Chris’s great-great-great grandparents William and Hannah Harvey sailed from England onboard the Olympus on 16th of June, 1842. They came with their children - William, Abraham, Nathan, Harriet, Catherine and Hannah - and settled at Hira, north Nelson. In early summer 1849 their son William and his wife Augusta and children set to sail through the entrance of Nelson Haven and turned Northeast to the Marlborough Sounds.

The Year the Harvey’s arrived on the Olympus. Nelson 1842 by James Saxton (A. Turnbull Library).

It is impossible to imagine the courage and determination they had to undertake this journey with young children, sailing in virtually unchartered waters, seeking and exploring land that no European had ever set foot on. They followed the coast until they entered the shelter of Croiselles Harbour where they went ashore and camped for the night. The next day good luck and weather stayed with them as they negotiated their way through French Pass. It was a long journey into the Pelorus Sound and after many days and camp sites on the way they eventually sailed past Waimaru.

Augusta regarded the backdrop of the mountains, the forest and the birds like the Garden of Eden. She was happy and told Will they had to settle somewhere and could it be here. Will’s rowing arms agreed! Later Augusta was to call this area Clova Bay. They were the first Europeans to settle in the deep Pelorus. Chris’s Uncle, Frank Ponder wrote a wonderful history of the Pelorus Sound and the Harvey family in his book ‘A Labyrinth of Waterways’, in which he captures a vivid picture of the family settling in such a breathtakingly beautiful, but extremely remote area. Living in almost total isolation, Sounds people tended to marry within their own community, and in time developed their own extended family.

William and Augusta’s children married into the families of Turner, Winchester, Noonan, Clifford, Mills, Foote, Webb, Hocquard, Black, Gullery and Hunter - names well known in the Sounds. Subsequent generations have linked the Harveys to an even vaster array of Sounds families!

Chris’s great grandparents, Richard and Mary Bethridge-Topp owned Hopewell, which is now a well known holiday destination. It was their daughter Grace whom Henry Harvey fell in love with and married. Two of their sons, Hylton (Chris’s father) and John Harvey (Chris’s Uncle) owned Harvey Timber Ltd sawmill at Manaroa in Clove Bay, and this is where Chris spent a wonderfully happy childhood.

Chris inherited a passionate bond with the sea and spent much of his time making ‘vessels’ barely seaworthy and exploring as far as his inventions allowed him.

Hylton’s launch ‘Rowena’ is etched in Chris’s memory and once whilst visiting his father planting trees at Crail Bay, Chris took Rowena back to the Mill at Manaroa to collect some gear the gang needed. He had not long left Crail Bay when a howling Southerly blew up, yet he was undeterred and completed the mission. At the age of 12 he was perplexed as to why all had been worried about him!

Johnson's Barge with a load of logs on its way to Harvey's Mill.

Chris worked at the Mill and married Philippa. Their first son John was born whilst they were living there. The viability of running the mill became increasingly difficult and Chris eventually left and joined the NZ Forest Service. After living at various forests in both the North and South Islands he and Philippa finally moved to Nelson and bought
an apple orchard, they also later grew grapes.

Throughout the time spent away from the Pelorus Sound, Chris, Philippa and their children John, Michael and Hannah have never been far away, holidaying down there as much as possible and always revelling in the time they spent there.

Chris has now returned to the sea and the Sounds he loves so much and now runs the Pelorus Sound Water Taxis.

Peggy, Chris’s mother has always said “You can take Chris out of the Sounds, but you cannot take the Sounds out of Chris”.

Philippa’s parents were sheep farmers in the Wairarapa and her father’s passion was boats. Their bach at the mouth of the Whareama River could only be accessed by boat, so she was on the water always. Her father also had a yacht he kept in Tauranga aptly named ‘Whareama’, and she grew up surrounded by anything involving boats and the sea.

It seems a natural progression in both Chris and Philippa’s lives that they are now living life once again revolving around boating.