Intrepid Kiwi kayaker chasing one-hit record
02 Jul 2010
An intrepid young Kiwi is attempting to set a new sea-going record by completing the first continuous solo circumnavigation of New Zealand by kayak.
Tim Taylor, of Mount Maunganui in the Bay of Plenty, is scheduled to launch his voyage on 27 November. If successful the 23-year-old will also be the youngest person to kayak around any of New Zealand’s three main islands.
With an impressive 15,134 kilometres of coastline to cover, Taylor will circumnavigate New Zealand’s North, South and Stewart islands, paddling approximately 5500km on a journey that is likely to last about five months.
While he will not be the first person to kayak around New Zealand - Paul Caffyn covered the distance over the course of three years completing it in the 1970s - Taylor is aiming to be the first to complete the journey in one hit.
Passionate paddler
Kayaking had been a passion since 12, Taylor said, and having grown up training, racing and exploring in kayaks he’d always wondered what the next step of his journey might be.
When an extended training session spurred him to investigate kayaking around New Zealand, Taylor discovered that it had never been achieved before and was inspired to launch out on his epic venture.
Taylor resigned from his job last year and since December 2009 has been training full time, pulling together sponsorship deals and making daily offshore trips in preparation for his journey.
Offshore training
Taylor, who lives on the beach at Mt Maunganui, says his offshore training takes him to local islands including Mayor Island - 37km offshore.
The grand circumnavigation will begin and end at Waimarino Adventure Park on the banks of the Wairoa River at Tauranga - the place where Taylor first started kayaking.
"It just feels right that my expedition should start and finish at a place that means so much to me. I will not have considered my trip finished until I have set foot back on the launching ramp here," he said.
Taylor will be kayaking in a clockwise direction around New Zealand because the ocean currents generally flow in that direction.
Piece of string
Taylor estimated the distance he would need to travel by running a piece of string around a school-room map, then measuring the string.
"I accept that my estimation will probably be out by around 1000km because it will easily be affected by other factors such as exploration, landings and weather," Taylor said.
Travelling in what he describes as an ordinary "off-the-shelf-kayak", Taylor hopes to cover about 100km a day and will camp on a beach each night.
He will carry two weeks of food and clothing, and plans to meet support crew at pre-arranged points around the country to collect new supplies.
Life motto
Taylor, who graduated from Lincoln University in 2008 with a bachelor of viticulture and oenology, says his life motto is "If I don't know how, I'll figure it out".
As well as being a passionate kayaker, he is also very passionate about New Zealand and, by the end of his journey, will have seen more of the country’s coastline than most fellow Kiwis.
"Not too many people get to see as much as I do. What I love about New Zealand is the opportunities that are available here. Anyone can go out for a kayak or go hunting or whatever and in the Bay of Plenty there is such a range of things to do," Taylor said.
Having grown up around the sea and always lived by the beach, Taylor makes the most of his surroundings and each day he goes out training, he trails a fishing line behind his kayak.
"I feed the family when I go training - I catch a lot of fish."
Evolving motivation
Motivation is a continually evolving element of his expedition and, while it was originally based on becoming the first person to complete the trip, Taylor now has other reasons that keep him on task.
"I also want to profile this unique coastline of ours, share my trip with as many individuals from around the world as possible and be a role model to young New Zealanders by showing what can be achieved under completely drug and alcohol-free conditions."
Taylor also aims to increase awareness and raise support for the New Zealand Coast Guard as well as his sponsors - mostly local companies who so far have supplied almost all the gear required for his epic journey.
White water kayaking
Tim Taylor first started white water kayaking in 2000 for Tauranga Boys’ College. He competed in slalom for his entire schooling career, winning a number of titles.
Proven in white water grades 1 - 5, he has also coached teams and individuals since the age of 15.
Taylor represented New Zealand in the WW Slalom team in 2003 and 2004.
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