New Zealand paddleboats

[Harold H. Duncan]

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

[mjt60a]

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)

[kiwimodeller]

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.

[Harold H. Duncan]

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

[Roderick Smith]

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

[Harold H. Duncan]

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

[Roderick Smith]

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

[kiwimodeller]

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.

[kiwimodeller]

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.

[Harold H. Duncan]

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

[Harold H. Duncan]

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

[Roderick Smith]

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

[Harold H. Duncan]

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

[Roderick Smith]

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

[Harold H. Duncan]

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