Date:    23/12/2024
River:    Avon River, Christchurch, NZ
River Conditions:   1.687 cumecs at Gloucester Street bridge. Water clear. Grade 1.
Weather Conditions:  Overcast but warm, NE winds.
Number on Trip:    1 person.
Time on River:  1.75 hours.
Comments:  The lead up to Christmas is always stressful, so it was nice to take some quiet time out on the Avon. It was overcast and I put on the river later in the afternoon than I would normally, heading downstream to see if there had been any changes as there had been quite a bit of work being carried out through the Red Zone as part of the City to Sea Pathway.

The river was smooth and there wasn’t too much wind, so paddling was relatively easy and I was able to cruise along soaking in nature under a moody sky.

It was nice to see some ducklings and signets on the river, as the young ones on the stretch near our home don’t seem to last long. A pair of paradise shelducks we occasionally fed had 14 ducklings and in the space of 2 weeks, we’d count fewer and fewer until they were all gone. We don’t know whether it was rats, eels or loose dogs (of which we have many and often see them chasing the waterfowl while their owners stand uselessly by) responsible, but the parents seemed quite heartbroken with their loss.

I paddled all the way down to Kerrs Reach and then heading back upstream. I experimented with taking a few low angle, reflective shots that tried to capture the dramatic skies above. Not sure I managed to capture what I wanted, but some of the results were okay. Said “hi” to the only other person on the river as he paddled his race boat upstream and back again.

It was getting late by the time I paddled up the the Swanns Road bridge, I spotted a large trout under the bridge as well as eel in the deep part downstream of the bridge. I hauled my kayak out of the river and headed home for a shower, cook dinner and to return to the pre-Christmas / cat health crisis drama.