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Welcome to my website, this is the online journal of my life on the water. Currently based in Christchurch, New Zealand, I have been keeping a record of my various water based adventures for over 20 years now. Hopefully you’ll find something useful or interesting here, whether you are a local kayaker or a visitor from overseas, new to the sport or an old hand.

Running the Ashley River at a lower flow. Photo by Ian F.

If you are expecting extreme adventures in exotic locations, sorry, better try Ben Browns’ or Graham Charles’ websites, my adventures are a little more low key. Adventures are an important part of life, so remember to pursue your own and live life to the fullest.

News and Upcoming Highlights

Winter is here and Canterbury has experienced a major storm event that has flooded many of the rivers throughout the region, with flows significantly exceeding normal high flows. Currently the Lees Valley Road is closed due to slips and washouts, so there will be no Ashley runs for a while. If you are paddling any of the familiar runs, take extra care & treat it like a first descent, as the rapids may have changed with new hazards present and it is very likely there will trees, fences and other unexpected material in the water. So take care, stay safe everyone and hopefully we’ll see you out on the river sometime.

Covid-19

We are back at Covid-19 Alert Level 1, so there are no restrictions, but remember to still scan your Covid-19 tracer app, wash your hands properly and stay home if you are sick. The information below has been taken from the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council Covid-19 website. Stay well, stay safe and have fun.

Alert Level 1

Although there are no restrictions at level 1, it is still worth doing the following:

  • Regularly wash and dry your hands.
  • Minimise the sharing of equipment if possible. Equipment shared with others should be washed and dried before and after use. For equipment that is unable to be sanitised, for example lifejackets and ropes, a withholding period of 120 hours could be considered to allow any virus particles on these surfaces to die.
  • If you’re sick with flu-like symptoms, stay at home and self-isolate.
  • Use the Covid-19 app or maintain a diary of where you have been in case contact tracing is required.
Paddling through the new “rural” landscape of the Avon River as it winds it’s way through the heart of the city.

The Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration has approved the Regeneration Plan for the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor. You can read the full plan by clicking here. The Green Spine along the course of the Avon River should retain the “rural” feel with the restoration of native habitats and establishment of new wetland areas. Walking tracks, cycle ways, new foot bridges and kayak launching points should also feature, so it will be exciting to see what evolves. There are also plenty of other interesting attractions planned that will gradually appear over the coming years and the whole Red Zone area should become a real asset for the city.

A map of the Green Spine along the Avon River, Christchurch.

The combined Aqua Sports Park, Wai Huka o Waitaha, has generated a lot of interest and a potential site has been identified in the Kaiapoi’s Red Zone area, more details can be found here. This would be a great asset for Canterbury region, for both residents and tourists alike. Currently the group is working on the pre-feasibility study, hopefully there will be more news in the not too distant future.

The Penrith Olympic White Water Course. Would you like to see something like this in Canterbury region?

Paddle safe and we’ll see you on the river.

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