Tauranga paddlers have one goal for next week's Waka Ama World Distance Champs in Australia - to win gold.
Tauranga Moana Outrigger Canoe Club paddlers Gaylene MacFarlane, Moira Rauputu, Kat Berntsen, Liz Tane, Maria Collier and Bev Murray will paddle in the women's 60 age group for the 20-kilometre six-person event at Mooloolaba. They head off on their Waka Ama World Distance Champ campaign tomorrow to get ready for their race next week.
The competition begins on Monday with the Tauranga club's race scheduled for Thursday. Tauranga Moana Outrigger Canoe Club crew, made up of paddlers from Tauranga, Auckland, Gisborne and Wellington, earned their spot after winning the New Zealand title in Auckland in April.
"We are going there to win," Macfarlane says.
"We have had the forecast already, we know the location, the course is already laid out, it does depend on the weather which one we will be given.