Wairau Valley, Nelson Region

Sailors bent their backs and pulled, straining to propel the heavily laden longboat to shore. Grunting under the exertion, the cox'n yelled, encouraging the sailors to pull in time to the cadence he'd set. The oars dipped into the water and again the sailors began to straighten their legs, pulling back as the boat slowly angled to the beach.

Three surveying crews were already ashore and impatiently waited for the remainder of their ...