New Zealand Whitewater

[grahamfitter]

OK I'll be honest, this is just a gloat post. I'm in Hokitika, New Zealand where the rivers are white and that's not because their frozen! There's plenty of rain here, plenty of water in the rivers and plenty of daylight to enjoy them.

We spent a couple of days warming up in the Murchison area by paddling the Mangles (low and yawny), Glenroy (creeky fun), Earthquake section of the Matakitaki (fun), Granity creek section of the Buller (fun with one notable rapid), Earthquake section of the Buller (big water with monster waves and boils). Counting the repeats I think we did seven runs in two days.

Now we're in Hokitika and hiked in to the Styx (steep boulder garden) today. I'm not used to 1.5 hour hike-ins but all that cursing was quickly replaced with a big grin. Tomorrow I think we're going to paddle a couple of sections of the Kakapotahi then fly (there's lots of heli-boating here) into the Arahura which is a local classic. One of many, I think.

The local boaters are friendly and our experience suggests that they're pretty amenable to paddling with enthusiastic visitors which is handy because the mystery shuttle has been a bit unreliable.

If I take any photos worth posting I'll do that when I get home. In the mean time, I'll try to post periodically in case you river rats need an excuse to plan a similar trip. Need more persuasion? Air New Zealand will fly your kayak for free and you don't even need to pretend its a surfboard.

Gloat over. As you were. :sombrero:

Cheers,
Graham

 

[KEENO]

Grahamfitter.... Have you met (read) Graham Charles "New Zealand Whitewater" paddling guide?

http://rivers.org.nz/nzww/

It was the most helpful w/w guide available (for both islands) while on the Kiwi paddling trip of a lifetime 9 years ago.

Enjoy.... Severe envy!

KEENO

 

[grahamfitter]

Thanks! Graham Charles' book is our constant companion although even the latest edition is out of date because the rapids seem to move around on an almost daily basis.

The Arahura was fun. We had massive flooding on the West coast when we left Hokitika and when it had subsided to a sensible level ran the Waiho river down from the Franz Josef glacier. I think I'm still spitting out glacial silt from the mammoth waves. The Fox river a few kilometres downstream was still too high to contemplate.

My first ********-kicking happened yesterday on the Citroen stretch of the Kawarau river near Queenstown. There's only one rapid and it didn't go well from the top. Oh well, we're all between swims... :snorkel:

More later...

Cheers,
Graham

 

[KEENO]

It's sad, but 9 years later, I can't even begin to recall names of all of the rivers paddled from memory alone. I do however remember, a river name that starts with "WH" is pronouced as a "F" sound instead. This detail often lead to a smirk, when combined with the vowel rich Maori Language.

Have fun - Be safe! If you're upright and breathing, you get another chance...

KEENO:snorkel:

 

[kellymoe]

I thought all NZ rivers had heli put ins? Hiking? Your doing something wrong Graham:sombrero:

Your turning me green Graham. Let me know when you stop in So Cal so we can either hit the rocks or the water.

Kevin

 

[grahamfitter]

After a really rainy day and a highish run on the Falls Creek section of the Hollyford (we didn't find any locals to run the Marian Creek section with which is a major shame but it would have taken all day for the two of us to scout every drop) we headed to Milford Sound where it was raining so we went to the pub. After a long rainy night we woke up to an uncharacteristically sunny day and lots of new snow on the mountaintops. So we went for a boat ride in the sound and very nice it was too -- the fiords are spectcular. Truth be told we got up too late and should really have hiked up to paddle the Arthur river first so we missed out on a classic run.

Instead, with dropping water and a weather forecast for 230 mm of rain (9 or so inches) in the next 24 hours we ran the Cleddau and left, paddling the same stretch of the Hollyford on the way out.

I definitely need to come back here sometime to paddle the missed gems and also could be tempted into a sea kayaking trip. If the weather is nice, of course.

About the absence of photos -- they're all in NEF format and my ASUS EEE netbook doesn't have the horsepower or memory to show them on the screen reliably, let alone convert them to JPEG -- so that will have to wait until I get home.

Cheers,
Graham

 

[grahamfitter]

Almost two years later, here are some photos Link to picassa.

Not many boating pics. Even if you don't do the daft stuff you won't regret visiting New Zealand!

 

[grahamfitter]

Glenroy:

Buller, there's a rapid here somewhere!

Kakapotahi:

Arahura, gloat gloat gloat:

Franz Josef, named after the glacier that feeds it:

Roads had washed out, too!

 

[grahamfitter]

Coming to a river near you:

Shotover Gorge:

Fox Glacier. Last known sighting of Rob's green H20 paddle. I had a very lonely swim after a large hole ended the boat chase. I eventually found both boats way below the takeout, beached on gravel banks in the middle of the river, requiring more swimming...

I can't remember where this is but its near Hokitika. The girl styled it. We were still a bit shaken after the Fox incident and walked!

 

[Haggis]

I don't get jealous over many trips posted up here, but these pics do stir up more than a little envy in me. That trip of yours was absolutely awesome! Those rivers look way beyond my skill yet I'd like to see them for myself. Heck as of right now, I'd be happy to get out on any old creek. Thanks for posting up the pics!

 

[grahamfitter]

I don't get jealous over many trips posted up here, but these pics do stir up more than a little envy in me. That trip of yours was absolutely awesome! Those rivers look way beyond my skill yet I'd like to see them for myself. Heck as of right now, I'd be happy to get out on any old creek. Thanks for posting up the pics!

Glad you enjoyed them. Here's a story you'll get a kick out of...

Queenstown is New Zealand's "extreme sport" capital where you can bungee jump, swing from cliffs (we paddled under both of them which was surreal), go jet-boating, etc. as well as more sedate activities like touring vineyards and panning for gold, then party all night. If it sounds a little tacky, it is, but the stunning scenery more than makes up for it.

We were driving up the road to the Shotover gorge and come across a lady standing on the side of the road having her photo taken with some suitably stunning scenery in the background.

Nothing out of the ordinary here except, maybe, the huge broadsword she was wielding!

It was bigger than she was and it looked like she was going to lose her balance any second and give herself a serious injury. At first we were too stunned to contemplate taking a photo. Then we saw the "Lord of the Rings Tours" sign on the side of a bus. By the time we stopped laughing enough to ask "could you do that again for my photo album" they had gone.

 

[Haggis]

Nothing out of the ordinary here except, maybe, the huge broadsword she was wielding!

What!!!???? You mean folks don't consider traipsing around with a claymore strapped to your back as an ordinary everyday thing to do. What poor, unhappy folks they must be. :elkgrin:

 

[grahamfitter]

What!!!???? You mean folks don't consider traipsing around with a claymore strapped to your back as an ordinary everyday thing to do. What poor, unhappy folks they must be. :elkgrin:

Since you put it like that, I happily traipse around with ice axes strapped to my pack and I've never considered that out of the ordinary. The girl did look happy at the time, too. "This just in: A recent medical study revealed that medieval weaponry, when used properly, can replace all your prescription psychotropic medications."