Road leads north for revival regatta
You're invited to the club that really clocks up the Ks.
" From the Fish Hook Bridge you turn left, go down about six or 700 metres, turn hard right, then go pretty straight, right down beside the walls and everything like that as you head out to Limestone Island. Just before Limestone take a left hand turn and go for about another three, 400 metres, turn left again, and follow the right-hand side all the way back to the bridge."
No, you haven't stopped, wound down the window in search of directions from a local to get to your destination, and neither is it some random GPS instruction to help you get unlost while you're towing the boat trailer, because we're going to assume you can follow SH1 north to New Zealand's northern-most rowing club as it takes another step forward on the rowing scene.
These are the directions for racing the inaugural Head of the Hatea regatta being hosted by the Whangarei Rowing Club on October 12.
It's a 15km head race for coxed boats of all sizes that takes crews out of the Town Basin, past the wharves and superyacht bases for 7.5km and then back past the airport, wetland sanctuary and scenic reserve to finish under the distinctive Te Matau a Pohe, all on a high tide in springtime.
The regatta's been a dream of WRC president and coach Chris Williams since he rowed the Head of the Yarra race in Melbourne a few years ago.
"It's been in my mind for the last three or four years," says Chris. "I've just been thinking it over and over and over. It's time we made it happen, it needs to happen. Eventually, I want it to become a big event and maybe get some international crews to come over if we can make it fly."
They trialed the race last year with just the club members, the first boat home got there in around 54 minutes and won bragging rights.
For the real deal this year, there's a bit more on offer.
"We're going to have prizemoney to start with," says Chris. "Prizemoney for the fastest crew, the crew that's closest to the average time across all the boats, and the third slowest crew wins a prize as well."
WHAT?
"It's easy to become the slowest crew," says Chris. "But it's hard to become the third slowest!"
Chris and the club hope to welcome crews starting from Saturday, with safe boat storage overnight before the race kicks off at 11am on the Sunday.
Crews will go off at staggered intervals so you won't know who's won until you cross the finish line.
Chris reckons it's more than 50 years since Whangarei hosted an interclub regatta.
That would be back in the time Whangarei Boys High School students Paul Squire and Sam Webb were rowing, as featured on RowingHub.
They found fame as a tough-as-teak coxed pair combo that had everyone talking in the early 80s.
The Boys from the Bush - Rowing Hub
One of the Taupo Rowing Club's current members, Hugh Munro, believes their old boat is still around and in rowable condition.
Could the Boys from the Bush re-emerge from the rowing wilderness for a comeback on home waters in October?
" There's no way in the world I'm rowing a long-distance race in a coxed pair," says Sam from his rural property just north of Matata. Part of his response has been edited out for...family reading.
So that's a no.
What about his old rowing partner?
" I could probably do it," says Paul. "I'm already down to do a long-distance row with a Masters crew from Taupo at Karapiro in August."
Their former Whangarei coxswain Paul Buttirini ('Butts'), who was sitting in the stern when they rowed the Maiden Coxed Pair final at the National Championships on Lake Horowhenua in 1977, is also keen.
"I'll be the coxswain, because we were literally within one foot of winning a title before they made it big in Taupo," says Paul.
"I'll even put a bit more weight on just to make it harder for them."
Butts helped organise a reunion for the squad last November, which Sam and Squire were able to get to. Some of the rowers from the national title winning Novice Eight from 1973 were there.
Whangarei Rowing Club's title-winning Novice Eight from 1973. Cox Paul Wilson, Kevin Hodkinson, Paul Fowlie, Mike Baker, Bruce Driscoll, John Walters, Mike McDowell, Rick Garry and Marcus Damerell.
Paul Squire would love to see Whangarei host a regatta on the same stretch of water they used to row on as teenagers.
"When we did our reunion, we did that same course out to Limestone...we all imagined the strokes as we pushed through the water but there was no effort...we went up there on a harbour launch powered by diesel!"
It'll be human horsepower that kicks off a new season in the Far North after the highs of Maadi Regatta 2025, where Whangarei Girls' won their first ever national schools rowing title in the Under 15 Octuple, and Anna Barradell and Dovey Mabey (little sister of Jess and Stevie) took out the Under-16 Double for Huanui College, who also row out of Whangarei.
Whangarei Girls High School win the Under 15 Octuple at Maadi Regatta in March. It was the school's first national title. Photo: PICTURE SHOW LTD.
Success at Maadi Regatta has done wonders for the club's profile in Whangarei. Its location right in the centre of the city, where there's lots of foot traffic, has also boosted visibility.
"It's very prominent," says Abi Monteith, whose daughter Arabella was in the U15 Octi. "A lot of people walk that loop every night or morning and see the girls training...last night it was a beautiful sunset and we were waiting for the girls and there's people walking with their dogs and I hear them say how lovely it is that these girls are out there rowing and so great to see kids out there doing it.
"Rowing's really in people's consciousness in the community because of literally where they're situated and how visible they are."
It's a season of long hours on the road for the Whangarei rowers. The trips to Karapiro come in six-hour shifts; the return legs mean late-night arrivals back home.
Chris Williams has been behind the wheel driving so much of this along. When he started coaching eight years ago there were two novices and four club rowers.
This season there were 38 girls, six boys and 12 Masters athletes at the club.
The growth in female participation left some of the veterans from the 70s in awe when they got together again after half a century.
"When we did our reunion up at Whangarei we actually visited the club," says Squire. "What struck me was the way things have changed...all the rowers were women."
Abi Monteith reckons the regatta will have a big impact in lots of ways.
"Any time there's an event where you're getting people in, it's a big boost. People will love to see that and see the action. Anything that creates a buzz will be really embraced.
"And the girls and parents obviously travel so much, so to be able to bring their rowing friends that they've made from other clubs up would be really cool as well.
"I think it will be quite eye-opening for people to see the contrast of maybe how some other clubs and other schools run."
So, the road's good, come see the sights. Start something new under the iconic bridge. Whangarei will welcome you. You might even get...hooked.
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.
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Road leads north for revival regatta
You're invited to the club that really clocks up the Ks.
" From the Fish Hook Bridge you turn left, go down about six or 700 metres, turn hard right, then go pretty straight, right down beside the walls and everything like that as you head out to Limestone Island. Just before Limestone take a left hand turn and go for about another three, 400 metres, turn left again, and follow the right-hand side all the way back to the bridge."
No, you haven't stopped, wound down the window in search of directions from a local to get to your destination, and neither is it some random GPS instruction to help you get unlost while you're towing the boat trailer, because we're going to assume you can follow SH1 north to New Zealand's northern-most rowing club as it takes another step forward on the rowing scene.
These are the directions for racing the inaugural Head of the Hatea regatta being hosted by the Whangarei Rowing Club on October 12.
It's a 15km head race for coxed boats of all sizes that takes crews out of the Town Basin, past the wharves and superyacht bases for 7.5km and then back past the airport, wetland sanctuary and scenic reserve to finish under the distinctive Te Matau a Pohe, all on a high tide in springtime.
The regatta's been a dream of WRC president and coach Chris Williams since he rowed the Head of the Yarra race in Melbourne a few years ago.
"It's been in my mind for the last three or four years," says Chris. "I've just been thinking it over and over and over. It's time we made it happen, it needs to happen. Eventually, I want it to become a big event and maybe get some international crews to come over if we can make it fly."
They trialed the race last year with just the club members, the first boat home got there in around 54 minutes and won bragging rights.
For the real deal this year, there's a bit more on offer.
"We're going to have prizemoney to start with," says Chris. "Prizemoney for the fastest crew, the crew that's closest to the average time across all the boats, and the third slowest crew wins a prize as well."
WHAT?
"It's easy to become the slowest crew," says Chris. "But it's hard to become the third slowest!"
Chris and the club hope to welcome crews starting from Saturday, with safe boat storage overnight before the race kicks off at 11am on the Sunday.
Crews will go off at staggered intervals so you won't know who's won until you cross the finish line.
Chris reckons it's more than 50 years since Whangarei hosted an interclub regatta.
That would be back in the time Whangarei Boys High School students Paul Squire and Sam Webb were rowing, as featured on RowingHub.
They found fame as a tough-as-teak coxed pair combo that had everyone talking in the early 80s.
The Boys from the Bush - Rowing Hub
One of the Taupo Rowing Club's current members, Hugh Munro, believes their old boat is still around and in rowable condition.
Could the Boys from the Bush re-emerge from the rowing wilderness for a comeback on home waters in October?
" There's no way in the world I'm rowing a long-distance race in a coxed pair," says Sam from his rural property just north of Matata. Part of his response has been edited out for...family reading.
So that's a no.
What about his old rowing partner?
" I could probably do it," says Paul. "I'm already down to do a long-distance row with a Masters crew from Taupo at Karapiro in August."
Their former Whangarei coxswain Paul Buttirini ('Butts'), who was sitting in the stern when they rowed the Maiden Coxed Pair final at the National Championships on Lake Horowhenua in 1977, is also keen.
"I'll be the coxswain, because we were literally within one foot of winning a title before they made it big in Taupo," says Paul.
"I'll even put a bit more weight on just to make it harder for them."
Butts helped organise a reunion for the squad last November, which Sam and Squire were able to get to. Some of the rowers from the national title winning Novice Eight from 1973 were there.
Whangarei Rowing Club's title-winning Novice Eight from 1973. Cox Paul Wilson, Kevin Hodkinson, Paul Fowlie, Mike Baker, Bruce Driscoll, John Walters, Mike McDowell, Rick Garry and Marcus Damerell.
Paul Squire would love to see Whangarei host a regatta on the same stretch of water they used to row on as teenagers.
"When we did our reunion, we did that same course out to Limestone...we all imagined the strokes as we pushed through the water but there was no effort...we went up there on a harbour launch powered by diesel!"
It'll be human horsepower that kicks off a new season in the Far North after the highs of Maadi Regatta 2025, where Whangarei Girls' won their first ever national schools rowing title in the Under 15 Octuple, and Anna Barradell and Dovey Mabey (little sister of Jess and Stevie) took out the Under-16 Double for Huanui College, who also row out of Whangarei.
Whangarei Girls High School win the Under 15 Octuple at Maadi Regatta in March. It was the school's first national title. Photo: PICTURE SHOW LTD.
Success at Maadi Regatta has done wonders for the club's profile in Whangarei. Its location right in the centre of the city, where there's lots of foot traffic, has also boosted visibility.
"It's very prominent," says Abi Monteith, whose daughter Arabella was in the U15 Octi. "A lot of people walk that loop every night or morning and see the girls training...last night it was a beautiful sunset and we were waiting for the girls and there's people walking with their dogs and I hear them say how lovely it is that these girls are out there rowing and so great to see kids out there doing it.
"Rowing's really in people's consciousness in the community because of literally where they're situated and how visible they are."
It's a season of long hours on the road for the Whangarei rowers. The trips to Karapiro come in six-hour shifts; the return legs mean late-night arrivals back home.
Chris Williams has been behind the wheel driving so much of this along. When he started coaching eight years ago there were two novices and four club rowers.
This season there were 38 girls, six boys and 12 Masters athletes at the club.
The growth in female participation left some of the veterans from the 70s in awe when they got together again after half a century.
"When we did our reunion up at Whangarei we actually visited the club," says Squire. "What struck me was the way things have changed...all the rowers were women."
Abi Monteith reckons the regatta will have a big impact in lots of ways.
"Any time there's an event where you're getting people in, it's a big boost. People will love to see that and see the action. Anything that creates a buzz will be really embraced.
"And the girls and parents obviously travel so much, so to be able to bring their rowing friends that they've made from other clubs up would be really cool as well.
"I think it will be quite eye-opening for people to see the contrast of maybe how some other clubs and other schools run."
So, the road's good, come see the sights. Start something new under the iconic bridge. Whangarei will welcome you. You might even get...hooked.
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.
