Date:    24/08/2024
River:    Avon River, Christchurch, NZ
River Conditions:   1.807 cumecs at Gloucester Street bridge. Water clear. Grade 1.
Weather Conditions:   Sunny and warm, NW winds.
Number on Trip:    1 person.
Time on River:  1.5 hours.
Comments:  The weather was warm and the river looked beautiful when we went for a walk through the Red Zone in the morning. The river’s surface was almost a perfect mirror and as I crouched to capture the image with my phone, I heard the familiar slosh of paddles cutting through water, snapping a photo before the mirror was sliced by a race boat heading upstream.

Having worn out Lauri with a couple of walks, I took the opportunity to have a paddle. I got changed and heaped down to the river with my Blitz on my shoulder. I had to leave my camera at home as the batteries were completely flat. I decided to launch from a low spot in the bank where we feed the local duck, the water was low but I thought if I kept the angle shallow, it should be fine. I slid off the bank and the kayak’s nose buried deeply into the river’s muddy bottom.

A bit of wiggling extracted the Blitz’s bow and it surfaced with a hefty mound of dark river mud on it. Some sloshing back & forth managed to wash it away before I set off downstream. It was a lovely day to be on the river, many of the trees are still bare, their fractal branches silhouetted against the sky, but their were glimpses of spring everywhere from flowers, blossoms & daffodils on the banks to ducklings on the river.

As I paddled under the Medway footbridge, I watch someone shepherd a pack of white fluffy dogs across the bridge for a walk in the Red Zone. There was plenty of bird life on the river and it was nice to glide through the tranquillity of the Red Zone. I paddled down to the Gayhurst Road bridge, then under the Snell Place footbridge and on to Kerrs Reach, where I turned about and headed for home.

As always, heading upstream is harder and I watched the sun get lower as I powered ahead, gradually getting nearer. At the Medway footbridge, I witnesses the return of the pack of fluffy, white dogs. They obviously had a good walk, being out for over an hour.

I paddled up to the Swanns Road bridge and watched a shag trying to eat a small eel, while another shag tried to steal it. The shag with the eel flew off under the bridge, with the other shag in pursuit, while I headed for the take out. I climbed out of my kayak and walked back home, pausing the admire Rusty’s native plantings along the community gardens boundary, and to congratulate him on his hard work. It is quite exciting the see all the positive developments around the Red Zone.