My events of the Sea Type!!

From 1975 to 2002 I was on the Briny, sailing on Ships of the Realm.  And during those years I was blessed to see many Sea Creatures,  both Mammal and Fish.

My earliest contact with these creatures was Dolphins Bow Riding on our Survey Motor Launches whilst surveying off Great Barrier Island. Soon after we were in company (HMNZS Tarapunga and Takapu) and sailing north from Bluff Harbour and Takapu's bow went down in the bow and the dipping vessel meant as it lifted out a very very very Large Bottlenose Dolphin was stranded on the focsle.  Regrettably all we could do was to drag in on a tarpaulin to the after doorway, - she was bleeding from mouth and blow hole. It took nearly 40 minutes to get her back in the ocean but prognosis was not too well.

Not long later I was blessed with a close up look of Orca and whanau in the Awanui River. These Orca were a family group and well up the Awanui River (near Kaitaia)

Soon after I happened to view a large Pod Of Whales (possibly Gray) south east of Mokohinau Islands? Whales were always visible and fun.  About that time I had the misfortune to view a very large (deceased) Sun Fish in Castlepoint Lagoon.

In the early 80's I had the great pleasure to see a very very very large Whale Shark in Paterson Inlet, Rakiura (Stewart Island) The vessel was a survey one 87 foot long and the Shark was almost as big.

Early 80's as well, in Yanaga Passage survey in northern Fiji (Vanua Levu) I had the great pleasure to see a breeding pair of Manta Ray's flying out of the water in unison over a reef.  A few days later my survey motor launch (Astrolabe) was rammed `by a very very very big Thresher Shark (saw his tail going past the window.).

My greatest attack by Nature though was in Port Underwood.  I was sitting on a large rock doing my Tidal work and suddenly a monstrous Sea Lion flew out of the water and landed square on on the neighbouring rock.  I don't know which jumped the most, me or him??

Basically from 1993 to 2002 I had very few chances to see any more sea creatures but in 2000 when serving on Resolution I had the very very very great pleasure to swim with a large pod of Dolphins near Whangaruru. I have the video somewhere.

Scariest moment - off Rakiura's Yankee River and we were transiting to and from Tarapunga in our rubber ducky and this rather large White Pointer started to crisscross between the river (our tidal station) and TP.  Suffice to say boat evolutions ceased for a while.

Roaring Like a Lion, Purring like a Pussycat

Like their senior cousins, The Hurricanes, the Wellington rugby team has been an enigma.  Often touted as a team that should be top 4 material in domestic rugby, years have seen them struggle to match it in the top flight.  But if one was to look at the past 7 years one would be surprised.

2008 AirNZ Championship  1st
2009 AirNZ Championship  2nd
2010 ITM Cup  4th

Then the Chris Boyd as Coach era:

2011 ITM Cup  6th
2012 ITM Cup  2nd
2013 ITM Cup  1st
2014 ITM Cup  7th and relegated.  OOPPSS!!

So why did that oops happen?  That's a million dollar question and one educated Wellington rugby followers and knowledgeable types can pin down.

Was it better teams in the ITM Cup ahead of them?.  Well no, they lost 9, won 1 and lost a majority of their crossover games versus supposedly weaker opposition.

Was it a poor selection of club players on offer? Possibly.  Is the club competition robust enough to provide top tier players?

Was it the coaching staff?  Well Boyd slipped from top four in his first year finishing the team next year second last in the comp.  Sure he picked it up again in his second and third years, but the bubble burst on the fourth year.  Relegation of a big city team (forget Dunedin, Hamilton and Tauranga are bigger these days) is frankly preposterous.  Did last years team have the bulk of players from the previous year when they won ITM Cup?  Must be the coach!

So Boyd moved away from the team to take up a role as Hurricanes coach and so far has proven a winner.  I'm guessing he does that job knowing his wards can't be relegated.