Monthly Archives: September 2020

26th September 2020: Avon River & Dudley Creek

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.

Under the bridge and off to explore Dudley Creek.

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.

Looks like this is as far as we go today.

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.

Exploring Dudley Creek.

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.

We weren’t the only people on the river.

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.