Living in New Zealand: Wild Swimming Safely Is Hard When There Are Idiots on Jet Skis

In the summer I usually swim loads  in Lyttelton Harbour. But it has been an odd summer with too many cool, windy days and the Lyttelton Port Company have been dredging the inner harbour through January and February, our prime swimming months. Plus I have been exceptionally busy in the garden sorting out my new studio. A lot of excuses! But I did swim a lot when I was on Quail Island as volunteer DOC warden. And it reminded me just how much I loathe jet-skis.

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Jet-skis are an abomination and I wish they were only ever used by trained lifeguards (not by bevvied-up blokes and their 10 year old kids, neither of whom know the regulations.)

The speed limit near swimmers is 5 knots, but many boaties and jetskiers ignore this in New Zealand

Whenever I'm swimming I and I see jet-skis I think about poor Kirsty MacColl and I have terrible, murderous thoughts.

At least (for now) you can find places without jetskiers.

Cormorant at Quail Island

Living in New Zealand: Being a DOC Hut Warden on Ōtamahua/Quail Island

This summer I’m volunteering as a hut warden on Quail Island (if you want to volunteer with DOC you can ask them via their website). I was there for three nights last week and I really enjoyed my time. I didn’t see any mice.

My main responsibilities were to keep the place clean and make sure no one had any open fires. Most people clean up after themselves in DOC huts and I didn't have any problems on that score. The only fire lit was the log burner. It has been cool for January, but I think the old guy staying there when I arrived wanted to light it for the atmosphere more than anything else. In any case it was like a sauna when I walked in and I was glad I wasn't having to sleep in the bunkrooms with the rest of the visitors.

Warden quarters are basic. The bunks aren the same as you find in the huts and you still have to bring gas to cook with and a lamp as there is no power in the hut.

I learned an interesting thing from one of the Trust members. He says that birds usually like to poop before they cross water. Their biggest problem right now are the thistles and Red Valerian - both wind-blown seeds.

The history and returning native bush and birds make the island a fun place to walk around.

Or paddle around:

I’ll definitely be back.

Living in New Zealand: Lyttelton's Dry Dock

We went on a tour of Lyttelton’s dry dock recently. It was fascinating, as much of it dates back to the 19th century and survived the 21st-century earthquake. 

Old chainsaws

They’ve only recently replaced the pumps

Victorian brickwork

I was really happy to find out that they treat the water that comes out of the dry dock after cleaning and painting the boats. The room where they do this looks very Heath Robinson, but it does the job so well that the pollutant levels are lower then permitted leaving the sewage works in Bromley.

Cleaning these grates is a nasty job, as young crabs get in and enjoy living in the space, but then get too big to get out…