Date: 11/11/2018
River: Waiau Uwha River, North Canterbury, New Zealand.
River Conditions:  39 cumecs at Marble Point. Water discoloured, cool & swift. Grade 2.
Weather Conditions: Overcast & rainy clearing to sunny & warm. NW winds, strong at times.
Number on Trip: 24 people.
Time on River: 4.5 Hours.
Comments: I hadn’t paddled the Waiau for quite some time, so when I spotted the trip on the CWWC trip list, I was pretty keen. The weather forecast was a bit ambiguous, but looked like it would turn out ok. I had visions of relaxing at the take out with a warm nor-wester blowing and the scent of pine trees in my nose, a happy memory from days gone by. Graeme W was running the trip and we had quite a few people at the Belfast Tavern. I loaded my boat on to Merv’s trailer, on top of his raft and a few other peoples boats, before climbing in to his Landdrover next to Max, his very friendly dog.

Plenty of interesting conversation on the drive up to Culverden, where we stopped to meet up and make sure everyone knew where we were going. I fuelled up with a steak & cheese pie from the bakery, kayakers don’t just run on muesli bars. Once we were all assemble, Graeme gave a briefing and nominated me to lead one of the groups after it turned out only 3 of us had ever paddled this section of the Waiau before. Back into the vehicles and off to the Hamner turn off, over the bridge and down to the rest area near the Hamner River confluence.

Usually we get changed in the rest area and then carry / float our boats down the Hamner River to the Waiau, since Merv had a raft, moving it would involve quite a bit of grunt. Fortunately Merv also had a Landrover Discovery and so drove down the 4 wheel drive track to the river, across a small river channel and parked on the gravel banks of the Waiau, around 3m from the water. We unloaded the boats and got changed, I took a few photos as the tourist jet boats whizzed past, while the shuttle was run. We also got to watch the sunny day change to overcast with a few drops of rain, as clouds gathered over the main divide.

Rather than wait for the shuttle drivers to returned, it was decided that my group should get underway and so I gathered 9 other paddlers to lead down the river. We had a safety briefing before hitting the river and then did a bit of a warm up while everyone got sorted out. While waiting by the bank, Max the dog (who we’d released from his lead once Merv was well on his way to the take out) jumped on my deck and sat facing me, while I scrambled for the camera to capture the moment. Sadly he leapt off before I got the camera fired up, and then ran off to make friends with some other people.

Our group had a range of experience, from a rusty grade 4 kayaker from the States to several paddlers in their first season. The paddled past the first corner bluff, which seemed quite unthreatening today, without dramas and regrouped beneath the bridge. There was quite a bit of jet boat activity on the river, which was good to see as many of New Zealand’s tourist orientated business have been hard hit by Covid-19 travel restrictions. This did mean that every time we heard or saw one, the “JET BOAT!” cry would go up and we’d all pull over to the edge of the river and brace for the surging waves of wake. The professional jet boat drivers were really good, very courteous & respectful of other river users, they kept a good eye out for us and we had no issues. Had a chat to one of the drivers, while waiting under the bridge, and let him know what to expect and how many paddlers in our group. He told us that the jet boats go down the river on the river left side and back up on river right, but generally we just went for which ever bank was closer.

The first section of the trip runs through a steep sided gorge and while there isn’t much in the way of rapids, the water tends to be quite boily, with messy eddies along the rocky walls. There were small patches of white water, where rocks broke the surface and I tried to make the most of these, cutting in behind the rocks and surfing where I could. Since these “rapids” were rather small and tight, I found my self stuck on an unseen rock on one of the early ones. The force of the water was holding my boat against the rock and I was having a hard breaking free. I was a little worried that I was going to need to tip over in order to break the hold, but managed to stay upright whilst rocking back & forth and escaping.

Further down the gorge, I was sitting on a messy eddy line when the call of “Jetboat!” went up and as a result I spent a little too long on a turbulent boil and tipped. A couple of tired roll attempts had me pulling the deck and self rescuing. Not a great look for an experienced group leader, so I emptied the boat out with a sheepish grin as a jetboat full of tourists shot past. I like to think I was just showing the newer paddlers that it is OK to take the occasional swim. A few of the beginners followed my lead, as the boils, bluffs & eddy lines tripped them up too.

After we left the gorge, the river flows across a gravel bed with riffle style rapids. I watched for landmarks and tried to remember features to watch for. Some familiar curves appeared as we approached one of the bigger rapids, which featured a popular play wave. I briefed the newer paddlers on what to expect and led the way, only to find the river had changed significantly and the rapid had been somewhat diminished by the passage of time and the movement of gravel. Still fun, but no play spot anymore.

The further on we went, the better the weather got, the skies cleared and the sun came out. We passed the winery and joked about stopping there for lunch, with Graeme picking up the tab. There were more comments about how far was it to our lunch stop, but eventually the distinctive rocks that mark Marble Point rolled into view. Graeme’s group was just behind us when we pulled into our lunch time picnic spot and we all had lunch together as various jetboats whizzed by or preformed 360’s to thrill the punters.

I was impressed by the variety and complexity of the lunches people unpacked, as I munched on my beef jerky with a muesli bar for dessert.

The rapid below Marble Point was probably one of the better ones of day, nice & bouncy with a bit of a play wave. Didn’t get much of a chance to surf, before following the rest of the group downstream.

We had a fairly diverse group of river craft, including a SUP and Merv’s raft. It has been quite nice that the club has embraced this diversity and is much more welcoming now. We’ve even changed the club’s name from the somewhat dated, and not technically correct, White Water Canoe Club (since we mostly paddle kayaks, not canoes) to the more inclusive Canterbury White Water Club. It is good to celebrate and embrace diversity.

It was good when the skies cleared, the sun came out and the day got warmer. Paddling is always better when the sun is shining.

Since it is often difficult to fit a set of split paddles into the back of many of the smaller boats, some people carry hand paddles. These require a little more practice to use competently, so it was impressive to see them being used well. This set got shared around to give a those who were interested in trying them out, a go.

We carried on down until we neared Sharks Tooth, I briefed everyone in our group and then led the way down the rapid, pulling into the first eddy to take photos or rescue people as required. As a lot of the water bypasses this rapid now, it isn’t quite as exciting as it used to be, but still fun.

I was going to have a bit of a play, but a swimmer put pay to that and a game of boat chase ensued. We got the paddler back in their boat and I paddled upstream to get a photo of the Tooth.

From here, the rapids get fairly mild, with some flat sections between them. I briefed people on the importance of getting out before the bridge and its’ associated irrigation intake. As we neared the bridge, I began to worry that I couldn’t see any of our vehicles, and hoped that I hadn’t missed any info about alternative get outs. We pulled over before the bridge and I led the group up the track to road, where fortunately our vehicles waited. As a group, we teamed up to get Merv’s raft up to the road and on to his trailer. Getting changed in the warm Canterbury afternoon with the scent of pine needles in the air, was a great way to end an enjoyable paddle. Feeling tired, we drove back to the city and then straight home.

Date:   10/01/2021
River:    Hurunui River, North Canterbury, NZ
River Conditions:  27 Cumecs at Mandamus. Grade 2 – 3, water swift & clear.
Weather Conditions: Overcast with sunny spells, westerly winds, strong at times.
Number on Trip:  18 kayakers, 2 packrafts (10 kayakers doing Maori Gully).
Time on River:  4 hours
Comments:  My first trip of the new year was scheduled to be a run down the Hurunui. The weather looked promising and the flow was around 30 cumecs, making for a pleasant, cruisy trip. There was a light drizzle as I loaded the boat on roof rack, but this looked to clear and by the time I reached Belfast, early for once, it was looking to be a nice day. I hitched a ride with Sally, another geologist working for Tonkin & Taylor, and two pack rafters, for the trip up to the put in.

We got changed at Seawards, looking at the ground I noticed a couple of shell casings. I picked them up and they appeared to be 9mm blanks, which was quite interesting as most firearms chambered for 9mm are either pistols or a few, now prohibited, semi-automatic rifles, though they may have been from a specifically blank firing pistol rather than a pistol firing blanks.

We left a vehicle at Seawards and drove up to Jollie Brook, which was busy with paddlers sorting out their gear. We divided up into three groups and hit the water.

I ended up in the first group, which had a number of newer paddlers and we made our way down the boulder gardens, catching eddies and surfing on the small waves. Having a number of newer paddlers, there was less playing so we moved pretty quickly, so less opportunities for taking photos.

Had a brief play around at the Mezzanine before a “lunch” stop at the confluence with the South Branch before carrying on downstream.

Brief discussions above Devil’s Fang Falls, with some of the group deciding to avoid it by portaging down the left hand side. The rest of us ran it down the usual far right channel without any drama, and another paddler dropped down staircase on the left channel as well.

There was a little bit of play in the foam and I took the opportunity to get some “water” themed photos for this years’ Water New Zealand photo competition. I didn’t win last year, but did manage to get a photo of the Hope River on the cover of their bi-monthly journal.

Played around at the wave below the Dozy Stream put in, which is always popular, before carrying on down to Seawards.

A bit over half the group chose to run Maori Gully, a bounce down the wave train, a quick play on the Magic Roundabout, avoid Simons Hole, down the boulder garden, past Bum Rock, no dramas on the Elevator and a little air and a lot of water on Cheese Grater (though no ones cheese got grated).

A visiting American paddler took an interesting line on the Corner Rapid and dropped into one of the holes, causing a little surprise but no real hassle.

We had a bit of a play one the wave at the bottom of the rapid and I got some nice photos, including experimenting with taking photos underwater.

A brief go on the Pop Up Spot, though I didn’t feel like tipping over, so I kept it pretty tame. On to the take out and the trudge up the hill to the vehicles. We stopped off at the Brew Moon in Amberley for an after paddle drink, before heading back to town.

Date:   20/12/20
River:    Hurunui River, North Canterbury, NZ
River Conditions:  23.4 Cumecs at Mandamus. Grade 2 – 3, water swift & clear.
Weather Conditions: Sunny & warm followed by a southerly change, to overcast, with occasional rain.
Number on Trip:  28 kayakers (12 doing Maori Gully).
Time on River:  4.5 hours
Comments:  Wishing to escape the stress that the lead up to Christmas always seems to involve, especially with the added worries of much delayed earthquake repairs, drug dealing neighbours and the demolition & development happening to the rear of our property, a run down the Hurunui looked just the ticket.

I hitched a ride with Nick and we drove up to the Jollie Brook put in, with a brief stop at Dozy Stream, to inspect Devil’s Fang Falls and make sure the lines looked good or at least runnable. Not many seemed keen to run the rapid as they thought it looked a little bony, I felt the right hand line would be fine.

We split up into groups and got changed in to our gear, our group hit the water first and were underway while the shuttle was still being run.

We had a reasonably experienced group, so there was a reasonable amount of playing to be done. Blair had a great time doing rock splats and other moves.

I love the Jollie Brook section of the Hurunui, as it is a good combination of boulder gardens, rapids, gorges, play spots and quiet pools to practice rolls of other tricks.

Whoopies seem to have made a come back, with many people now paddling RPMs & Axioms, and there were a number of places for people to practice their skills.

As we neared the South Branch confluence, the clubs Jackson Dynamic Duo caught up with us near the Mezzanine Rapid and I was rewarded with this spectacular aerial shot, as it launched skyward over a rock. We played around on the Mezzanine, the lower flow allowing relatively easy access to the raised eddy at the base of the bluff, giving newer paddlers the opportunity to tick off this achievement. There was also some fun surfing too, before a brief “lunch” stop at the South Branch confluence.

The section down to Dozy Stream is pretty cruisy, though the weather was changing and our blue skies and sunny day gradually disappeared. As we neared Devil’s Fang Falls, the usual discussions on who is planning to do what occurred, who planned to take the left channel, who planned to portage and who planned to run the rapid and which lines they intended to take. I went down the standard right hand line, avoided the “fang” and pulled into the eddy at the bottom and got the camera out to capture the others as they came down the rapid.

Blair hadn’t inspected the rapid on the way up, so got out on the left hand side for a look. After watch another paddler run the rapid down the standard route, he got back into his boat and lined up on his preferred route…

But for some reason he chose a channel to the left of the usual line. I had looked at this line from the road, and it looked sort of ok, but from above, sitting in a kayak, it looked a lot less attractive.

Blair’s progress down the rapid involved pulling an almost cartwheel, before disappearing from sight.

Fortunately he soon popped up, quickly reoriented himself, and had a quick surf with a smile plastered on his face. I made a mental note to myself not to take that line in future.

Several other paddlers went down the left hand channel of the river (the usual portage route) and then dropped down the bouncy staircase on the left hand curve of the rapid, into the foaming white water at the base.

I personally prefer the far right channel as it tends to be much smoother and you tend not to spend time under water. So far I haven’t had any issues with the “fang” at the end of the run out, the flow seems to push you away & round it, rather than into it.

We regrouped below the rapid and one of the other groups caught up, while we waited for those that portaged to get back on the water. Past the Dozy Stream put in, we sent a bit of time at the popular play wave. There was the odd bit of drama as the occasional paddler got swept in to the bluff below the wave and ended up swimming. It’s a tricky spot to roll up in as the small eddy on the right hand side feeds back against the bluff, keeping you stuck there. Not fun, I try to avoid this and probably don’t play here as much as would if I felt happier about the wash out zone.

This particular spot is a great place to get good photos and I generally use the “I’m taking photos” excuse, to avoid getting washed against the bluff after a surf & roll go wrong. Ok, so maybe that is a little chicken of me, but I do like to stay smiley side up.

Others, possibly with more competent or confident rolls, are more than happy to showcase there skills and I am more than happy to capture that on “film”.

The weather had changed and what had started as a bright, sunny day was getting cooler and more overcast. We picked up the pace a little on the way down to Seawards and only had an occasional play as we worked our way down the rapids.

At Seawards, some of the group left the river to run the shuttle, while the rest of us hung around until all those who wanted to run Maori Gully were assembled. Once we were all ready to go, we moved off in dribs & drabs, bouncing down the wave train to meet up at the Magic Roundabout. After enjoying weaving in & out, and roundabout on the various waves, eddies and flows of the Magic Roundabout, we carried on downstream.

Past Simon’s Hole, where no one was keen for a surf, down trough the boulder gardens and bum rock. The Elevator was relatively some and no one had any issues, despite having a few people who hadn’t been through the Gully before.

There were a few nerves above Cheese Grater, I chose to go early and hopefully get a few photos of the rest of the team. I picked a line, just right of centre and slid down the tongue with a reasonable amount of boat speed and the nose pointing slightly right, no dramas, and pulled into an eddy on river right that afforded a good view of the drop.

There was a fair bit of air, as kayaks shot up the wave below the drop. There was the odd person who got kicked to the left, but no real dramas and everyone seemed pleased to have braved the challenge of Cheese Grater. Some nice pics too, before someone parked in the eddy in front of me.

After Cheese Grater, the remaining rapids are a lot less daunting. Feeling a bit cold and tired, I was keen to get to the take out. The climb out is always tiring, but it was good to get to the top and get into some warm clothes, and out of the light rain.

As it was getting a little late, Nick & I just headed straight back to town, without the usual stop at the Brew Moon. As we hit the motorway, we ended up in the wrong lane which resulted in us getting trapped on the new Christchurch Northern Corridor (CNC) motorway bypassing Belfast and heading directly into the city. Turning back was not an option and it wasn’t until we reach Cranford Street before we could back track to Belfast. The CNC had only just opened and it was quite interesting to explore this new route, still it didn’t get us home quicker.

Date:    17/12/2020
River:    Avon River, Christchurch, NZ
River Conditions:   1.656 cumecs at Gloucester Street bridge. Water clear. Grade 1.
Weather Conditions:   Overcast and cool, NE winds.
Number on Trip:    11 people.
Time on River:  1.5 hours.
Comments:  We had talked about doing a trip down the Avon River as a Christmas or team building exercise for the Groundwater Team at ESR, for a couple of years now, this year we finally took the bull by the horns, the bit between our teeth and actually organised it. The main logistical issues was that not every one has or can borrow a kayak. I had thought those without boats could buy a cheap inflatable raft, for a leisurely float down the river, as we’d done with a group of our friends many years ago, floating downstream from the Puriri Street bridge to the Botanic Gardens. However, with days to go before the trip, a census of rivercraft indicated that there were still a number of people without suitable aquatic transport. Fortunately, between Phil & myself, we own more that a few kayaks and so were able to outfit those bereft of a boat, with a suitable whitewater solution.

The weather forecast looked less promising, the day that had been chosen as the result of a Doodle Poll, seemed to be an almost winter like day, cold with showers, flanked by sunny, warm days with temperatures in the high 20s. The proposed day dawned, grey and cold, but with the hope it might clear by the afternoon. By the time I was driving out to our storage lock up to pick up some additional kayaks, I had the wipers on, with rain dotting the windscreen. Lashing three boats on my roof rack was interesting, with multiple straps keeping the kayaks in place, and I found myself missing the convenience of my old upright bars. Still, the kayaks stayed in place on the trip to work, via a stop at the supermarket for some food for the picnic at the end of the paddle.

Despite the weather, people at work seemed quite excited with the prospect of a paddle. I checked in with people to make sure everyone was happy and knew what we were doing and as the proposed meeting time near, I got changed and then drove down the the Botanic Gardens entry. Phil turned up a little after me and we unloaded our combined fleets on the grassy riverbank, and waited for the rest of the crew to arrive. Spray decks were put on and kayak fitted into, or not in some cases, leading to modifications or boat swaps. Once everyone was sorted out, we drove down to the Margaret Mahy Playground, parked up and crammed into Panan’s Prius for the shuttle back to the park.

Back on the river back, novice paddlers, squeezed into unfamiliar kayak and Phil assisted in launching them into the river with words of advice and a steadying hand. Once all the ducklings were on the water, Phil climbed into his own playboat, secured his deck and then slid down the bank and launched into the river. I briefly considered doing likewise, but the possibility of it all turning pear shaped and me looking stupid or wet or both, had me opting for a more conventional seal launch from the rivers edge.

Judging by the smiles, everyone was enjoying themselves and no one was too cold, despite some people having dressed for a more summery day. Some of the newer paddlers, were learning how to paddle and steer their kayaks, and Phil was happy to provide additional coaching. The lack of spraydecks on some of the kayaks made things a little precarious for some, especially Greg who was using Murray’s son’s canoe polo, which had a low profile and risked flooding the cockpit if he railed too much.

Paddling through the Botanic Gardens is an enjoyable experience, as the river winds through the park with its’ diverse assortment of greenery and water fowl.

Floating past the Antigua Boatsheds and down the riffle that marks the downstream limit that can be paddled using the hired boats, we passed into the central city. Paddling under Montreal Street, the Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial comes into view, giving one a chance to reflect on the lives lost & changed, as well as the changes wrought on the city & its’ environs. Since the quakes, much of the city has changes dramatically and the Avon River corridor has been the focus of some of those changes and although we are in the urban centre of Christchurch, much effort has gone into restoring the river into a more natural state, as well as making it more accessible.

Passing under the Bridge of Remembrance allows for some reflections on the destruction & lives lost in past wars, before drifting past the The Terrace.

The Terrace is a popular entertainment area, that morphed from the ruined Strip after the quakes.

We didn’t stop for a drink here or to enjoy at tasty meal at one of the many dining venues, but carried on our journey downstream, though I think Lee looked quite tempted. Often there are eels around the landings, but we weren’t able to spot any this time and we didn’t feel like trailing our fingers in the water to attract them.

One of the neat things about kayaking along the Avon, is getting to see the city from a completely new angle or seeing sights that you wouldn’t otherwise see. Under another bridge, a number of steel waratahs had been hammered into the river bed forming a sort of slalom course, which caused some of our group a few difficulties.

We paddled past Gormley’s “Stay” and admired the almost completed Convention Centre, which is apparently meant to open later in 2021.

It was nice to see the fountains working as we paddled through Victoria Square and past the Town Hall. Further down they are working on building a new foot bridge and there were a few workings to avoid.

Work has begun on the repairing the band rotunda, but it will be a wee while before anyone enjoys a meal there again.

We were surprised to find a couple of traditional Maori waka under the Manchester Street bridge. The waka are used for paddling tours on the Avon and trips can be booked via their website, which would make for a very unique way to explore Ōtakaro.

Once we reached the Poplars, others from the group who had not been able to join us on the river, met us at the Margaret Mahy playground landing. While most of the group got out at the landing, Louise’s children had a go at kayaking under Phil’s tutelage, there were some smiles, splashing and a few tears, but I think they mostly enjoyed themselves.

We paddled down a little further, so we didn’t have to carry the kayaks as far to get them on the vehicles. From there our team huddled under the playground shelters and enjoyed a pot luck picnic and conversation. Lee provided some entertainment with his climbing skills. Eventually as time and the chill of the “summer” evening got to people (apparently not everyone had dry clothes or clothes suitable for “balmy” nor-easterly winds), numbers dwindled and we all headed home. It had been a fun trip and many were keen to do it again next year, possibly with a BBQ and better weather.

Date:   13/12/2020
River:    Ashley River, Canterbury, NZ
River Conditions:   5.5 cumecs at Ashley Gorge. Water clear and cool. Grade 3.
Weather Conditions:   Sunny & warm, with brief cooler, overcast periods
Number on Trip:  26
Time on River:  3.5 hours.
Comments:  We had the CWWC Christmas BBQ planned for this day at the Ashley Gorge Domain and Hugh thought it was a great idea to get a paddle in before the BBQ. Even though the flow was a low 5.5 cumecs, I was keen and soon a plan evolved, meeting at the campground at 9am. This meant a 6am wake up and I struggled out of bed, got dressed and loaded up the car. Breakfast was French toast with bacon, fried banana and fresh blueberries from our garden, a splash (or a slosh) of maple syrup, coffee & grapefruit juice. I was just mopping up the last of my maple syrup when 8am, my intended leave time went past and didn’t actually get away until around 8:24, somewhat behind schedule.

The route is pretty straight forward but a stop for petrol and a cycle race delayed me further. Everyone was changed and ready to head up to the middle bridge when I arrived. I quickly changed and left my dry gear in John H’s car and together with Cody and John H, headed up to the put in. We had quite a big group and Hugh had lent out a number packrafts for people to trial, so had five packrafts on the river too.

Gear was sorted out and packrafts were inflated. I decided to embed myself with the Hugh’s packrafting crew, to provide a “safety” kayaker and get some good photos for promotional purposes. Soon enough, we were on the water and bouncing down the river.

Everyone seemed happy driving their packrafts and everyone avoided the tree in the river, that forms the first hazard on this section. Pretty easy to avoid, but still a hazard.

There was a short stop to add some additional air to the packrafts, because no one likes it when their boat goes soft. This done, boats were back on the river and the adventure was underway.

With only 5.5 cumecs in the river, this was definitely at the low end of the paddleable range for the Ashley. Some of the rapids were a little bony, but still easily navigable, though you did have to pay careful attention to picking your routes and avoiding rocks. I watched John H going down the big boulder garden above the forever eddy, and he seemed to be taking an unusual route and he disappeared behind a big rock for some time. I had taken up a position to photograph the others coming down the rapid, so I waited for him to reappear. Eventually he rounded the rock, hand walking his kayak, having run out of water on that route.

On the previous Ashley trip with John R, we had noted flashes of yellow on the bottom of the river but didn’t stop to investigate further. This time John H was keen for some underwater action and with some assistance from Kelly, managed to recover a couple of raft paddles. The shafts were well made, crafted out of stainless steel, by someone obviously skilled in metal working. There was just one small problem, they were very heavy and if dropped, would sink to the bottom of the river, not entirely desirable but at least they wouldn’t rust whilst sitting on the river bed.

It was quite impressive to see the skills presented by the paddlers and the way the packrafts could be moved down the rivers and through the rapids. The modern packrafts from Blue Duck Packrafts with thigh braces fitted, can come either as self bailing or with a spray deck fitted, and can be paddled & maneuvered in a way very similar to a white water kayak.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and there were plenty of smiles.

Several of those paddling a packraft for the first time had no issues and clearly showed their skills on the river.

It was a great day to be on the river and it was quite fun to be part of the group of packrafts as they bounced down the river. While quite maneuverable and able to be paddled like a kayak, there was less playing on the rapids, though Keri and Sergi spent some time surfing when the opportunity arose.

It was also great to see Hugh really enjoying his time on the river too. He has been through various rivering permutations as he has aged, as kayaks became difficult to roll due to reduced flexibility, catarafts emerged as the rivercraft of choice. Unfortunately the bulk, lengthy set up times and difficulty moving the raft once it was set up, reduced the convenience and usability. However packrafts are an amazing alternative, they are lightweight, can be inflated quickly & easily, are stable & maneuverable and can be paddled like a kayak, hopefully extending Hugh’s paddling career for many more years.

For a first time packrafter, Kerry had a ball and really showed off his paddling skills. I got some great photos and seeing Kerry’s smile coming down a rapid really brightened my day.

Kerry gave his boat a good work out, testing its’ maneuverability, working his way down the more technical rapids, the lower flow exposing more rocks and making the lines tighter, though the slower flow giving more time to make decisions.

Boofing and surfing, Kerry gave it all a go with impressive style. Sergi also enjoyed his time in the packraft, pulling plenty of moves, though I suspect he missed his usual play boat, whilst surfing on the regular spots.

I rushed the approach to the main drop and didn’t get the line quite right and tipped at the bottom. Fortunately I rolled up quickly and was still able to quickly get into position to catch Sergi running the drop with style, but sadly missed the opportunity to photograph the others.

Leaning back on the soft pillows of air that make up a packraft, made for a relaxing float down the quiet sections, giving the paddler time to soak up the beauty of the Ashley’s gorges.

It was a great trip and we were all a bit tired when we reached the take out at the Ashley Gorge camp ground. Chris P had the barbecues set up and the great spread of food on hand was greatly appreciated by the hungry paddlers. After a tasty “lunch”, I headed back to town feeling satisfied by an excellent day out.

Date:   15/11/2020
River:    Ashley River, Canterbury, NZ
River Conditions:   9.5 cumecs at Ashley Gorge. Water clear and cool. Grade 3.
Weather Conditions:   Sunny & warm, light winds in the afternoon.
Number on Trip:  2
Time on River:  4 hours.
Comments:  I’d been watching the Ashley come up and go down repeatedly, but often life and other commitments or responsibilities would get in the way and the opportunity would pass. The Show Weekend club trip was off to Murchison, which would have been great but I couldn’t really leave home for too long, so it was a nice surprise when John R, suggested a low flow run down the Ashley Gorge. There were a few others interest but when 8:45 rolled around, there was only the two of us in the Belfast Tavern carpark. We decided that two was enough and headed off to the Domain.

It was a pleasant drive out to the Ashley Gorge Domain, we got changed, left my car at the take out and drove up to the middle bridge. With just two of us we were soon on the river.

John was keen to provide some coaching on pivot turns, something I’ve never really done intentionally. They used to be something that happen when I was leaving an eddy in an RPM or my old Super Sport, as the tail sliced beneath the surface and the nose shot into the air, followed by me being upside-down and unable to roll. Swimming was usually the result of an unexpected whoopie.

I got the basic idea, but it often seems so counter-intuitive to my “not tipping over” natural responses. Realistically, I need to be happier with my roll before I try moves like this with any serious intent. Still it was good to get some understanding of the techniques involved, even if I couldn’t really commit to trialing them on the river.

Further down we came across a collection of bottles and other rubbish on the river bank. John cleared it up and we carried out the rubbish in our boats, something those responsible should have done. Later, in a conversation with Phil at work, he mentioned that a few days earlier on the river, he had encountered a group of drunken idiots in a raft. They didn’t have proper safety gear and seemed to be lacking in clues too, telling Phil to F off when he asked if they were OK. We suspect they may have been responsible for the trash, plus the yellow bladed raft paddles that seemed to litter the river bottom further downstream.

John offered to take the camera for some of the rapids and capture some rare photos of me paddling, which was much appreciated.

I don’t often see what I look like when I’m on the river, so it was cool to get these pictures.

Sometimes I think I look kind of funny, Lauri says she can tell it’s me from a distance purely based on the way I paddle, which I’m not sure if it’s an entirely good thing.

The main drop is interesting, as there is a bit of a hole above the main drop, to avoid, before riding down the tongue or boofing to the left, to land in the eddy. Or some combination of these, depending on how successful your relative techniques are. Fortunately this time I was successful, though a little quick so John didn’t have quite enough time to set up to capture the sequence.

Still he did get some very nice pictures.

It was such a beautiful day and it was so nice to be back on the river after such a long break. The Ashley Gorge is a wonderful place to spend a sunny day.

During one of the quieter stretches, I spotted a large trout, one of the few I’ve ever seen from my kayak. It vanished pretty quickly, speeding out of sight to hide in the shadows.

We worked or way down the river, taking our time and enjoying the various features. Lack of paddle fitness started to show on the lower sections and the flow slowed and the rapids became less frequent. As we got closer to the campground, groups of people enjoying the warm sunshine and cool water, appeared along the bank. It is always good to see others appreciating the natural environment and our special water resources.

Eventually we reached the domain, got changed and then shuttled back to the middle bridge so John could pick up his car. I stopped in Oxford for an ice cream and a drink to keep me going, before arriving home at an almost reasonable hour.

Date:    2/11/2020
River:    Avon River, Christchurch, NZ
River Conditions:   1.656 cumecs at Gloucester Street bridge. Water mostly clear. Grade 1.
Weather Conditions:   Overcast and coolish.
Number on Trip:    1 person.
Time on River:  30 minutes.
Comments:  After a long day doing science in the lab, I headed home, dropping off a DVD at Alice’s and picking up extra groceries (almost a little too much for my motorcycle). Lauri met as I pulled up, needing to tell me something before I’d even turn of the bike and taken my helmet off.

Apparently the family of pūtangitangi (Paradise shelduck) that had been living around Swanns Road bridge and Avonside drive, which had originally consisted of two adults and fourteen ducklings had been stuck with further tragedy. The mother duck had been hit by a car a week or so earlier, with papa duck soldiering on with a rapidly diminishing troop of ducklings. Down to just two ducklings, papa duck was killed by a car and his remaining youngsters were being bullied by other adults birds (pūtangitangi can be very territorial).

A group of bird rescuers had been trying to catch the remaining ducklings so they could be relocated somewhere safer and be taken care of until they could look after themselves. They had been trying to catch them for most of the day, but being restricted to the river banks, had made the task quite difficult. Lauri had seen the request for a kayak and had offered her one up, if anyone was willing to pick it up, as she wasn’t up to getting down to the river and chasing ducklings.

When I got home, the group was still down at the river after nearly 10 hours and once Lauri had filled me in on the details, I quickly changed into my kayaking gear while she put away the groceries. Shouldering the Blitz, I hurried off to the Swanns Road bridge. Spotting a group of people upstream, I headed in that direction while looking for a good launch spot. The banks were a little steeper than expected and the water was a bit shallow, but I managed to select a suitable spot and then struggled to get my deck fitted, feeling a bit tired and out of practice.

I paddled over to where a guy on a sit on top kayak was trying to catch the final duckling, who was playing hard to get (the other duckling had been caught earlier). I tried to herd the duckling to the sit on top, so the guy could scoop it up in the small hand held net, but the duckling was very good at evading and when we got close, it would often dive under the water, swim under the kayaks and pop up somewhere else.

We tried various variations on this theme, without success. Eventually I took the net to see if my luck was any better. Paddling, maneuvering and chasing a fast moving duckling isn’t exactly easy, especially when you’re holding a net as well as a paddle, and are trying not to scare or hurt a young, fragile bird. Eventually, after a number of attempts, the duckling surfaced next to my kayak after diving to avoid the net. With the net still under water, I was able to lift it up under the duckling, trapping him and lifting him out of the water. From there, he was transported carefully to the waiting rescuers on the bank, where he was able to join this sister.

Job done, I said goodbye and wished them luck, before paddling off downstream. The river was quiet and empty and I briefly reveled in the peace and solitude, before clambering out of my boat and up the bank. A short walk home and then I filled Lauri in with the news. I then changed and wander down to the shops to pick up some well deserved takeaways for dinner.

The ducklings were given a full check over and one was treated for a minor infection. Once they were sufficiently recovered, they were relocated to a sanctuary with sprawling fields, a private stream, various other animals. Hopefully they will have long and happy lives.

Date:    26/09/2020
River:    Avon River, Christchurch, NZ
River Conditions:   1.998 cumecs at Gloucester Street bridge. Water mostly clear. Grade 1.
Weather Conditions:   Warm & overcast, with strong nor-easterly winds.
Number on Trip:    2 people.
Time on River:  1.25 hours (4.9km).
Comments:  I had planned to go on a club trip down the Klondyke section of the Rangitata, but with a general lack of interest in the trip and some bad weather forecast, the trip was called off. After all the weekend duties were attended to, Lauri was keen for a paddle down the Avon. We got changed, loaded Lauri’s Fly on her little trolley and trundled off to the get in. The water was a lot higher than last time and so after securing her deck, I was able to seal launch her off the bank. I secured my deck and launched after her, only to realise I didn’t have my paddle gloves, which should have been attached to my buoyancy aid. Worried I’d dropped them on the walk over, I got out and scurried home. The gloves were where I’d dropped them on the garage floor, I grabbed them, got in the laundry as it was starting to spit, and then returned to Lauri on the river. We headed off down stream, enjoying being on the river, paddling through our favourite stretch of the Avon, where it winds through the Red Zone.

We decided to only go as far as Dudley Creek, as if we generally go further, we end up going all the way down to the Gayhurst Street bridge, adding a few extra kilometres and Lauri pays for those k’s over the following days. However today she was keen to explore up Dudley Creek.

With the river a bit higher, we found our way blocked by the low bridge, so it was back down the creek with our paddles.

We felt a little bad to be “chasing” the scaups that had flown past us to “escape” us as we paddled upstream, back downstream towards the Avon.

Lauri was feeling a little tired as we neared home, but we still pushed on up to the Swanns Road bridge, saying “hello” to the nesting swan and startling a precariously perched pukeko, who flew across the river in an ungainly manner before crash landing in the reeds. From there, it was back down to the jetty and then to trundle off home for a rest.

Date:    30/08/2020
River:    Avon River, Christchurch, NZ
River Conditions:   1.656 cumecs at Gloucester Street bridge. River very low, water mostly clear. Grade 1.
Weather Conditions:   Sunny and warm, nor-west winds.
Number on Trip:    2 person.
Time on River:  1 hour (3.3km).
Comments:  Sunday was such a lovely day, especially for one of the last days of winter, a warm nor-westerly was blowing, everywhere was starting to become green again, daffodils were flowering and blossoms had started to appear. After a delicious lunch of soondubu jjigae cooked by Lauri, we decided a paddle on the Avon would be a great way to spend a glorious winter afternoon. We dug out our kayaking gear and I set about getting the boats out. It was a little easier to do this time as I didn’t have to ease them out through the front door, with no scooter parked in front of the garage door (it got stolen during the level 4 lockdown and its’ replacement lives around the side of the house now), I could take them straight out. After we got Lauri’s fly on her little trolley, we trundled off to the river. The chickens, in their new enclosure in the community garden area, followed us excitedly as we went past, hoping for some food I guess.

Once we reached the river, it looked low, in fact I can’t remember seeing it quite so low before. The tide was out and the water level was 3 or 4 inches below the deck on the jetty across the river. Our usual launch spot had quite a drop down to the river, with not much water above the mud. Our other spot had quite a drop too, but the rock filled gabion baskets form a bit of a jetty so we put the Fly in and I held it while Lauri eased herself in and fitted her deck. She paddled off while I climbed into my Blitz and secured the deck in preparation for a seal launch off the bank. A black swan came over and expressed some interest in proceedings (or at least an expectation of some food) and I waited until they moved off before launching. I slid off the bank, leaning back to keep the nose up and the boats’ angle as oblique as possible but the nose still dug into the muddy bottom of the river, scooping up a large lump that covered the bow. Lauri was amused by this and I gave her the camera so she could record my attempts to wash it off.

Once I’d cleaned the mud off my deck, we headed off downstream with a tail wind to assist our travels, Lauri suggested that she needed a flat paddle to use as a sail. It was wonderful to be on the river with Lauri gliding along in her Fly, truly a great was to spend an afternoon. We considered ourselves very lucky to live so close to this stretch of the Avon, as having paddled the almost all of the navigable sections of the river, the section between the Swanns Road bridge down Dudley Creek is probably one of the best. The river is fairly wide and deep for this section, and it has red zoned land on either side for most of it, so there is little traffic noise, or cars and houses visible. The banks have a lot of native plantings and the surrounding Red Zone lands are pleasant with plenty of trees and there are even some good views of the Port Hills.

There were a few race boaters training on the river and the occasional whitebaiter on the banks. We paddled down to Dudley Creek and then turned back upstream, as to go further would have meant going all the way to the Gayhurst Street bridges, the next “section” marker, and that would have been a bit more exercise than would have been fun. As it was the nor-westerly winds that had driven us downstream, was now blowing in our faces and made progress a little more difficult. We paused at the “Eels” to check out the reverse side and then carried on back to the jetty.

Lauri still had some energy so we paddled past the jetty and said “hello” to the swan who had built a new nest just upstream. Passing Greta the Paradise Shelduck’s island was a little sad since her death due to a car strike earlier in the year. We buried her near the bridge, overlooking one of her favourite roosting spots, and hope her spirit has found happiness, while her memory still lives on in our hearts.

As we passed under the Swanns Road bridge, we noted the central pylons’ foundations exposed by the low water, seemed a little worse for the wear, seeming offset with cracks and quake damage exposing some of the steel reinforcing rods. I guess it will be repaired in the future, but is still serviceable now and doesn’t get too much traffic. We paddled back to the jetty and I helped Lauri out of her kayak, her legs a little wobbly after being crammed into the Fly. We loaded her kayak on the trolley and we wandered home feeling just a little tired. I packed away the gear before getting to relax with a nice cup of tea and a piece of fruit toast.

Date:    23/08/2020
River:    Avon River, Christchurch, NZ
River Conditions:   1.682 cumecs at Gloucester Street bridge. Water mostly clear. Grade 1.
Weather Conditions:   Cool & overcast, brief sunny spells.
Number on Trip:    1 person.
Time on River:  1.5 hours (6.8km).
Comments:  With the rain having cleared and the sun trying to poke through the clouds, a paddle down the Avon looked on the cards. I had thought of going out last weekend, but Lauri insisted on me giving her hair a trim before I went. Technically as I have a certificate in taking hair samples and have cut the hair of a number of famous and not so famous people, I am “qualified” to cut hair, however I don’t really think it is advisable to get a geologist to cut your hair. Needless to say the results were less than satisfactory and no kayaking happened that weekend. So after making sure Lauri was comfortable settled outside with a cup of tea and Peri the cat on her lap, I got changed and carried the Blitz down to the river.

I slid off the bank and into the river, I decided to head down stream into the Red Zone as it is more peaceful because there are no busy roads bordering the river. There was a chill nor-easterly wind that was kicking up a small chop on the otherwise glassy surface. As I hadn’t paddled for a while, it felt quite tiring, with little used muscles slowly remembering their previous functions. I wasn’t sure exactly how far I was going to go, but as I got in to a rhythm, it felt good to be powering downstream, enjoying the exercise and watching the scenery slide past.

I was still feeling pretty good when I reached the Dudley Creek confluence so I decided to carry on down to the Gayhurst Street bridge. There were a few race boaters enjoying a Sunday afternoon paddle and plenty of others making the most of a break in the weather, jogging, walking or cycling along the tracks through the Red Zone that run beside the river. This area is a real treasure and it is great to see it being utilised.

I passed a number of whitebaiters fishing from the bank on the way down stream. Eventually I reached the bridge and then looped round the bridge support to begin the return journey. Paddling upstream was a bit more difficult and my lack of paddle fitness was possibly showing, but I carried on with just an occasional breather to admire the scenery.

As I was approaching the confluence with Dudley Creek, “adventure” beckoned and I decided to have an explore and see how far up I could manage to get. Last time we paddled up the creek, we found our way blocked by a low bridge. This time, the water level was much lower and by leaning forward, I was able to paddle under it.

Dudley Creek runs along side Banks Avenue and prior to the earthquakes was quite a nice area, with some fairly flash houses. After the quakes, some of the houses were Red Zoned, others were left broken while others were rebuilt or repaired. Most of the houses were accessed via private bridges over the creek, fortunately most are high enough for a kayak to pass easily under. The creek itself is pretty narrow and shallow, with a muddy bottom. There were more old tyres and pieces of broken masonry than is really acceptable, but is reasonably clear and pleasant, with plenty of greenery. At times it didn’t feel like you were in the middle of a city.

Eventually after passing under a number of bridges, the creek got too shallow and swift to continue on. I’d reached a point almost at Achillies Street, about 600m up the creek. Fortunately at this point the creek was wide enough for the 2.2m long Blitz to turn around and I headed back downstream.

As I paddled downstream I spotted a splendid metallic blue kingfisher above one bridge, but it flew away before I could photograph it. As I paddled under one small bridge, a car passed overhead with a juddering rumble. Back on the Avon I headed for home, realising I’d been out for over an hour. I carried on, my limbs feeling a tired, passing the jetty near the site of the old WWCC boat shed, I decided the trip wouldn’t be complete unless I paddled up to the Swanns Road bridge. This completed the “circuit” and I paddled back down to my get in point and climbed out, shouldering my kayak and headed for home, feeling a little sore and tired but satisfied.