Nelson Weekly Locally Owned and Operated
03 548 2770 41 Nile Street East, Nelson
03 548 2770 03 548East, 2770 41 Nelson 41 Nile Nile Street Street East, Nelson 41 Nile Street East, Nelson
Wednesday 3 April 2024
Basketballers rep NZ
Nelson’s Long Term Plan Open now for submissions Page 25
See page 15
Reeling in top prize
Page 5
Paddling the Cook Strait JACK MALCOLM This month, if conditions even allow it, Britt Spencer will attempt to become the first woman and second-ever person to paddle the Cook Strait on a Surf Ski. If her mission of paddling 33 kilometres from Tāhunanui to Kaiteriteri wasn’t enough last year, she’s decided to up the challenge. It's no small feat, given the infamously ferocious winds, the potential for rough seas, swirling currents, and the threat of paddling through great white shark territory. Ominously titled Paddle X, Britt’s attempt doubles as fundraising to support the building of a permanent facility for the Nelson Surf Life Saving Club. “I’m pretty excited. There’s not much anxiety around it because I know what I’m doing it for,” she says. “We’ve needed a clubhouse for the longest time, and I can’t even say how much it holds us back.” The paddle will be a team effort, with a primary support boat with first aid on board as well as several other vessels in the water. Britt will also have her friend and filmmaker, Aimee Jules, alongside her as the pair create a short film about the paddle. With a window between April 14-20, she’s also got experts on board who have helped her understand how the water moves in the Strait, which she says can swirl and change on a whim. Even training hasn’t been without its risks,
Britt Spencer is seeking donations for her paddle over the Cook Strait to raise funds for a permanent facility for the Nelson Surf Life Saving Club, which currently stores its equipment in containers near the beach. Photo: Jack Malcolm. with Britt saying even if it’s bad weather and choppy seas, she’s out on the water for long paddles to help simulate the possible conditions.
Kia Niro Hybrid
44,990 Drive away
While she has multiple people who can track her GPS from land and a rescue beacon, she’s still travelling kilometres out to sea by herself.
It’s a thrill, she says, having not even known if the challenge was possible before it was
SEE PAGE 2
Limited time only includes
From $
*Ts and Cs Apply
Nelson Kia | 190 Rutherford Street, Nelson | www.nelsonkia.co.nz LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED
nelsonapp.co.nz