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.