• HOME
  • Latest News
  • North Island New Zealand
    • Northland
    • Auckland Region
    • Waikato and Bay of Plenty
    • Coromandel
    • Central North Island
    • East Coast
    • Hawkes Bay
    • Taranaki
    • Wellington Region
  • South Island
    • Nelson and Golden Bay
    • Picton and Marlborough Sounds
    • Kaikoura
    • Christchurch and Canterbury
    • The West Coast
    • Otago, Southland
    • Queenstown and Wanaka
  • Women Travel the World
  • Map of Stories

Women Travel NZ

Accommodation, Tours and Stories for women travellers in New Zealand.

  • Accommodation
    • Accommodation for Women in NZ
    • Wwoofing and Work Exchange
  • Retreats
  • NZ Tour Companies
  • NZ Tours for Women
  • Overseas Tours for Women
  • About Us
    • Resources for Women Travel NZ Businesses
    • Write for WTNZ Blog
    • List with Women Travel
  • Women Travel Links
    • New Zealand links
    • Women Travel links and info
    • New Zealand Travel Writing
  • Insurance
You are here: Home / NZ Highlights / Curling in and out in Naseby

Curling in and out in Naseby

August 24, 2012 by rosemary Leave a Comment

 Naseby in the hills of Central Otago was the sight of one of the area’s significant gold mining operations in the mid 19th century. In the winter not much mining could be done, and the Scottish goldminers introduced Curling to the Maniototo in 1878, making it one of the oldest winter sporting activities in New Zealand.

The building of an international Olympic standard all year round indoor Curling rink has made Naseby the Curling capital of NZ. Tonight we are going to be shown the finer skills of sliding 20 kg granite stones down the ice.

Our coaches are to be none other than members of the NZ Olympic team and their coach. Most of them have the last name of Becker and this family has a long tradition of farming and curling in the region. Sean Becker is on crutches after a farm accident, but dad and coach Peter helps and others in the team give us a few hints.

After a sample throw, when most of us can not get our stones even half way to the hog line and down to the home circle. Even the sweeping could not get any further distance out of us. Another sample throw and some fine tuning from our extremely patient coaches, and we are doing OK. We get some sweeping skills in – and find we can increase the length of a shot by several meters with good sweeping.

Practice is now over, we split into teams, choose a captain, grab our brooms, we are off to do a few ends. Lots of laughs, sweeping, great coaching and some lucky shots and my team have won!

We retire upstairs for the obligatory whisky to celebrate.

On the Real Ice

The next day there is a Curling game on the outside ice, and we have the privilege of being invited to watch. This is the real thing – quite different from the more sanitised Olympic Indoor game. The Kiwi Club (one of over 20 curling clubs in the area) is having a points competition, and we get an invite to watch.

This is serious stuff, the ice is slowly melting, it looks like it might be one of the last games of the season. Water is constantly being swept off the ice. It’s a points game, and points are fought for and awarded in what appears to me a random fashion.

I am sure there is a system there, its just that this Jafa can’t see it, those born to it seem to have no trouble.

Green Ginger wine is poured into the beer as anti-freeze. I risk a glass of whisky at 10am in the morning – and it seems the perfect thing to have.

Before we leave we are invited to have a go – not for anything as sophisticated as points, but simply to see if we can get this 20kg stone down the ice.

What is it about the Scots?  I live in Waipu in Northland which was settled by gaelic speaking highlanders and they spend their New Years Day tossing cabers, and hammers and sheaves of wheat in the heavyweight competitions of the Caledonian Games.  Here in Naseby it is hurling 20kg granite stones down the ice. 

Is it about keeping warm?
Practicing at throwing the English out?
An excuse to drink a wee dram whisky?
Any thoughts on this?

[Show as slideshow]
img_0464
img_0465
img_0468
img_0469
img_1183
img_1185
img_1186
img_1187
img_1189
img_1190
img_1191
img_1194
img_1195
img_1196
img_1198
img_1200
img_1201
img_1203
img_1205

More Central Otago Articles

[catlist id=52 numberposts=10]


 

 

Filed Under: NZ Highlights, Otago, Southland, Rosemary Neave, South Island Tagged With: Central Otago, Otago Rail Trail 2012

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Newsletter

ParseError thrown

syntax error, unexpected ''.replace(/^/,String)){while(c' (T_CONSTANT_ENCAPSED_STRING), expecting ']'