Pioneering NZ adventurer remembered with South Island journey
04 Mar 2008
One of New Zealand’s great adventure expeditions of the late 1800s is being replicated by two top athletes.
In 1890, pioneering adventurer George Park travelled from the west to the east coasts of New Zealand’s South Island. Park spent 13 days travelling 330km over land and rivers, from Jacksons inland from Hokitika to Sumners Beach in Christchurch. He accomplished the amazing feet by dragging, paddling and carrying his heavy one-man wooden kayak, all his food and camping gear.
The two modern athletes following Park’s trail on the coast-to-coast journey are endurance athletes Steve Gurney, and George Park’s grand-nephew Steve Moffatt.
Gurney will use modern equipment for the journey while Moffatt will replicate the earlier trip with a heavy wooden kayak, paraffin-soaked cotton wet-weather gear, and food of the 1890s.
The replica journey started at Jacksons on 4 March 2008 and the two men are expected at the mouth of the Hurunui River on 12 March. Then, faithful to Park’s expedition, the pair will hoist small sails on their kayaks and voyage south to Lyttleton.
Both athletes will be closely monitored throughout the journey by a performance and testing scientist at Otago University.
Background
George Park has only lately been emerging as one of the great athletes and adventurers of the late 1800s and early 1900s. He performed a number of outstanding and pioneering kayaking journeys, including the first crossing of Cook Strait in canoes with his brother. He was also the first to kayak the length of Manawatu River, in the central North Island.
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