Team-mate hops off but rowers continue

‘‘Today basically what we’ve done is become the fastest unsupported crossing between New Zealand and Australia and also the first-ever rounding of Cape Reinga and the North Cape in a rowing boat.’’ Martin Berka

A Kiwi rowing crew has become the fastest unsupported rowing team to cross the Tasman.

Team Gallagher, made up of Nigel Cherrie, Martin Berka, Andrew Mccowan and James Blake, son of yachting legend Sir Peter Blake, set off from Sydney on November 27. The team reached the Bay of Islands yesterday, 51 days later.

When they reached land they picked up supplies, but bid farewell to one of their team members.

Berka said he had to leave for personal reasons. ‘‘I received some news and I had to decide quickly about whether I am going to see my fiance or not before she leaves somewhere and it turned out to be very short notice and I decided it’s time for me to stop.’’

He said he was disappointed to leave the crew before the end of the journey, but was proud of the achievement anyway.

‘‘Today basically what we’ve done is become the fastest unsupported crossing between New Zea- land and Australia and also the first ever rounding of Cape Reinga and the North Cape in a rowing boat. So we are really proud of that and unfortunately I had other obligations and I couldn’t finish the last few days.’’

Berka said the hardest part of the team’s epic voyage was a patch of bad weather, which left them sitting in their boat going nowhere, waiting for the storm to pass.

‘‘The mental part was the hardest for me, and I’m quite sure for the other boys as well. That is not to say it’s easy physically, but physical effort is easier to deal with perhaps than the mental one. You’re in an enclosed space, there’s nothing else to do and you are being thrown around a lot for days on end and you don’t know when it’s going to end.’’

But Berka said the team were a close unit, and frayed tempers were not an issue on the 10.5m long by 2m wide boat.

‘‘There’s so many external things trying to rip up the boat and pushing you and you’re really struggling to just make sure that you are doing well and coping well. It was such a strong motivator for all of us that we didn’t have problems dealing with each other at all.’’

Berka’s plans for the next few days are catching up with his family and friends, eating good food and returning to work as a lecturer at Victoria University’s School of Economics and Finance.

For his team-mates, the journey is not quite over: they have left the Bay of Islands and are continuing on to Auckland.