I essentially grew up in my late father’s agricultural engineering workshop. My brothers and I started jetboating at a young age on the braided rivers of Canterbury – roped in to make up crew by adventurous uncles. While there were lots of exciting trips, I also remember us being jettisoned as excess ballast and left to cool our heels in the riverbed under a baking sun until picked up again on the downriver journey.
JETBOAT ADVENTURER
After such an early introduction, it should be no surprise I bought my first jetboat at age 23, a fibreglass ‘Cougar’ hull, powered by a Holden 308ci V8 with a three-stage Hamilton jet. That’s when I began my first ‘career’ as a recreational, adventure jetboater on the rivers of the South Island’s east coast, from the Wairauahiri (flowing out of Lake Hauroko, on the edge of Fiordland, New Zealand’s steepest river), right around and up to the Wairau in Marlborough.
