Back from the south coast

http://easternhorizonkayak.blogspot.com/

Further east

The sun has been rising a little further to the east for me lately ...

Elementals Group / Sculpture in the Gardens 2011-2012 / Auckland 

On a recent trip to the Auckland Botanic Gardens I saw this small and inriguing sculpture.
It possibly resonates with additional meaning for many kayakers.

Also while in Auckland I visited the Maritime Museum with the intention of seeing their collection of traditional South-west Pacific canoes and outriggers. 

But while wandering along I was surprised and pleased to see a very remarkable person's tired looking kayak suspended from a stair landing. It deserves a much better display ...

The real purpose of this museum visit was to observe some of the elegant paddling craft created in Niue ...

Niuean outrigger canoe hull.

"Vaka heke tahi" - Niuean outrigger paddling canoe for one person.

"The dugout hull is of light construction and is covered over with a whaleback at each end and a washstrake on each side to keep the seawater out".

  

"Mataginefale oneonepata" - Niuean outrigger paddling canoe for one person.

(Above and below.)

I really like the structural directness of the paired and splayed struts used to support the outrigger. They still look like the branches that they once were.