Date:    25/04/2022
River:    Avon River, Christchurch, NZ
River Conditions:   2.063 cumecs at Gloucester Street bridge. Water clear. Grade 1.
Weather Conditions:   Sunny and warm, light NE winds.
Number on Trip:    1 person.
Time on River:  1 hour.
Comments:  Anzac Day was sunny and warm, so after a game of disc golf in the Red Zone and a cup of tea, I decided to take the Blitz Special for a paddle. I’d recently replaced the shock cord holding the back rest in place and was keen to make sure everything was fitting right. I shouldered my kayak and heading down to the river. The tide was in and there wasn’t much of a drop from the bank to the water at my usual launching spot and I was soon heading upstream for a change.

The autumn colours looked spectacular reflected in the rivers’ mirrored surface and it was great to be on river on such a beautiful day. I said hello to the Rev (a Muscovy mallard cross duck that used to hang out with Greta the Paradise Shelduck), as I paddled past Linwood High. He was hanging out with another female Shelduck plus seagulls and mallards in a popular duck feeding site.

I did the slalom run around the pylons of the Stanmore Road Bridge as I carried on upstream. Saw a large trout flash past as I powered by in the opposite direction. Traffic noise disappeared as I paddled under the Fitzgerald Road bridge and moved into the Avon Loop section of the river. As a result of the quakes an the slumping of the river banks, the part of the river that flows past the Barbodoes Street cemetery has become narrower and paddling against the current required a bit more effort.

I got as far as the Fire Station “rapids” by our old launching spot when we lived, the river here is too shallow & swift to paddle up, so if I wished to carry on, I’d need to do a brief portage. I briefly “played” on the rapid or at least attempted a couple of ferry glides across the current. I said hello to our cat Agnesi, who is buried by the river and told her she is still missed, before turn for home.

With the current aiding my return journey I was able be make good time. The setting sun brought the colours to life and reminded me that it was time to get home and start making dinner. As I approached the Swanns Road bridge on my way home, I noticed a small table on the river bank and paddled over to take a look. On closer inspection, there was a red telephone sitting on top of the table, interesting I thought. I assumed it was some sort of art installation rather than just abandoned household goods. I later spotted an explanation on Facebook, it turns out the phones are part of a community wellbeing initiative by Flourish Kia Puāwai, where people are invited to use the phones to make a call to the river, to share their worries, concerns, grief or whatever else they’re dealing. So if you see one of these phones, give it a try, make a call to nature and tell the river your worries and let them float away. #riverphone

The light was starting to dim as I pulled my kayak up onto the bank and headed across the community garden for home. Felt better after a shower, a dinner of some of the tastiest pasta I’ve ever eaten (it’s a real favourite from the Mediterranean Food Company) and Netflix. It’s always nice to spend some time on the river, but even better to get home at the end of the day.