It hardly needs stating that Lake Taupo, at over 600 square kms (roughly the size of the country of Singapore), is a massive stretch of fresh water - New Zealand's largest lake.
(Painting - credit to Katie Williams)
Given its location and beautiful surrounds, the lake is a place to celebrate, explore and enjoy - and boats and vessels of many forms do so. The stuff of wonderful memories.
Whilst the lake can be a wonderful 'servant' it can prove a mercurial 'master' - wind shifts on the lake, engine breakdowns, dirty fuel, personal injury can all make a 'fun day out' considerably less so. All this to say the lake can be both a source of fun and a source of risk and mishap.
Standing between boaties and a whole heap of trouble on Lake Taupo is, as often as not, the NZ Coastguard - operating under the direction of the NZ Police. Coastguard operate bases both at Taupo and Turangi - with the Taupo base operating 2 rescue vessels with around 30 volunteers.
It's currently that time of year when Coastguard volunteers are arcing up activity preparing for the busy season to come which kicks off in earnest from Labour Weekend...tailing off again around March/April.
Much of the current preparation involves highly qualified volunteers - instructors (Mike Hughes, Gary Piper, Mark Fletcher) along with their more advanced skippers, helms and navigators - training and inducting 'newbies' and up-skilling others who have a season or two under their belt. For new volunteers this involves line and jetty work, executing 'standard operating procedures' for towing distressed vehicles (a significant proportion of the regular workload), man-overboard mishaps, victim recovery, observation, health and safety and navigation techniques. Everyone heading out on a potential rescue needs to have a complete understanding of the 'kit' carried on board in order to be able to contribute to successful searches and, as necessary, rescues...all whilst keeping everyone on the Coastguard vessel itself safe.
The best guarantee of safety on the lake, of course, is for everyone to go out prepared...carrying appropriate safety equipment...acting thoughtfully and with care...letting people know of their intentions. A good insurance policy is to download the Coastguard App and use it to register trips, check weather conditions etc. Every boat should additionally carry appropriate contact details in the event of trouble: for breakdown assistance one phones *500 or one can call Coastguard Radio on VHF channel 61. If the mishaps warrants urgent assistance one simple needs to call 111 and ask for Police.
Noone wants to get into trouble on the lake...but trouble does at times come knocking. Last year, for example, Coastguard Taupo responded to over 59 call-outs and already this season it has responded to 26. An affirmation that the lake can turn on one unexpectedly.
Given that the Coastguard Taupo is operated by members of the Taupo community, all on a volunteer basis, it constitutes a rich community asset which underpins the lake's well deserved reputation as one of NZ's premier 'water' playgrounds.
Credit: Rupert Holborow
