Photo: supplied / Surf Life Saving New Zealand
Joining sunseekers on New Zealand beaches this summer will be about 4500 volunteer surf lifeguards - who'll be doing all they can to keep swimmers and others at the beach safe.
At last count, there were 74 surf lifesaving clubs in Aotearoa, so RNZ's Saturday Morning is checking in on one every weekend until the end of January, to see if the surf's up and to hear what makes that club special.
This weekend we're off to Paekākāriki Surf Lifeguards. It's New Zealand's oldest surf club located outside a metropolitan area, established in 1913 and "still going strong", says club chair Matt Warren.
The start to the new year had been less than ideal, however.
Warren said it had been "a bit wild" this weekend, with the arrival of a southerly storm on Friday.
"The water's really, really messy - there's waves coming from one direction, wind coming from another... so not a good day for swimming, and also it chills down the air a bit as well."
Stormy skies at Paekākāriki beach. (file photo) Photo: Mark Amery
This hadn't deterred many beach-goers, especially those with weather-dependent craft like windsurfers and windfoils, he said.
"They love the wind and these conditions. Generally they're pretty good at what they do so, we just keep an eye on people like that who are out on the water."
Usually in January there were 10 to 15 lifesavers in the patrol team at any one time performing different roles, as well as Nippers (junior club members).
In addition, lifesaving teams were often training for competitions here and abroad in Australia.
Paekākāriki Surf Lifeguards had around 400 members - many of whom were juniors - and 80 volunteer lifeguards.
It was very family-orientated and a fun place to be, Warren said.
"We've got a lot of third, even fourth, generation [families] that have been in the club."
Unfortunately, the club had been without a building for four years, as coastal erosion and weather took its toll on the former clubhouse. They had been fundraising for its replacement, but were still about $500,000 short of the required total, he said.
Instead, they were running out of shipping containers, including one that had been turned into a temporary life guard tower.
"We've made do, but there's been no hot showers and we've got two portaloos that we use for the lifeguards.
"It's been a tough last four or five years, but we've got a really good bunch of people at the club that have been mucking in and making sure people stay safe on the beach."
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