First River Queen Blog!

Posted by Peter on 27 October 2010 | 2867 Comments

Spring in paradise. I sit here with a bottle of Framingham Montepulciano, one of the best reds from Marlborough, and contemplate the onset of Spring in New Zealand. It’s a different life from the one I left in Oxford, England, that’s for sure. I have left behind the historic buildings and lofty thinking of the University town. But I’ve also said goodbye to snarled traffic through the small Oxford streets, heaving crowds of tourists battling with locals on the pavement and the more widespread motorway congestion that defines the UK.

Here I have quiet streets, birdsong rather than traffic noise in the morning, some of the best wines you’ll find anywhere in the world, beautiful scenery – all this and an historic riverboat to run.

What can I tell you about Marlborough’s River Queen? I bought her, with my brother Chris, some four years ago. As the saying goes, it seemed a good idea at the time. The idea was for Chris and his wife to run the boat, while I lived out a gentle early retirement elsewhere in New Zealand. Well, as you know, not all plans work out. So, in our version of knights in shining armour, Sandra (my wife by the way) and I have headed back to Marlborough. Curtailing any thoughts of a lazy retirement, (and to mix my metaphors) we have taken up the reins of the business to see if we can avert financial calamity and tread the golden path to prosperity. Hooray for us.

We moved back to Marlborough and took The River Queen out of the water for a refit over the winter. This week has seen The River Queen’s Maori Blessing and the launch of a new season of scheduled public cruises. From now on we sail seven days a week, twice a day, (at 12.00 noon and 4.00pm). So with all the plotting and planning involved, the past few weeks have been hectic ones for us.

Not that we don’t manage the odd moment of self-indulgence. On our launch cruise for example, you might have caught a glimpse of me quaffing a big glass of Montepulciano, in between mouthfuls of delicious nibbles supplied by our local caterers. Marketing during these affairs is all about mingling, they say, so who am I to quibble?

So the Blessing went well, with XXXX stepping in at the last moment for Rangi Joseph who is crook. The Mayor, Alistair Sowman joined us while he nervously waited on the election results. Now safely back in office, Alistair will be bringing the rest of the Council on board for a trip down the river. This might sound like a fancy day out for the councillors but I want to show them the state of the river and point out one or two home truths about supporting a local tourism icon – namely us. Marlborough might feel a bit like a southern hemisphere paradise but, even here, we have our battles with bureaucracy. Actually I don’t have any major concerns but, as ever, it’s the little things which frustrate.  Like lopping trees which overhang the river and give my skippers’ heart-stopping moments. Or planting the stop-bank so it is clothed in shrubs.  (The bank opposite the boat was cleared of some established shrubs last summer, without anyone from the council bothering to mention it to us, and has been left bare since. When I enquired about it over the winter, I was politely told that, yes, the Council was aware of the situation but, no, it wasn’t a priority. One might be tempted to ask why they were so enthusiastic, not to say hasty, in clearing the beautiful existing shrubs and trees, if there was no immediate way to replace these. Still, as I say, the Council will be coming for a cruise soon, and will be able to see for themselves...)

Let’s hope it was all just a matter of them not knowing what was needed and that, once armed with the information, cogs will turn in local government. We might just find ourselves with a tidy driveway to the boat, a cleaner river and riverbank (maybe even a litter bin if we are very lucky) and some well-needed shrubs covering the bank opposite our berth.

The good news is that people seem to enjoy our cruises in spite of the grumbles I have. People are hypnotised by the boat I think and see little else when they arrive. Down-river the scenery really is beautiful and over-hanging trees just add to the ambience, even if they give the skippers palpitations. And once the baby lambs and ducklings are spooted, you can cue the “Oooohs” and “Ahhhs” and say goodbye to anyone signing a petition to lobby the local authorities to action.

Oh well, back to that bottle of Montepulciano.


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