: Dave Mills Photography
And while some schools have forfeited the opportunity to compete for the Boys and Girls Under-18 Eight over the years, winning the last two races of the day still holds massive prestige.
That's why you'll see what's become a tradition at HoH as the winning crew gets off the water and stops by the small corrugated iron judge's tower to receive haka from their fellow students. On Saturday it was King's College getting the stirring reception, their first Head of Harbour win in 20 years. And Baradene College took out the final race in a thriller over Auckland Diocesan and Epsom Girls.
For students like Lily Dwyer, getting the opportunity to test the rowing waters on Lake Pupuke over roughly 950 metres stretched out way beyond that.
"Rowing was definitely the sport for me. I'd done what feels like every sport that was available to me and I've only stuck at rowing. I've found the people that I really like being around and I've found the sport that I really like doing. I think it has changed my life in many ways."
It was definitely a life-changing moment when Allan Botica, Billy Holland and Taura Eruera first met at Sylvan Park in 1968. Allan had just stroked his Rotorua Boys' High crew to a huge upset victory over Billy and Taura's Westlake crew. It remains Rotorua Boys' biggest moment in rowing.
"They beat us by a canvas," says Billy. "After the race we ended up chatting because we swapped singlets and then everyone went off to their supporters and that was the last time I saw Allan until university the next year when we all ended up flatting together, me Allan and Taura and a couple of others."
The three have been mates ever since.
"I've been best man at two of his weddings," says Billy of Allan, who is still rowing and the Committee Chair at Auckland RC.
Billy's also godfather to Allan's daughter. Taura would have been there on Saturday but for a bout of Covid.
But he's still following closely.
And here's something you won't come across everyday. Allan's marriages have become woven into the seating order of his Masters Quad.
The bowman is still on his first marriage, two seat's on his second, three seat's on his third and Allan's stroking on account of fourth time round.
Allan's marriages may not have stuck but his friendship with Billy and Taura remain. Head of Harbour: Easily overlooked but a place where new rowing memories are made and old ones are constantly rekindled.
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and Maadi Cup-winning coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
