A group of tourists will face a fine for trying to row across Lake Wanaka in a stolen boat using a coal shovel, a tennis racquet wrapped in a supermarket bag and patta-tennis bats as oars.
None of the five tourists weren't wearing lifejackets, and neither was a second group stopped by police on Wednesday, this time on the Clutha River.
Queenstown harbourmaster Marty Black says the message needs to get out that alpine waterways are cold and dangerous and tourists need to understand the dangers of heading onto them unprepared.
Both groups stopped on Wednesday will be fined.
