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New kids on the block
The school where music legend Jordan Luck was once Head Boy has stepped out on to the rowing stage.
It always seemed an anomaly heading to Maadi Regatta at Twizel and passing through Geraldine, wondering of all schools in that rowing-mad region why they didn't have a programme.
Further on towards Ruataniwha, as you start to picture the queue for pies at the Fairlie Bakehouse, you pass the turn-off to Pleasant Point, which is where Rae and Jeremy Gaskin and their three sons Miller, Taylor and Bowen live.
Jeremy rowed at Timaru Boys' back in the day. But for some reason the sport never took off in Geraldine.
"I think it was a little bit left field for a lot of them [in the past]," says Jeremy. "People didn't really think that would ever really happen there because there was no training water nearby."
Rae's the Business Manager at Geraldine High School and all those boat trailers passing through town got her thinking it was time to join the trail to Twizel. So Rae got down to…business.
Next month, Geraldine High will make its debut on the school rowing scene as the newest member of the NZSSRA when their squad of 11 competes at SISS.
They've already competed in Timaru Rowing Club colours, with great results at Canterbury Champs and over the weekend at South Island Club champs, where they made seven A Finals and won a first ever gold medal with the "Super Cooper" sisters - Charlee and Maddison - taking out the Women's Novice Double.
Geraldine High School's finals day schedule at Canterbury Champs in January, some quick progress and a big confidence boost for what's coming at SISS and Maadi Regatta.
Now, a first Maadi Regatta awaits.
"Hoping we can continue where we're at and build on results we've had already and hopefully be in a good place for it," says Jeremy, who had his ''arm twisted'' into coaching by Rae. She also persuaded former Avon athlete David Earl, son of Athol, to come in as a coach.
The squad splits its on-water time between Saltwater Creek in Timaru and Lake Opuha, which is a 30-minute drive from school on the way to Fairlie.
The rowing community has pitched in in all sorts of ways to get things up and running. One of Rae's colleagues at school, Bianca Sheed, has been donating her time and use of her Base Fitness gym in town to put the kids through S&C a couple of times a week. That's made a big difference.
Gendie Woods from Canterbury Rowing Association helped them get their first boat, a four donated from Henry Smith at Christ's College.
Slightly freakishly she's just driven through the town on her way to "Paradise" (or Lake Ruataniwha as it's otherwise known) when I get her on the phone.
Even more coincidentally Gendie's short for Geraldine, so how could she not be pleased.
"Delighted. It's cool that a new school is entering the rowing family and great to see the Geraldine kids out on the water."
The road from Christchurch to Twizel is turning into a bit of a success story.
Hillmorton High School revived its rowing programme last year, was awarded the inaugural Milford Foundation Emerging School scholarship of $10,000 and will be at a Maadi Regatta in March for the first time since the 1970s.
The Selwyn schools (Darfield, Ellesmere, Lincoln, Rolleston) got through their first year of competition in 2025 and then a challenging winter after being flooded out at the base they share with St Thomas of Canterbury.
Flooding at the Selwyn Huts over the winter where the Selwyn schools and St Thomas of Canterbury keep their boats.
And now there's Geraldine; the latest to demonstrate that rowing can be open to all.
"It's sad that schools might think rowing is an elitist sport," says Gendie. "It certainly isn't. And as we well know, many little schools do very well at school regattas, even with a few rowers."
Hopefully not for long in Geraldine High's case.
"We've already been doing a fair bit of planning for next season and thinking where we want to get to," says Jeremy. "At the moment our focus is really on building squad numbers and squad depth."
And that will mean more equipment.
"If anyone has a boat they want to pass on, we're definitely interested," says Jeremy.
"People have stuff in boatsheds all around the country that might not hold value for them, but for us, it would be massive to get our hands on it."
And just like that, Glen Sinclair from Otago University Rowing Club, produced a major surprise over the weekend at South Islands, gifting the school an eight from 2005 with a set of Crokers chucked in.
Probably one of the most significant moments for the young athletes came with the presentation of their first school rowing gear, some compression tops.
It was designed by Rae and the rowers.
It's pretty striking if you rowed back in the time when East Germany was the most powerful rowing nation on Earth.
It's also pure coincidence. But quite a statement.
Do you have a boat or equipment you'd like to pass on to Geraldine's new rowing programme?
Contact: Rae at rowing@geraldinehs.school.nz
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and rowing coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
Rowing Paradise
They call it the rowing club at the end of the road. It’s in a part of the country many won’t know even exists. But it’s become a rowing paradise for the kids and parents from five schools in the Selwyn District. Find out more about New Zealand’s newest rowing club, down the end of the road on the majestic Selwyn River.
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- Home
- /
- School Rowing
- /
- New kids on...
New kids on the block
The school where music legend Jordan Luck was once Head Boy has stepped out on to the rowing stage.
It always seemed an anomaly heading to Maadi Regatta at Twizel and passing through Geraldine, wondering of all schools in that rowing-mad region why they didn't have a programme.
Further on towards Ruataniwha, as you start to picture the queue for pies at the Fairlie Bakehouse, you pass the turn-off to Pleasant Point, which is where Rae and Jeremy Gaskin and their three sons Miller, Taylor and Bowen live.
Jeremy rowed at Timaru Boys' back in the day. But for some reason the sport never took off in Geraldine.
"I think it was a little bit left field for a lot of them [in the past]," says Jeremy. "People didn't really think that would ever really happen there because there was no training water nearby."
Rae's the Business Manager at Geraldine High School and all those boat trailers passing through town got her thinking it was time to join the trail to Twizel. So Rae got down to…business.
Next month, Geraldine High will make its debut on the school rowing scene as the newest member of the NZSSRA when their squad of 11 competes at SISS.
They've already competed in Timaru Rowing Club colours, with great results at Canterbury Champs and over the weekend at South Island Club champs, where they made seven A Finals and won a first ever gold medal with the "Super Cooper" sisters - Charlee and Maddison - taking out the Women's Novice Double.
Geraldine High School's finals day schedule at Canterbury Champs in January, some quick progress and a big confidence boost for what's coming at SISS and Maadi Regatta.
Now, a first Maadi Regatta awaits.
"Hoping we can continue where we're at and build on results we've had already and hopefully be in a good place for it," says Jeremy, who had his ''arm twisted'' into coaching by Rae. She also persuaded former Avon athlete David Earl, son of Athol, to come in as a coach.
The squad splits its on-water time between Saltwater Creek in Timaru and Lake Opuha, which is a 30-minute drive from school on the way to Fairlie.
The rowing community has pitched in in all sorts of ways to get things up and running. One of Rae's colleagues at school, Bianca Sheed, has been donating her time and use of her Base Fitness gym in town to put the kids through S&C a couple of times a week. That's made a big difference.
Gendie Woods from Canterbury Rowing Association helped them get their first boat, a four donated from Henry Smith at Christ's College.
Slightly freakishly she's just driven through the town on her way to "Paradise" (or Lake Ruataniwha as it's otherwise known) when I get her on the phone.
Even more coincidentally Gendie's short for Geraldine, so how could she not be pleased.
"Delighted. It's cool that a new school is entering the rowing family and great to see the Geraldine kids out on the water."
The road from Christchurch to Twizel is turning into a bit of a success story.
Hillmorton High School revived its rowing programme last year, was awarded the inaugural Milford Foundation Emerging School scholarship of $10,000 and will be at a Maadi Regatta in March for the first time since the 1970s.
The Selwyn schools (Darfield, Ellesmere, Lincoln, Rolleston) got through their first year of competition in 2025 and then a challenging winter after being flooded out at the base they share with St Thomas of Canterbury.
Flooding at the Selwyn Huts over the winter where the Selwyn schools and St Thomas of Canterbury keep their boats.
And now there's Geraldine; the latest to demonstrate that rowing can be open to all.
"It's sad that schools might think rowing is an elitist sport," says Gendie. "It certainly isn't. And as we well know, many little schools do very well at school regattas, even with a few rowers."
Hopefully not for long in Geraldine High's case.
"We've already been doing a fair bit of planning for next season and thinking where we want to get to," says Jeremy. "At the moment our focus is really on building squad numbers and squad depth."
And that will mean more equipment.
"If anyone has a boat they want to pass on, we're definitely interested," says Jeremy.
"People have stuff in boatsheds all around the country that might not hold value for them, but for us, it would be massive to get our hands on it."
And just like that, Glen Sinclair from Otago University Rowing Club, produced a major surprise over the weekend at South Islands, gifting the school an eight from 2005 with a set of Crokers chucked in.
Probably one of the most significant moments for the young athletes came with the presentation of their first school rowing gear, some compression tops.
It was designed by Rae and the rowers.
It's pretty striking if you rowed back in the time when East Germany was the most powerful rowing nation on Earth.
It's also pure coincidence. But quite a statement.
Do you have a boat or equipment you'd like to pass on to Geraldine's new rowing programme?
Contact: Rae at rowing@geraldinehs.school.nz
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and rowing coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
Rowing Paradise
They call it the rowing club at the end of the road. It’s in a part of the country many won’t know even exists. But it’s become a rowing paradise for the kids and parents from five schools in the Selwyn District. Find out more about New Zealand’s newest rowing club, down the end of the road on the majestic Selwyn River.
