What began as a sea kayaking trip, turned into a successful community clean-up when members of the Nelson Kayak Club spent Sunday collecting rubbish from the iconic Boulder Bank.
Twelve club members took part in the environmental outing after the original Saturday trip was cancelled because of strong winds. With calm conditions returning overnight, Sunday dawned crisp and clear, with blue skies and glassy water providing ideal paddling conditions.
Organised by club treasurer and trip leader Linda McCutcheon, the group launched from Tahunanui Beach before paddling a 10-kilometre round route around Haulashore Island, past the Nelson Lighthouse and along the Boulder Bank to beyond the last holiday bach.
After stopping for lunch, the paddlers spread out along a two-kilometre stretch of shoreline armed with rubbish bags, determined to leave the area cleaner than they found it.
The haul surprised everyone. Among the more unusual discoveries were a pair of Crocs shoes—found some distance apart—along with mascara, empty beer cans, wine bottles, a water pistol, large plastic containers and countless other pieces of plastic and discarded rubbish washed ashore.
"It's amazing what the tide brings in," Linda says. "Even though the Boulder Bank looks wild and untouched, there's always plenty of rubbish hiding amongst the driftwood and rocks."
The clean-up reflects the Nelson Kayak Club's ongoing commitment to protecting the coastal environments and rivers where members paddle. Environmental stewardship has become an important part of the club's activities, with the club currently supporting initiatives such as the Battle for the Banded Rail, Ronga Reserve plantings and the Motueka Catchment Collective.
Collecting the rubbish was one challenge, getting it home was another.
Fortunately, help arrived in style when club member Pete Murton motored up in his beautifully restored 1895 single-cylinder launch “Blue Duck”. Originally built as a workhorse on the Shotover River for the Maori Point gold dredge, this classic vessel proved invaluable, ferrying away bulky plastic items that would have been difficult to load into the kayaks.
By the end of the afternoon, several large bags of rubbish had been removed from the shoreline, demonstrating how a small group of volunteers can make a noticeable difference.
The trip was as much about enjoying Nelson's famous Boulder Bank harbour as it was about giving something back. Members paddled back to Tahunanui with panoramic views across Tasman Bay, proving that recreation and conservation can go hand in hand.
The club's environmental officer, Liz Wynne Jones, summed up the day's effort simply: "The best thing about paddling somewhere beautiful is helping keep it that way."
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