New challenge for sports adventure couple
Tony Bateup (left) and kayak guide Paul Heimel give their safety briefing before starting out from Tata Beach. Photo: Gerard Hindmarsh.
It’s been eight months since Hamama residents and well-known adventure racers Lisa Savage and Tony Bateup purchased Golden Bay Kayaks from Nigel Marsden, who originally started up the hire business as Planet Earth Adventures back in 1995.
The business, which is based in a boatshed on a small section of foreshore reserve land at the far northern end of Tata Beach, allows easy and sheltered access to what is arguably Golden Bay’s most dramatic and spectacular stretch of coastline – from the two Tata Islands of Motu and Nga Whiti with their huge, roosting, cliff-clinging population of 4,500 spotted shags, around to the secluded beach of Little Tata and the rocky formations and seal haul-outs of Abel Tasman Point, and across to Taupo Point.
Tony says that as new owners they bring a fresh and passionate approach, which is directly linked back to their sporting interests.
“We’ve competed in enough adventure and extreme events now to know about keeping people safe; it’s our number one priority. But we also encourage freedom rentals if that’s what people want to do. Even a short paddle around the Tata Islands or to the seals around Abel Tasman Point is a sensational experience and we appreciate that many people want to do that by themselves.”
After a winter of cleaning and mending boats, and replacing lifejackets and gear, not to mention setting up and checking traps on the Tata Islands after Lisa sighted a stoat out there, Tony and Lisa now count a swept-up 37-seat fleet that includes eight fibreglass double sea kayaks, seven sit-on-top kayaks, seven single kayaks and seven paddleboards for family use around Tata Beach.
They are also the only kayak hire company around Abel Tasman National Park that allows its boats to be taken anywhere around the full length of its coastline. Travel is one-way only though, with Tony doing pickups from either Totaranui or Marahau. Even boats rented locally all leave with flares and an EPIRB tracker, which allows for continuous tracking from Lisa and Tony’s home computer. Multiday hirers can expect a two-to-three-hour safety briefing on the beach, which also includes an offshore practice of a “wet exit” and clambering back on board. Half-day hirers can expect a 20- to 30-minute briefing.
In the past, Tony’s enthusiasm for instruction has also him work with GBHS students, teaching them white-water paddling and sea kayaking. A Coast to Coast veteran, he has also taught potential paddlers in that race to qualify for their Grade 2 White Water Certificate, which is an entry requirement for the Coast to Coast and some other events. He has paddled around D’Urville Island many times - still his and Lisa’s favourite trip - and last year started a circumnavigation of Stewart island with celebrity adventure racer Nathan Fa’avae. They spent 10 days on the beach at Easy Harbour because of bad weather and had to be rescued by a mutton-bird boat.
Lisa is looking forward to the variety the business will bring into their lives.
“Tony and I met adventure racing in Nelson six years ago. Since then we’ve participated in heaps of events together, come fourth in the World Adventure Racing Champs, gone to Sweden to compete [where they were placed 11th] and done the Southern Traverse together. After all that, I think Tata Beach is a pretty nice spot to have as your office.”
For booking inquiries or further information, contact 525 9095 or <www.goldenbaykayaks.co.nz>.
Gerard Hindmarsh
