Kaikōura tragedy victim an adventurer who viewed the world from a sea kayak
Susan Cade, who has died aged 63, was an adventure junkie who loved photographing birds with like-minded nature enthusiasts.
She was one of five members of the Nature Photography Society of New Zealand who drowned when their charter boat overturned in Kaikōura.
Like her good friend Cathye Haddock, who died in the same accident, Cade loved sea kayaking, caving, tramping and nature photography. She was also a talented dancer and a highly respected nurse, who would always go out of her way to help patients.
Born in Palmerston North, she was taught from an early age by her father,
Bud, a deerstalker and skier, to appreciate the outdoors. Family holidays were spent on pursuits like canoeing the Whanganui River and she enjoyed roaming the Manawatū hills.
As a youngster she enjoyed classical ballet, which implanted a lifelong love of dancing.
After leaving Palmerston North Girls’ High, she became a nurse. One of her earliest displays of her lifelong sense of adventure was when, aged 17 or 18, she headed overseas to cycle all over the United Kingdom.
Returning to New Zealand, she resumed nursing, but the trip was to be one of many over the next 45 years. Caving in Mexico, paddling in Alaska, exploring Australia and kayaking in Antarctica all feature on her CV.
A career nurse, she specialised in mental health, in recent years working in Kenepuru Hospital, Porirua. Sister-in-law Chris Cade describes her as someone who went the extra mile to help patients.
She never married, with her family saying she was just too busy, exploring New Zealand and planning adventures.
Ameticulous person, she was known as someone who would take all the right gear, whether it was tramping or kayaking, and was always very well-prepared.
Sea kayaker and good friend Paul Caffyn enjoyed many adventures with Cade, including a 2017 trip to the Antarctic.
The trip did not go to plan and it soon became clear that conditions were tougher than expected. Their planned campsite was ‘‘vertical walls of ice and snow’’ and Caffyn said they had to keep going to find safety.
‘‘It was so cold, not just the near-freezing sea, but the wind chill from a nasty gusting tailwind. If one of us had capsized, and failed to roll, it would have been all over quite quickly despite us all wearing dry suits.
’’I have a vivid picture of Susan gamely paddling in atrocious conditions until we reached the sheltered lee of a bulky rocky island. Susan was a gutsy paddler,’’ he told her memorial service.
After joining the Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers (KASK), Cade was elected to the committee, taking on the presidential role
‘‘Susan was not someone saying I am going to do all these things when I turn 65. She was out there doing it.’’
from 2004 to 2007. An active member of KASK, her photos appeared frequently on its magazine covers.
‘‘Her standout cover photos for me were of a night paddle through the canals of Venice, and several stunning night photos of the annual Guy Fawkes fireworks on Wellington Harbour,’’ Caffyn said.
Among his fondest memories was one from the annual KASK ‘‘pilgrimages’’, usually a paddle from Picton to a remote campsite. Everyone was expected to dress up, with such themes as Dancing with the Stars, Super Heroes, and Vikings and Virgins being popular.
‘‘The weather was so bad we ended up overnighting in a caravan park. Susan dressed not as a sacrificial virgin but as a splendid Viking warrior princess, golden tunic and tassels, her helmet had these massive horns that must have spanned nigh on three feet.’’
In recent years, Cade became increasingly interested in photography as a member of the Porirua Photography Club. Competition organiser Bill Anderson said Cade was a highly regarded member, who very quickly went from a novice to the advanced category, where she regularly won competitions.
As with everything she did, Cade liked to have good-quality gear, and club members would joke she had a ‘‘bottomless pack’’ from which anything could emerge.
Wellington photographer Simon Woolf said her skills were impressive and she underrated her ability. Her nature photography was ‘‘world-class’’, combining a good eye for a photo, quality gear and good technical knowledge.
Dancing was another passion. Joanna Matsis, from FEET with Heat Dance Studio, said she was a talented dancer, who was always looking to improve but also willing to teach others.
With a background in ballet, she enjoyed a wide range of styles – everything from Latin to ballroom – but in recent years had become focused on swing. A scholarship to honour her contribution to dancing is being planned. Cade was also an active member of the Hutt Valley Community Dance Group.
Her brother Phil Cade describes her as risk-taker, who was very much her own person. ‘‘She was always very curious and a little bit bossy.’’
With pursuits like caving and seakayaking, it was the sense of adventure that attracted her and the camaraderie of being with people with similar values.
The circumstances of her death were unusual but he took solace from knowing she was with like-minded people, doing what she enjoyed. Her death hit the family hard and he had been grateful for the support provided by the agencies investigating the tragedy, and Victim Support.
Chris Cade said that, although her death was a tragedy, she had led an action-packed life. ‘‘Susan was not someone saying I am going to do all these things when I turn 65. She was out there doing it.’’