Rowing to save the ‘kiwi of the ocean’

It started as an outlandish idea over a beer. It ended up being a 90-kilometre, 11-hour slog in a row boat.

Four hardy, very tired rowers and their two sweeps reached North Beach in Christchurch at 2.45 on Saturday afternoon. They had left Akaroa Harbour, 87km away in Banks Peninsula, at 4am.

Their mammoth effort raised $9000 to protect New Zealand’s endangered Maui and Hector’s dolphins.

‘‘It’s gone really well . . . We’re obviously a bit sore but everyone’s in really high spirits.

‘‘It helps when you’re able to see Christchurch,’’ rower Rob McCaig said as the group took a quick break on the water on Saturday afternoon.

‘‘The morning was pretty tough because it was dark for the first two hours. Just going up through the harbour . . . it took us a bit longer to get out of there. After then we were ahead of schedule the whole way.’’

The idea to row from Akaroa to Christchurch took flight after McCaig suggested it to a few friends over a beer. ‘‘They all jumped at the idea,’’ he said. ‘‘After double-checking the next day, we had the crew sorted and it all developed from there.

‘‘It was something fun for us to do. Well maybe not fun, more a challenge . . . No-one’s ever done it in one day, in a surf boat, so why not?’’

McCaig said most people learning of their plan would reply by saying ‘‘you lot are nuts’’, so they decided they ‘‘should be using this element of crazy to do some good’’.

The group reached out to world champion free diver William Trubridge who suggested they look to help our ‘‘sea kiwi’’, Maui and Hector’s dolphins.

Trubridge, an ambassador for the dolphins, directed the rowers to the NABU International Foundation for Nature, which works to preserve the species.

Between 12,000 and 18,500 Hector’s dolphins remain around New Zealand’s shores, the only place it lives, according to recent research by Nelson’s Cawthron Institute.

The Maui dolphin, a subspecies of the Hector’s, has recorded numbers of fewer than 50.

Since beginning their campaign, the group had raised more than $9000 for the cause on its Givealittle page.

More information about the cause can be found on the Facebook page ‘‘Rowing to save our Kiwis of the Sea’’.

PHOTOS: DAVID WALKER/FAIRFAX NZ A tired Georgia Perry gives onlookers and supporters a wave as they pass close by the New Brighton pier. With her are teammates Emma Sherratt, Rob McCaig and Hayden Cohen.

Georgia Perry and Emma Sherratt celebrate their efforts after rowing from Akaroa to North Beach in fewer than 12 hours.