Swim Chats

Wellington Harbourmaster Grant Nalder oversees navigation in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. That involves monitoring the movement of vessels (ships, boats, waka, etc.), managing marker buoys, and also, increasingly, looking out for ocean swimmers.

On this episode we talk about:

- the role of the Harbourmaster

- the importance of swimmers being visible to boats (tow floats are mandatory for swimmers who are more than 200m offshore – see the bylaw details below), and also the need for boaties to be aware of swimmers

- the near miss one swimmer, who was new to the area, had with a ferry in 2024 when they inadvertently swam in the shipping channel

- the water features enjoyed by swimmers in Oriental Bay (pontoons, buoys, the Carter saltwater fountain, Pt Jerningham Lighthouse)

- the pink swim buoys being added to the Oriental Bay swim route – breaking news on the podcast!

My favourite tip: strap a whistle to your wrist. It's easier for boats to hear a whistle than if you shout, and you can raise the alarm too if you're in trouble.

For questions or thoughts on this episode, leave a comment or email [email protected]

You can contact the Wellington Harbourmaster via:

[email protected]

Greater Wellington 04 384 5708

Harbour radio (urgent) 04 473 4547

Keep up to date with local goings-on via the Wellington Ocean Swimmers Facebook group (public group)

Greater Wellington Navigation Bylaws (PDF) –'Swimmers more than 200 metres from shore must tow a bright-coloured safety float or swim buoy and brightly coloured swim cap (if worn), unless accompanied by a support craft.'

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What a privilege to spend an hour talking to Phil Rush, a coaching and swimming legend. Here are just some of his open water swim achievements:

• Record holder for the fastest double and triple English Channel crossings (his triple crossing was 28h 21m, 140km, in 1987)
• Record holder for the fastest double Cook Strait crossings (only one other person has achieved a double)
• The first person to complete a double crossing of Lake Taupō (in 1985)
• 10 English Channel crossings and 8 Cook Strait crossings

In this episode we talk about how endurance swimming has changed over the years, the importance of mental as well as physical training, monitoring swimmers for hypothermia, working as a team to help people achieve their swim goals, how he swam for more than 24 hours, that crucial final stage of a marathon swim, the buzz of getting swimmers to the other side, and much more.

Follow Phil on Instagram

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Kate Camp is a poet, author, and ocean swimmer. She's also the organiser of the annual '9 Bays of Matariki' winter swims and the '12 Bays of Christmas' summer swims.

In this episode Kate talks about when and how she started sea swimming, the art of quickly changing out of wet togs into warm clothes, and the importance of the swim community. She also reads a poem called 'Freyberg Carpark' – featuring Graham from episode 10! – from her new book, 'Makeshift Seasons' (Te Herenga Waka University Press, 2025).

Follow the Matariki swims (or come if you're in Wellington) via the Facebook event page

Buy a copy of Makeshift Seasons from Unity Books

Read Kate's article 'Why I won't write about swimming' on The Spinoff

Author photo by Ebony Lamb

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This month you can sponsor Shona for The Big Swim (Coastguard NZ fundraiser) : bigswim.org.nz/s-riddell

Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Thanks for listening! :-)

Coastguard NZ rescues thousands of Kiwis a year and relies on the dedication of its volunteers, who require training and equipment to save lives on the water.

Wellington president of Coastguard NZ (and surf lifesaver) James Groombridge talks about The Big Swim, a month-long fundraiser involving swimmers of all ages and abilities. If you're not swimming, you can sponsor a swimmer!

Shona's Big Swim page is bigswim.org.nz/s-riddell. Please sponsor me if you can – all funds go to Coastguard NZ.

I'm part of The Tridents and together we're swimming 100km – visit our team page: bigswim.org.nz/the-tridents

Learn more about The Big Swim

Learn more about Coastguard NZ

Visit Volunteering NZ to search volunteer roles around NZ

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Ann Skelly is a Waiheke Island artist who creates beautiful seascapes and landscapes that feature the ocean in all its varying moods: dappled and rippled in the sun, fierce and churning, blue and inviting.

Shona talked to Ann at the 2025 NZ Art Show, which runs annually in Wellington over King's Birthday weekend.

NZ Art Show website

Ann Skelly on Instagram

Ann Skelly on Facebook

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In June Shona is taking part in Coastguard NZ's The Big Swim – follow and support The Tridents!

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Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Dr Nicole Miller is a Wellington scuba diver who cares deeply about our underwater kelp forests and marine life. She's the Chair of the Friends of Taputeranga Marine Reserve Trust, the former President of Wellington Underwater Club, and the founder of Explore Your Coast, with the goal of filming 70km of Wellington Harbour, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, and documenting changes to our coastal ecosystems.

In this marine conservation episode we talk about giant kelp, octopuses, creative ways of showing people what's below the surface to raise awareness, protecting what we love, and Nicole's new documentary called Seaweed, a Love Story.

Watch the trailer for Seaweed, a Love Story and keep up to date with the latest news and events. Nicole is also looking for partners and sponsors to bring the film to different parts of NZ. To find out more, contact her at [email protected].

Visit Explore Your Coast for more about Nicole's project to film and document 70km of Wellington's coastline.

Visit Taputeranga Marine Reserve on Wellington's South Coast.

Watch a video about kina/sea urchin grazing in Wellington Harbour (2021 and 2022 comparisons), then learn about kelp forest recovery after kina removal and community action.

Watch Nicole's TedxWellington talk (2024).

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Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Graham Joe is the owner of Gelissimo @ Freyberg, an outdoor cafe/kiosk right next to Freyberg Beach in Wellington. It’s a hub for morning swimmers who congregate there for coffee, scones, porridge and toasties. The post-swim conversations I have there every week, over excellent coffee, were the inspiration for this podcast. 

Graham started getting in the sea a few years ago after an accident left him in pain and unable to run. He found that getting in the cold water helped his recovery so he kept doing it, slowly building in confidence and distance. Now early swims are a staple of his day, all year round.

If you're in Wellington, you should definitely check out Gelissimo @ Freyberg!

Gelissimo website gelissimo.co.nz

Gelissimo on Instagram www.instagram.com/gelissimo_gelato/

Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Brett Richardson is a Wellington swimmer who swam across Cook Strait (Te Moana-o-Raukawa) in 2020 and Foveaux Strait (Te Ara a Kiwa) in 2024. He swims in the ocean year round, often early in the morning – which, in winter, means it’s pitch black in the water (aside from his head torch) from start to finish. In this episode Brett shares how his swimming grew from new-to-ocean-swimming to marathon level, the strategies he incorporates for successful long swims, and the joy of getting in the sea every week – no matter what the weather’s up to. 

Health and safety note: Brett is a highly experienced ocean swimmer. If you’re new to sea swimming the best advice is to join a local group, start in the warmer months, check the conditions before you get in, and stick close to shore as you grow in confidence and ability. 

Brett’s YouTube video of his Foveaux Strait swim

‘After 10 hours, Brett Richardson emerges from Cook Strait hypothermic and victorious’ (Stuff, November 27 2020)

NZ Sports page for Meda McKenzie, who swam Cook Strait at 15 years old in 1978.

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Clarissa Dunn is a Radio New Zealand Concert presenter, a marriage celebrant, an event MC, a soprano, and an ocean swimmer. She swims to connect with her family and with nature, and it also provides a mental break from her busy life.

For her episode, Clarissa had the brilliant idea of making an 'ocean music' playlist on Spotify. I'm still embedded in the '90s hard rock era, so this has opened my mind and I can hear the breaking waves and darting fish in the various pieces of music – you can listen to it here: Clarissa's Ocean Playlist.

As a radio presenter and classical music aficionado, Clarissa has a beautiful way of describing the light and sounds of the sea.

Clarissa's RNZ page

Clarissa's Instagram page

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Our first 'swim history' episode! Featuring special guest John Hancock, a marathon swimmer and the organiser of this year's ANZAC Day swim in Wellington. In this episode John tells the story of the brave, accomplished, and fascinating Sir Bernard Freyberg who painted himself in black and undertook a stealthy nighttime swim in Gallipoli during World War One. We also discuss a few other notable swimmers in history: John F Kennedy, Kahe Te-Rau-o-te-Rangi, and Mao Zedong. Finally, John Hancock reflects on his own 'big' swims, across Lake Taupō and Cook Strait / Raukawa Moana.

Lots of background links for this one – it is a history episode, after all!

⁠Shona's family war tortoise⁠ (Great War Stories, NZHistory.govt. nz).

⁠ANZAC biscuit recipe⁠ (Edmonds Cooking)

Bernard Freyberg's Wikipedia page

Image of Freyberg (taken in 1904 at Te Aro Baths in Wellington) is courtesy of Horowhenua Historical Society inc, Levin, New Zealand

'Debunking Freyberg's Mexican myth' – NZ International Review

'When Sir Bernard tried to swim the Channel' – Greymouth Evening Star, August 1950, via paperspast.natlib.govt.nz

Kahe Te-Rau-o-te-Rangi, who swam from Kāpiti Island to the mainland in 1824 (Eleanor Spragg. 'Te Rau-o-te-rangi, Kahe', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990, updated July, 2013. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand)

'The swim that changed Chinese history' (Mao Zedong's river swims) The China Project, 14 July 2021.

'Caroline Kennedy recreates her father JFK's heroic wartime swim.' CNN, August 2023. (correction: JFK's crew were attacked by a Japanese boat, not a plane as I incorrectly stated in this episode)

John Hancock talks about his Cook Strait and Lake Taupō swims on the Effortless Swimming podcast

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Support the podcast via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/SwimChats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Hit 'Follow' so you don't miss an episode.

Thanks for listening! :-)