Kia ora Surf Life Saving whānau,

Ho, ho, ho! If you’re like us here at SLSNZ, the Christmas tree is up, the carols are in full swing, and you’re madly rushing around buying presents.  It’s not called the silly season for nothing…

It’s certainly a busy time of the year, particularly for surf lifeguards!  With New Zealand essentially shutting down for two weeks over Christmas and New Year, a lot of Kiwis will be dusting off their togs and jandals and eyeing up the beach.  Traditionally, during this time, we see a lot of people getting into difficulty, so it’s now more crucial than ever to make sure we hammer home those important safety messages.  This year, ACC has created some awesome videos to help us do this.  You’ll find more on this below.

In this month’s Member News, you’ll also find details about the new lifesaving initiative launched by SLSNZ, a great story on the Southern District SARex by TVNZ’s Seven Sharp, Black Fins results, and so much more!

And from all of us at SLSNZ, we want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!  We know many of you will be donning the red and yellow uniform during the festive season, and we can’t thank you enough.  We hope you manage to find some time to put your feet up and have a lovely holiday wherever you may be.

Happy reading and ka kite anō.

SLSNZ Teams Up with ACC For ‘Have a Hmmm’ Videos

With the weather warming up, the beach is becoming an increasingly popular place to visit!  So, to ensure people stay safe this summer, SLSNZ has teamed up with ACC to help spread our key beach and coastal safety messages.  A number of short videos have been created to encourage people to ‘have a hmmm’ before engaging in activities like rock fishing, snorkelling, and swimming.  These videos are perfect for sharing on social media and you might even spot a couple of familiar faces in them too!  Click here to check them out.

SLSNZ Attends The World Conference Drowning Prevention (WCDP)

The WCDP is a biannual event that gathers experts in drowning prevention, lifesaving, and water safety to shape global strategy and mobilise for action.  This year, it took place in Perth, Australia from 5 to 7 December.  750 people from 50 countries attended, including several representatives from SLSNZ.  The conference featured some fantastic presentations covering a wide range of topics.  Some of the areas SLSNZ presented on included rip currents, Safeswim, public rescue equipment, and the role of surfers in drowning prevention. Abstracts of presentations given by SLSNZ staff and volunteers can be viewed here.

During the WCDP, an Australian feature-length documentary was also premiered: ‘Rip Current Survival’.  This documentary showcases rescues, interviews with survivors, and techniques that can be used to prevent drownings.  It’s a fantastic watch, so if you do have some time during the holiday period, make sure you check it out!  You’ll spot New Zealand featured at 1 hour 17 minutes into the film.

SLSNZ Launches Lifesaving Initiative

This month, SLSNZ officially launched its lifesaving initiative that aims to transform New Zealand’s coastline.  It’s titled ‘A Guide to Public Rescue Equipment for the New Zealand Coast’ and establishes standards for the design and associated signage of Public Rescue Equipment.  The initiative started way back in 2018 when a father, fondly known as Magoo, tragically died while trying to rescue his three kids from a rip at Cable Bay Reserve in Northland.  You can read more about it here.  The article serves as a great reminder of the significance of SLSNZ’s work and shows the power of collaboration.  A big heartfelt thank you and congratulations to everyone involved.

New Zealand Search and Rescue Award Nominations

The New Zealand Search and Rescue (NZSAR) Awards are coming up and NZSAR is calling for nominations! The awards cover the following two categories:  

· Operational:  Open to SAR operations that took place between 1 January and 31 December 2023. 

· Support: Open to individuals, groups or organisations which have made a significant contribution to SAR in New Zealand. A person doesn’t need decades of service to be a worthy nominee; some of the previous winners have only been in SAR for a few years but have made a big impact in that time.

If you know of someone or a group that fits the bill, visit www.nzsar.govt.nz/awards for nomination forms, NZSAR Awards policy, and details of previous winners. If you would like help compiling a nomination, or have any questions, you can contact NZSAR directly:  info@nzsar.govt.nz. Nominations close 31 January 2023

Check out New Zealand Search and Rescue’s Link Magazine

Every quarter, our friends over at NZSAR produce a magazine named Link for the search and rescue (SAR) sector.  This month, on page six, SLSNZ’s ‘A Guide to Public Rescue Equipment for the New Zealand Coast’ features.  Dr Mick Kearney talks through the initiative and explains why it’s such a milestone for New Zealand to have a document like this.

Other features in this quarter’s magazine include:

· 125 years at Sumner - the oldest maritime rescue presence in New Zealand.

· SAR insights from an operation near Lake Hauroko in Fiordland.

· Land Search and Rescue Dogs.

· The latest from exercise Whakarauora Tangata in Doubtful Sound.

Read it online today by clicking here.

Seven Sharp Tags Along with SLSNZ at SARex

TVNZ’s current affairs programme, Seven Sharp, tagged along with SLSNZ crews in Fiordland for the annual Southern District SARex.  They put together an awesome story, giving Kiwis a glimpse into the work of surf lifeguards beyond the red and yellow flags.  The story also highlighted how different agencies must team up when disaster strikes to ensure the best outcome.  Kudos to all involved – it showed a side of SLSNZ many people aren’t familiar with! Click here to watch.

Sport New Zealand Shines a Light on Lifesaving Sport

Sport New Zealand recently caught up with SLSNZ to talk about how it’s attracting and retaining tamariki and rangatahi to lifesaving sport.  One way it’s doing this, is through parents, who play a huge role in the delivery of junior programmes every summer.  Click here to read more.

NZ Herald and Stuff Covers Opening of New Club

The NZ Herald and Stuff went along to the opening of the stunning Levin Waitārere Surf Life Saving Club.  The new facility, named Te Whare Waitā, sits on top of the sand dunes close to the water, featuring a balcony and a watchtower offering a 180-degree view of the beach and water.  It’s an exciting milestone for the community and comes just in time for the busy summer season!  Click here to read more.

Newsroom Profiles Two Black Fins

The Newsroom did a great write-up on two Black Fin stars – Zoe Crawford and Talitha McEwan.  The article looks at how the pair has worked their way up through lifesaving sport and their awesome results at the recent International German Cup.  Click here to read more.

Surf Lifeguards Battle the Elements at National Lifeguard School

Mother Nature threw everything at National Lifeguard School this year – from bright blue sky and calm seas to large surf and onshore winds!  It provided the perfect backdrop for challenging and pushing the 16 candidates, who all walked away with the Advanced Lifeguard Award.  With patrols already underway, the skills they learnt over the three days in Waihi Beach will be put to use straight away.  Make sure you ask the candidates about what the learned – they’ll have plenty of tips and tricks to offer up.

You can read more about it here and don’t forget to check out the full National Lifeguard School photo album on the SLSNZ Facebook page.

Black Fins Break Records at German Cup

The Black Fins had an incredible showing at the International German Cup, breaking eight New Zealand records.  The two-day pool rescue competition is an annual event that serves as a platform to test the skills and expertise of surf lifeguards.  This year, the eight-strong New Zealand team came in second place, just behind Australia.  The team was buzzing after their incredible performance!  Click here to read more.

Credit:  Blan Lloyd c. 1967

Santa had some very special helpers during the Auckland Farmers Santa Parade.  Surf lifeguards and volunteers from Raglan SLSC, United North Piha LS, Red Beach SLSC, Piha SLSC, Ōrewa SLSC and Muriwai LS joined the parade down Queen Street, with an inflatable rescue boat in tow.  A total of $9,000 was raised, which will be going to the clubs that helped out.  A massive thank you to everyone involved!  It was a fantastic event that truly displayed the magic of the festive season.

Griffin’s Snacks Eta Brand ‘Chips In’ for SLSNZ

Feeling peckish at the beach this season?  Make sure you keep an eye out for the ETA Ripples special edition packets of chips in supermarkets and dairies around the country.  Five cents from every packet sold will be going straight to SLSNZ to help provide training, resources, and support to clubs.  So, not only are they a favourite New Zealand snack that is perfect for a trip to the beach, but they’re also going to help save lives too!

DHL and SLSNZ Mark 20-Year Partnership

SLSNZ and DHL Express are proud to celebrate their remarkable 20-year partnership.  Since the organisations joined forces in 2003, surf lifeguards have spent over 4 million hours on patrol, they’ve saved more than 25,000 people, and provided immediate medical assistance to 36,000 more.  During this time, DHL has been a champion of SLSNZ, providing vital support.  We look forward to continuing this partnership for years to come.  Click here to watch their latest video which features some of our very own surf lifeguards.

SLSNZ Celebrates 55 Years With bp

Keep an eye out for bp’s summer campaign with SLSNZ.  The two organisations have notched up 55 year’s together, making it the longest commercial partnership in Australasia!  I know, impressive right?! They’ve chosen a lot of fun ways to celebrate this very impressive milestone, so see how many different places you can spot the red and yellow flags…  

More Partner News Coming!

Stay tuned for more exciting updates from our partners, coming straight to your inbox before Christmas!  We have so many great organisations that support us so we are able to do a great job keeping beachgoers safe every season.  Some of these include KFC, Bed Bath & Beyond, Griffin’s Snacks Eta Brand, and Dirty Dog.  They currently have incredible promotions underway that we should help spread the word about.