Paddleducks
Paddler Information => Preserved Paddle Ships => Topic started by: Roderick Smith on November 18, 2006, 12:29:33 PM
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See 'List of paddlers' thread.
Enclosed: the front cover of the brochure advertising PV Tamati cruises on Lake Ianthe. In Nov.05, I was on a cinema tour of NZ with Melbourne-based Cinema and Theatre Historical Society; at one of the home cinemas which we inspected we were treated to a home movie/video of a cruise on this charming vessel.
Built in 1902 for Spa Hotel on Lake Taupo, where it operated as a tourist cruise boat. PV Tamati was sold to a private buyer in 1952, and was not seen until it was discovered in Paraparaumu in derelict condition by it's present owner Dave Hindman who bought the boat and rebuilt it using native timber from his sawmill. It now operates on Lake Ianthe as a tourist cruise boat once again. It departs from Lake Ianthe jetty every hour, NZD15 adult fare, 40 min cruise, capacity 15 passengers
I don't have any photos of other NZ paddleboats, but several are covered by the excellent website www.riverboatsnz.com. It mentions the fact that PV Otunui was damaged by fire in 2003, and is still out of service.
Information and links (but no photos) on PS Waimarie are in the thread (in this forum) 'New Zealand's pride, PS Waimarie', started in July 06.
In particular: www.riverboat.homestead.com, including /WaimarieSurvey.html and /Waimarie.html.
FPV Waipa Delta is based at Hamilton, on Waikato River. See www.waipadelta.co.nz. It is powered by two V8 diesels, with water-jet drive. The paddles are lazy ones, moved by the passage through the water. NZ rivers tended to be even more shallow than Australian ones, and had gravel or rocky bottoms. Boats were designed to be winched across shallow spots during normal operation. The riverboatsnz site has photos showing tunnel-screw hulls: the screw is recessed into the hull, with water flow reaching it via an inclined inverted U groove. This arrangement protected the screw when the vessel was scraping the river bottom. There was an earlier boat based at Hamilton, which featured in a rare three-mode publicity photo in the 1930s: an aeroplane above a train on the river bridge, with a boat on the river below the bridge. This was replicated in the 1970s with a modern triple set up.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Warning: image b is 800 kB. I didn't have the heart to split it into two smaller scans, and I wanted the thumbnails to be viewable.
Note the reference to feathering paddles.
Some notes from a website for tour operators:
Lake Ianthe Historic Cruises, a new tourism experience.
This activity can manage up to 40 at a time (ie two subgroups have morning tea on the shore, while 15 at a time make a 40 min cruise).
Open all year.
Short day trip cruises aboard the PV Tamati an Historic Side wheel paddle vessel. Departs from the Lake Ianthe Jetty every hour $15 adult fare 40 min cruise tour. Capacity 15 passengers.
100 year old side-wheeled paddle vessel, operating on Lake Ianthe. Built in 1902 and owned by Spa Hotel in Lake Taupo where it operated as a tourist cruise boat. PV Tamati was sold to a private owner in 1952 and not seen until it was discovered in Paraparaumu in derelict condition by it's present owner Dave Hindman who bought the boat and rebuilt it using native timber from his sawmill. It now operates on Lake Ianthe as a tourist cruise boat once again.
The e-mail address is hindman@snapnet.nz
Apart from Waimarie, Otunui, Kopu & Tamati, surviving boats are SL or MV, not PS or PV. I do have a few SL photos from NZ, so Paddleduckers making the long flight there will have plenty of interest to make the journey worthwhile.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Rod, the montage you mention contains the stern wheeler "Manuwai" passing under the Hamilton rail bridge (built 1894-96) The earoplane is fake. Caesar Roose had friends in high places, with the co-operation of the minister for railways, the Rotorua Express was halted on the bridge for two minutes while Manuwai came thru, passing downstream. As these were open ended carriages, the guard locked all doors to stop any dare-devils getting out on the platforms. On clearing the bridge the guard then opened up. All passengers had been told of what was going to happen. Hamilton station was in those days a little more than the train length back in Ward Street. Manuwai was on an excursion to Ngaruawahia regatta and the photo taken about 7-45 in the morning. St Patricks Day 1929. The plane was added later and a story of transport made up to fit. This picture was used as publicity material by both N.Z.Railways and The Roose Shipping Co. It was published in "The Weekly News" May 1929 and the original hung in the Hamilton office of R.S.C. Hamilton until the yard and depot closed down 1973. nobody knows who got it from there.
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and here is "KOPU" remains. I was over there two weeks ago but the museum is closed down,I intended to measure up Kopu to make a model. As can be seen, the boiler and shaft with wheel frames is intact, can not remember how much engine is there though.
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and here is me (right ) on the stern wheeler "Rawhiti" my friend Manny Martin beside me and barely visible in for'd cargo door is Caesar Roose,owner, long time captain ,Skipper (billy) Wade at the helm. She was decommissioned in 1948, then used as a barge for many years before being put up on the bank where she can still be seen at Mercer. The other barge with her there is the composite (steel frames and deck) "Free Trader" built 1890 at Ngaruawahia as a barge and later fitted with engines and wheel from an earlier steamer "Rangiriri"
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Fascinating photos Ray, but they do trigger more questions.
I am guessing that Rawhiti plied the lower Waikato River? It seems to be very large for NZ conditions.
Please post some more history of this vessel, and of the one at Hamilton, and of Kopu.
Ray, if you were a worker on the paddleboats, could you please start typing up your memoirs of how you came to be involved, what you did, and what the boats were carrying (and where) in this era?
Any other kiwis who can add to the NZ thread? I realise: there is text on Waimarie, but no photos on Paddleducks; likewise no photos of Otunui. The only photos of Tamati are those in the publicity brochure. Can anyone post some live photos?
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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"KOPU"
built 1897 by John Young at the Thames. N.Z. for R.Gibbons but purchased by The Northern Steamship Co. while building
Steam-side-wheel--2 cyl simple engine 5 n.h.p.
Dim. L 60' x 13' b x 3' draft. Beam over paddle boxes 24'
Built as a towing launch. After a long career towing on the Waihou-Piako and Ohinemuri rivers ( the Hauraki Plains) this little tug was apparently sunk by vandals while laid up in the Ohinemuri river in the mid 1930's.
She was raised in 1980 from her shallow grave and moved a few yards to where she lays today in the " Historical Maritime Park" Paeroa.
Last year I posted on her and "kiwimodeller" offered to slip over and grab some pics and measurements for me but I have heard no more from him. Maybe the place was closed up then. My info from the book "Servants of the North" Cliff Furness,
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WAIPA DELTA
built by Max Monkley at Tauranga, trucked over and launched Nov. 1985
at Hamilton, Waikato river.
catamaran type app. 70" long--f-glass-- with 2x220 V8 Volvo engines driving Hamilto jets. paddles purely decorative. Carries up to 128 pax. Travels about 3 miles, 1/2 mile up-stream--2 1/2 miles down then return. It is just a big booze bus frequently used for watery weddings and parties. the beautiful old house overlooking the river is the old Greenslade homestead "Wairere" built about 1908-10 replacing an earlier home demolished by white ants
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Updating my earlier list.
A good reference is www.riverboatsnz.com, but the compiler restricted his coverage to boats from just one company.
NORTH ISLAND
* Wanganui, Whanganui River:
- Commercial PS Waimarie (www.riverboats.homestead.com). Described in the thread 'New Zealand's pride, PS Waimarie' on p2 of this forum. Plans are available.
* Lake Taupo
- PV Otunui (which had been at Wanganui, damaged by fire in 2003).
* Hamilton, Waikato River (pronounced why-cat-oh):
- FPV Waipa Delta (www.waipadelta.co.nz). Described earlier in this thread.
- SWPS Rawhiti. Described by Ray earlier in this thread.
- SWPS Manuwai. Described (with a photo) by Ray earlier in this thread.
* Ohinamuri River (pronounced Oh-heena-moori?).
- PS Kopu. Described by Ray earlier in this thread, with then & now photos. Preserved at Paeroa (pronounced Pie-row).
SOUTH ISLAND
* Lake Ianthe (west coast)
- Commercial: PV Tamati. Photos earlier in this thread, plus a video in the video section of Paddleducks.
* Lake Wakatipu (Queenstown). This town and lake are very touristy. The beautiful preserved TSS Earnslaw maintains tourist services. There were two paddlesteamers in the fleet before this famous survivor was built.
- PS Antrim. Designed and built locally; commissioned on 1.1.1869. Relegated to emergency work from 1905. Dismantled in 1920. The boiler (not original) and engine were installed to power the slip for Earnslaw, and are still in use today.
- PS Mountaineer. Prefabricated in Dunedin, and assembled at Kingston. Launched Tues.11.2.1879.
Length 125 ft, 38 m
Beam 16 ft, 4.9 m
Depth 7 ft, 2.1 m
It was withdrawn in 1931, sold for use as a houseboat, then scrapped in 1941 to provide metal during WWII.
Information on these new entries came from Malcolm Mackay 'Lady of the lake; the TSS Earnslaw story', self published, 2nd ed. 2005, Isbn 0 908720 29 7. The book also describes SS Ben Lomond (Lake Wakatipu) and TSS Waikana and TSS Waireka (Dunedin harbour, very similar to Earnslaw in design). It also contains plans for Earnslaw.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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This restored vessel plies Whanganui River, and has been mentioned in posts in this thread, and in other threads.
I found the enclosed brochure. It mentions www.wanganui.org.nz/riverboats. In a quick view, I couldn't find anything on Waimarie there, but it does have a section on Whanganui River.
Of the two photos, one was taken specially by my NZ contributor Wayne Duncan to forward to Alistair D for his forthcoming book. The other came from a mystery source, probably www.riverboatsnz.com (compulsory viewing for NZ paddleboat material).
PS Waimarie was built as PS Aotea. This is a very famous name in NZ history.
In 1938, NZR named its fleet of six new railmotors:
RM30: Aotea
RM31: Tokomaru
RM32: Pangatoru
RM33: Takitimu
RM34: Tainui
RM35: Tikitere
All were named after famous Maori canoes. These were six of the seven canoes which in legend brought the Maori people from Tahiti to settle in the land which would become NZ. There were up to 40: see
www.teara.govt.nz/NewZealanders/MaoriNewZealanders/CanoeTraditions/en.
On Sat.28.1.67 Rm30 Aotea made a record-breaking run: Wellington - Auckland & return in a day, a special charter for railway enthusiasts, exploiting the recent introduction of centralised control of points & signals on the 681 km route (providing more efficient crossings, and eliminating the need to slow at stations). Times were: Wellington 0.01; Auckland 10.20-12.38; Wellington 22.04. The northbound overall average was 66 km/h; the running time had been 8 h 54 min (77 km/h). The southbound overall average was 72 km/h; the running time had been 8 h 42½ min (78 km/h). The railmotor had not exceeded its authorised 105 km/h.
In 1981, Air New Zealand used the five canoe names for its initial fleet of Boeing 747-200s:
ZK-NZV Aotea
ZK-NZW Tainui
ZK-NZX Takitimu
ZK-NZY Te Arawa
ZK-NZZ Tokomaru
See www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/747.html
Aotea Wharf is a principal wharf in Wellington, between the main railway station and the terminal for roro ferries to Picton.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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.....Note the reference to feathering paddles....
(on Tamati)
There was an article in 'paddlewheels' last year (?) about this boat. If I remember right, they said the paddles were basically a scaled-down version of those on Maid of the Loch! Note also the transparent perspex paddleboxes to show the detail of the wheels - more noticeable in the videos section :D
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I added two more photos of PS Waimarie to my existing post this morning.
I have now found my copy of Parsons & Tolley 'Paddle Steamers of Australasia', 3rd ed, 1973. This was printed on a wax-stencil duplicator, using a typewriter and foolscap paper.
The NZ summary occupies eight pages, and lists perhaps 40 paddle boats which operated on coastal routes, rivers and lakes.
It is a cumbersome book from which to extract a simple summary.
PS Waimarie does not show in the summary, but does have an entry in the individual vessel pages.
Without an item-by-item search of this section, some vessels may well be missed.
UK Paddleduckers will be pleased to know that a couple of Clyde-style paddlesteamers operated from Auckland to Thames, on the sheltered side of Coromandel Peninsula.
Probably I will build up the summary progressively by editing this post multiple times.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Pronunciation for Rangiriri please?
From Parsons & Tolley 'Paddlesteamers of Australiasia':
Gunboat, built in sections and shipped from Sydney in the 1860s to Waikato for use in the Maori wars. Never registered, even when used as a commercial vessel later.
It was the second paddlesteamer on Waikato River, took no part in the war, but brought in soldier settlers and supplies to riverside settlements, and had a very useful 25 year life in service.
The book has no tech specs, but does have a reproduction of a wood-block engraving of Rangiriri or its predecessor. I have attached this now, to complement Harold's interesting images. The caption on the original engraving did not identify which of the two was shown.
Captain Cadell, of Murray river fame, left Australia to establish river traffic on Waikato (apparently the military supply line). Later he returned to sea, and was murdered in Dutch East Indies [Indonesia].
In Australian river history, Randell is seen as the grand old man; Cadell as the upstart. There is a reasonable biography of Cadell. I would love to see a play or musical based on his adventurous life. He moved in the upper echelons of SA society, and was particularly friendly with the governor and his wife (Sir Henry and Lady Augusta Fox-Young).
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Rangiriri - Rang-ih-re-re
The wood block is of the ps Pioneer built in Sydney Sept 1863 by the Australian Steam Navigation Company and sailed to NZ, main mast & sails removed and served as gun boat on the Waikato. The 12' diameter gun turrets each contained a 12 pounder and still exist having been removed at the end of the war. One at Mercer the other at Ngaruawhai. Length 140' beam 20' and drawing 3' of water when fully loaded.
Does anyone know what happened to the engines and boiler from the ps Freetrader after it was abandoned at Mercer when owned by Ceaser Roose. His daughter Jeanette cannot remember and I would like to find them to measure and photograph for my model of the Rangiriri.
Also does anyone know what happened to the Pioneers machinery after it was wrecked on the Manukau Bar, December 1866.
:music
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There is an update to the story at http://riverboats.homestead.com/Otunui.html.
What is not clear is the zone of operation of the boat, now that it has been rebuilt at Coromandel.
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Hi Roderick,
The two blokes who own the Otunui move about a bit. Lats time I was at Paeroa, the boat was running river cruises from the Maritime Museum there. But believe that at Christmas they move the boat to Coromandal and run cruises on the harbour. I was up that way 2 years ago and took these.
The new (relatively speaking) plating over the "tunnel" can clearly be seen. She's now diesel-hydrualic driven I think. Hope to get back to Paeroa sometime soon and will try for some more photos and updated info.
Kiwi
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That's an interesting design of paddlewheel, should be easy to make those with evergreen styrene strip or soldered brass, for a model.... (and maybe to weld up full size ones for a homebuilt boat)
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Hi Harry and Roderick, I am now working in Paeroa so could call at the Maritime Museum if needed to check out what has happened to the Otonui or to take photos of the remains of the Kopu. I believe the Otonui was here up until a couple of months ago but she is not in evidence now, at least not from the road when driving past as she usually is. The museum is open at the whim of the one staff member I think but it is no problem to bring the camera to work and duck out there in my lunch hour if you want. I believe they also have plans on the wall of another paddler which used to do the Auckland to Thames run. Cheers, Ian.
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Hi mjt60a,
These paddlewheels are of fairly modern build, all off the shelf steel sections welded up, etc. Done when they converted the boat from tunnel prop.
So they should be easy to copy. When we "find" the boat again, will sketch them up and post for all.
Ian,
thanks for the offer, but I have to come up to take more measurements to suppliment the ones I have already. But you could fine out where the water make-up pump from the Kopu's engine is. It should be in the shed down by the bridge but couldn't find it last time I was there.
The plan on the wall is of the "Wakatere", and would make a very nice model.
kiwi
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While searching (without success so far) for any website for PV Otunui's operation (the company, or tourist offices in Thames or Coromandel), I found this interesting site:
www.koekejunction.hnpl.net/Pages/River%20Ports.htm#m
or come in via
www.koekejunction.hnpl.net/Pages/Menus/River%20Ports%20menu.htm
or via
www.koekejunction.hnpl.net/Pages
It lists navigable rivers, river ports, and ships associated with the ports. It doesn't differentiate between screw or paddle.
Very little is clickable to lead to further information, so it remains simply as lists, not updated since 2004.
It lacks a map, so most people would need a paper or online map to accompany what they are reading.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Hi Ian,
The Otunui may still be there. They where using a shed near the Kopu as a workshop for maintenance and she may be on the river just back of there. Not visible from the road. At least it was when I was last in town.
Kiwi
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Could the NZ posters please pick up on all of the names mentioned so far, and provide a pronunciation guide?
Afaik, the vanished bird Moa is 'mower'
but the river town Paeroa is 'pie-row' [as in row boat, not as in a verbal fight]; Lemon Paeroa is a common soft-drink flavour in bottles and cans.
Otunui: I render as Oh-tun-oo-ee [with tun rhyming with sun]
Wanganui River was renamed Whanganui River in a fit of thought-police political correctness within the last couple of decades.
Does that mean that the river should be pronounced Fong-er-noo-ee, but the city (retaining Wanganui) is Wong-er-noo-ee?
We have done some somewhere, because I recall quoting the snippit from Frank Muir and Dennis Norden ('My word'): The NZ dish chicken tacky-ah-wah [ie take away].
There are also those situations where repeated syllables at the end of words are dropped to a single syllable.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Roderick, I am not going to try and educate the world on Maori place name pronunciation, I would probably start another war! However I will just say that you are not quite correct with Paeroa, the "a" is pronounced so it is Pie-row-a. As for dropping double syllables, that is common. The town I come from is Waihi (pronounced Why-hee) but the Maori name of the area was originally Waihihi meaning water (Wai) bubbling up, i.e. a place where a Rangitira (a Chief) struck the ground with his Taihaha (tye-ha-ha or weapon) and water bubbled out. Europeans have shortened the name ever since they first arrived in the area and this is common in many places. You are probably correct about Whanganui, the WH is pronounced F in Maori but there is not universal acceptance of the change while others think the city should be changed too. End of lesson. Cheers, Ian.
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Harry, you were right about Otunui, she was further up the creek but is being moved back next to the Fairmile today and will be available for public trips from this weekend. The person I spoke to did not know what I was referring to regarding the water make-up pump nor whether they could provide copies of the plans for Wakatere so I will go back again over the nextfew days and hopefully get somebody more knowledgable. Cheers, Ian.
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Hi Ian,
Hilary or Richard are the two to talk to. Hilary especially, she has been most helpful with my ps Kopu research. Hope to get back soon, maybe just after Christmas.
The Kopu engine is in their workshop, down past the Fairmile, and the base has mounting studs for a boiler water makeup pump, driven off an eccentric on the back end of the crankshaft.
There is one in a box near the engine, but don't think its from this engine as the eccentric is way to small. They are all volunteers down there and scattered around some. Keep trying, as they do have quite a bit not on display.
cheers
HarryD
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Hi All,
Just an update on the ps'Rangiriri" hulk on the riverbank in Hamilton, NZ. It would appear that the Council is at last about to honour its promise (made at least 5 years ago to my knowledge) to lift the Iron Hull from its resting place of the last 27 years, and place it onto a purpose made frame, above the flood level, at the same time cleaning and applying a coat of preservative.
More as I follow progress
Kiwi
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There is a flurry of information supporting a new NZ member.
Information on NZ paddleboats is scattered in various places in Paddleducks.
This thread, in Preserved paddle ships.
Another is in Research: www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2893.0
A further one 'Waimarie, NZ's pride and joy' should be in Preserved.
In my earlier posts, I was looking at rivers and lakes.
I have nothing on trans-Tasman paddlesteamers.
I G Stewart 'Ships that served NZ Vol 1 British and European lines' (Reed, 1964) doesn't distinguish between paddle and screw. AFAIK there are no paddlesteamers, perhaps one: Kaikoura, built in 1884 for New Zealand Shipping Company.
Balderstone 'Waiheke ferries of Auckland (Grantham House, 1986, isbn 0 477 00010) seems to cover only part of the total Waitemata fleet, and makes no mention of the Manakau fleet. Of the 12 ferries drawn on the inner cover, only one is paddle: PS Wakatere [pronounced Wack (as in quack) - a - terry?]. In the text, there is a reference to 'the elegant paddlesteamer Wakatere. Every reference has a glowing adjective with it, including the caption for a photo on p42: 'The wonderful Wakatere. For many years this swift and graceful paddlesteamer...'. Built in 1896 in Yoker (UK).
The first steamer to run to Coromandel was PS Novelty, on Sat.22.4.1865 (built in Sydney).
The appendix mentions only three paddlesteamers: these two, and PS Terranora of 1878, built in Glasgow.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Hi Roderick,
A couple of updates, the 'Waipa-Delta' is no longer at Hamilton, a long running (negotiation/discussion) with the regional council has resulted in her moving to Auckland, to run cruises from next to the National Maritime Museum.
Of the early Auckland ferries, at least 12 of them where paddle, and they all ran on the Waitemata. Manakau Harbour never had the population to support a similar ferry service, and was served by only a few small passenger/cargo style vessels. (More on that as I can find info).
The Waitemata paddle ferries where - 1852 Governer Wynyard (first steamer built in NZ), 1860 Emu, 1872 Takapuna, 1876 Tainui, 1878 Togariro, 1881 Victoria, 1877 City of Cork, 1882 Alexandra, 1884 Birkenhead, 1885 Britannia, 1886 Eagle, 1887 Osprey.
from "Steam on the Waitemata by W.W. Stewart".
Even today the Waitemata Harbour is the most popular, as it doesn't have the shallow mudbanks that fill most of the Manukau.
kiwi
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PV Tamati has been relocated, to Pairoa; there were problems with weed in Lake Ianthe.
See the thread www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5142
In the Large Discussion forum. It contains links to three other posts on this vessel.
Another NZ thread is NZ paddle steamers Waikato River www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2893.0
There is also one titled 'Newzealand's pride PS Waimarie'. www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2249.0
I have just been sent a photo of fake PV River Queen, on Opawa River at Blenheim (north end of South Island). It was launched in 2003. It doesn't even have lazy paddles: it seems that the fake paddleboxes were just painted on the side.
See:
www.theriverqueen.co.nz
www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Australia_and_Oceania/New_Zealand/South_Island/Marlborough/Blenheim-2271968/Sports_Travel-Blenheim-BR-1.html
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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Hi Roderick,
Spent last weekend in Rotorua, and the stern paddler 'ps Lakeland Queen' is still running, mainly for lunch and dinner cruises.
Am in the process of obtaining further information, but she is a real stern paddler, being diesel-hydraulic, and also has a bow thruster to assist docking (may even have a stern thruster as well).
She was built back in the late 1980' I think, and aquired by the present owners a few years ago, lengthened by 10m, top deck enclosed, and has been running on Lake Rotorua all her life.
more info at
www.lakelandqueen.com
cheers
kiwi
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Roderick, the Tamati has moved to the Paeroa Maritime Museum at the small town of Paeroa which is upstream from the town of Thames. At one time the river was also known as the New Zealand River Thames. See my post about going for a ride on her back in March. The people who purchased her are also now in charge of running the museum although Hillary who has been involved for many years is still helping too. The building has been re-roofed with help from the local council and the interior of the building is being refurbished. The grounds have been tidied and the future for the whole place looks better than it has in some time. The remains of the Kopu are still there and we were shown through the sheds and I noticed a large twin cylinder steam engine which I presume came out of her. There are no plans to try and restore her.
Cheers, Ian V.
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Hi all,
I got to photograph SWPV Lakeland Queen, but not to travel.
My group was in Rotorua for Friday night; the only dinner cruise was Saturday night.
Surprisingly it is running breakfast cruises: 7.00 & 8.00, and lunch cruises: 12.00 & 13.00.
I am in Auckland now, but no spare time until Wednesday.
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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A pity you did not get the chance to come up Highway 2 from Rotorua to Auckland Roderick, If you had come via Tauranga, Waihi (where I live) and Paeroa we would have made time to go to Paeroa Maritime Museum. I was there today and the Tamati is out of the water on a large trailer. Something to do with their license to operate and the duck shooting season I believe! Dont waste time with Waipa Delta which is now in Auckland, it is a fake paddler, but if you get a chance the National Maritime Museum is worth a visit, some parts of it have just had the displays re-done. Cheers, Ian.
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We were travelling to a theatre in Putaruru and a cinema in Te Awamutu, then via two cinemas in Hamilton.
There was very little spare time in Auckland, and I have visited the excellent NMM before.
Caths is quite ecumenical about related technical hobbies. Our program did include a morning cruise from Pahia (two-deck modern catamaran), a visit to the Waitangi Treaty site (lots of war canoes), and a lunch cruise on Waitemata Harbour (two 15 m sloops).
I enclose three marine photos, none of which is a paddlesteamer.
Returning from Bay of Islands, we were on a state highway passing the site where the restoration of steam ferry (screw) Toroa is being undertaken.
This was a grab shot in rain through the window of my minibus.
There had been an open day a couple of weeks earlier.
www.toroa.org.nz: information and data.
Returning from Devonport, some went on our minibuses; a few used a harbour ferry. This is another grab shot in rain, of MV (fake PV) Waipa Delta.
While in Devonport, apart from our inspection of Victoria Theatre, I got photos of preserved steam tug William C Daldy, and of Esplanade Hotel. The tug runs only seasonally, and it was undergoing off-season maintenance.
http://daldy.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_C_Daldy
www.nzmaritimeindex.org.nz/nzmdaldy.htm
I have added the sailing photo too, to show that we had some excellent weather in Auckland, and not just rain.
www.explorenz.co.nz/Pride-of-Auckland/index.html
Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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And you didn't swing past the ps Rangiriri, in between your 2 theatre visits in Hamilton
kiwi
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Follow up 2013 news of PV Otunui, and a new video, at:
www.paddleducks.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=6379.0
Is there any news on PV Tamati, now at Paeroa?
Here is a bit on the preservation of the remains of PS Rangariri at Hamilton, mentioned a few posts earlier in this thread.
Post edit a day later: I forgot to include the bit. Here it is.
<www.waikatomuseum.co.nz/page/pageid/2145844142> with a photo of an early restoration stage.
PS Rangiriri.
Historic paddle boatRangiriri is Hamilton's historic paddle steamer. Measuring 24.5 x 6.5 metres it was shipped, assembled and launched at Port Waikato in 1864, initially brought in as a gun boat.
Rangiriri was mainly used as a steam tug pulling barges along Waikato River.
Now a wreck, in recent years a project has been put in place to restore this piece of Waikato history. In 1981 a Department of Labour work scheme excavated and undertook a survey of the vessel. Then in 1982, the vessel was pulled further up the bank ready for preservation and restoration work.
The Waikato Museum and Parks and Gardens departments of Hamilton City Council worked together for the planning of preservation, development of seating area and interpretation.
The rudder and other pieces of the vessel are now in the Museum collection and the wreck is listed in Council's District Plan as a significant heritage item.
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor
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I have not stopped in at the Paeroa Maritime Museum while passing recently but for a while the Tamati was sitting beside the building on her trailer. I will check on her whereabouts next time I go through. Cheers, Ian.
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I never did post my photos, as they are similar to a couple from an earlier poster.
I have just prepared them for two new marine groups in Australia, so have them here too.
See also: <www.lakelandqueen.com>
BoatsDownUnder-BDU is one of a set of sites from the one organiser, covering trains, trams, aircraft and boats. Each has a yahoo version and a facebook version.
Facebook has the greatest amount of traffic, and is appealing to new blood in the four hobbies, mainly older teenagers and young 20s, but several famous names from the past have taken the plunge. I find that its main problem is not lack of privacy, or even anonymous abuse. There is no indexing, material scrolls way down very fast, and there is a curfew where each new photo wipes out an older one. It is good for immediate dissemination of news, and the large pool of keen young ones are very much into instant reporting from mobile phones in the field.
The four have about 80% Australian content, with a good mix of states, and welcome overseas photos too (Australians travelling abroad, and overseas members learning about Australia, and sending items from their own countries).
boatsdownunder-bdu@yahoogroups.com
Subscribe:boatsdownunder-bdu-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
This covers all aspects of boating in Australia: commercial ferries large & small, preserved boats, private vessels, naval vessels. The railway and tramway ones have occasional photos of models (ie of trains/trams).
I also took the opportunity to add the bit two posts up which I forgot to include yesterday.
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor