Tribute to solo rower possible | Noosa News | Local News in Noosa

Gordon Pollard and Dianne Greig with the piece of wall lone rower Colin Quincey signed when he arrived at Marcus Beach. 

Geoff Pottern

The days of feeling all at sea battling bureaucracy may be headed for calmer waters for Noosa locals trying to honour one of the most amazing trans-Tasman maritime feats.

Proponents of a campaign to name Marcus Beach parkland after the Tasman Trespasser, the boat of heroic solo rower Colin Quincey, finally have local councillor Russell Green on board.

Mr Green told the Noosa News on Tuesday he had spoken with Sunshine Coast council staff about reviewing a previous naming application refusal with a mind to reversing the decision.

Local campaigners Gordon Pollard and Dianne Greig believe establishing Tasman Trespasser Park on the spot where Mr Quincey staggered ashore in 1977, in a force eight gale after 63 days rowing from New Zealand, would be a fitting tribute.

This remains, to this day, the only successful trans-Tasman solo crossing of its kind – though Mr Quincey’s son Shaun is battling some wild elements of his own to emulate this feat.

Quincey junior, who is on board the Tasman Trespasser II, is doing the reverse leg from Australia to New Zealand.

According to Mr Pollard, he was battling tough east winds and had been going nowhere for the past few days, after previous pitch rolls, losing his spare oars and having his desalination water maker crack up. He is battling to make landfall before his water supplies run out.

The campaigners are familiar with adversity themselves but now have a sense of optimism.

“We had been getting nowhere at all. We have not spoken to Russell Green yet but it sounds more positive,” Mr Pollard said.

He said in the past council staff officers said they were unable to name the parkland in Tristania Drive using a living person’s name.

“We were able to point out to them that there have been precedents for this and anyway, we wanted the park named after his boat,” Mr Pollard said.

The campaigners also challenged the contention that the park already had a name and council is yet to produce a document with a prior name.

Ms Greig lives at the site where Mr Quincey came ashore and has preserved the adventurer’s message written back then on the concrete garage wall.

“Colin worked with handicapped kids and he decided to do the row to show them that you don’t have to wrap people up in cotton wool – that things don’t get done by sitting at a desk,” Ms Greig said.

North Peregian and Marcus residents have not only gathered hundreds of signatures on a petition, they have sought support from the Auckland mayor.

Mr Green said council staff members were only following set guidelines by refusing the application, but he ordered the review in light of the significance of the rowing feat and the large amount of support the campaign had generated.

“We had been getting nowhere at all.”