Harbourmaster Grant Nalder has devoted most of his working life to the sea. He worked as Wellington’s harbour ranger for 22 years and crewed on the cross harbour ferry but took a detour to drive the Wellington Cable Car in the early 90s. Nalder oversees navigation in the harbour “from freighters to recreational boaties to the ocean swimmers off Oriental Bay”. Growing up in Nelson, Nalder first learnt to sail aged 7. Now in his 50s, he still likes nothing more than the moments he spends out on the water around the capital.
What part of Wellington do you live in, and why?I live in Newlands. It’s a nice central spot, you can go in any direction.My favourite thing about this part of Wellington is…
We live near Seton Nossiter Park and there’s a great walk down to a little waterfall there. It’s not too far, you just disappear up a little gully, you don’t see any houses, you’re just away from everything. It’s a really lovely little spot.
The perfect Saturday morning is…
The garden, at the moment, it’s a balance between getting enough time to be happy with it and not losing the whole weekend to it. Working on my boat down in Chaffers Marina is good too. It’s like the garden, there’s always something that needs doing.
How do you engage with your community?
I’ve been a scout leader for six years and both of my boys are involved. The opportunity for the kids to get out on camps and jamborees is always good fun.
I think there’s a lot going on there: the skills, the interaction with others, the self-reliance but it’s got to be fun.
QnA Attributed to Kevin Stent: STUFF
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