Windy Wellington proved not to be a gimme for Sami Robertson in his bid to complete the famous swim between the two main islands of New Zealand.
Forced to stoically play the weather waiting game, swimming 28.8 kilometres in tough conditions, Sami, supported by the wonderful Phil Rush and his team, made his way between the points in nine hours 46 minutes on Tuesday 7 April 2026.
Windy Wellington indeed...
Windy Wellington in all seasons
A quality support crew was essential
Massive thanks to Phil Rush, Cory Farbourn, Nick Maddren, Matty Warmington, McDonald Dring, Brett Richardson, Trinity Richardson
Once more to the start line
Last minute snack and pre splash tension the diet of champions. Sami's previous swims include 2025 Swim around Manhattan, Robben Island to Capetown, 2016 English Channel, 2014 Straits of Gibraltar
Trinity Richardson looks on and absorbs the happiness somewhile yet ahead of her relay swim of Cook Strait
Smiles of crew comfort
From a wild pool into a wild pool
Wildlife in the Cook Strait?
No doubt scarier Cookie monsters than this one were on Sami's mind that do hang around the Cook Strait
Our playground pool can be home for a Leopard Seal and other toothy sea life
Best sign of the Zodiac
Thumbs up seal of approval on hand from the profound open water swimming experience of Phil Rush
Orange zodiac to match the trunks worn by Sami on the day
A great day and a grey day ahead
Nick Maddren
Top quality support crew commuted from Auckland to be there for Sami
No matter how cold the weather
And always a moment for paying homage, with a water polo stroke, to Sami’s great grandfather, international water polo Olympian, Bill Lovely.
Perfect swim technique by Sami
Not very Straight and a Mathematical accuracy moment
A mathematical issue, this one. If maths was properly drummed into you at school, then π and Pythagoras are meant to stay with you for life. One wonders how a maths teacher with an endurance swimming pedigree might have viewed the numbers… Looking superb, Sami clocked 22 km in 7 hours — beautifully aligned with the classic 22/7 approximation for π. Until the audit. The 22 km mark was reached not in seven hours… but in seven hours and one minute. Spare a thought for Teacher Sami. For the mathematically inclined in his training group, this raises serious concerns. Standards of concentration may have slipped. As Teacher might have said: "Mr Robertson — numerical discipline, please. Must try harder. 22 over 7. Exactly."
Cory Farbourn
In not sunny conditions a supreme act of kindness and friendship by all support crew
Perhaps a busman's holiday for Phil Rush, a three way swimmer of the English Channel in 1987. Other three-way swimmers of the EC include Jon Erikson, coached by Serps’ Rosie George in 1981, Alison Streeter,1990, Clo McCardel 2015, Sarah Thomas in 2019 on third leg of her four-way.
South specific
Nearing sundowner time as he nears the South Island
Squid games?
Red light
Red Light
Green light
Green light
White light
According to Brett Richardson, mapper and also a Cook Strait solo swimmer...
...the Plot is almost complete
That little yellow dot in the water is big Sami Robertson nearing completion of his solo swim of the Cook Strait
Sami Robertson Cook Strait solo swimmer
Sami has done it in 9 hours and 46 minutes to become just one of approximately 200 swimmers to successfully complete a solo swim of the Cook Strait
Seal of approval from Phil Rush for Sami
One very happy HERO Mr Sami Robertson Cook Strait solo swimmer.
Wetside Team work and images Phil Rush and all support crew including Cory Farbourn, Nick Maddren, Matty Warmington, McDonald Dring, Brett Richardson, Trinity Richardson. (Dry land words John Tierney)
Premier Crew
From left, McDonald Dring, Brett Richardson, Cory Farbourn, Sami Panda Eyes Robertson, Phil Rush, Nick Maddren, Trinity Richardson and out of camera view the shy Matty Warmington