Tarawera / Lake Tarawera to Tarawera Falls, II-IV (P)
The Tarawera River begins at the eastern end of Lake Tarawera under the shadow of the mountain of the same name famous for its cataclysmic eruption in 1886 which buried the pink and white terraces. The river drains the popular lake and heads east to the coast through some impressive volcanic geology and via the township of Kawerau. Kayakers have been using the river for years but mainly through Kawerau where the slalom site is situated. The upper river has received more attention in the last few years and offers some enjoyable paddling.
The geology poses some interesting problems. In the top section the river suddenly disappears amongst some rocks and reappears 500m downstream as a 30m waterfall gushing out of a crevice in the rock face. The river flows underground because of a series of lava flow cliffs which blocked the river about 11,000 years ago. The porous rhyolite is cracked and creviced and the water has found its way through in these.
From the lake outlet the river offers 3.5 km of class II-IV boating before the sump and falls. It would definitely be a zero to hero move to link this unlikely line!
Catchment:
Egarr_Comments: slalom course; above Kawerau..a popular trip; pressure waves
Egarr_Code: 111
Egarr_Vol: NI
Egarr_Page: 100
Egarr_Rec: 4
Egarr_Scen: 5
RUS_Code: 1817
This section appears in New Zealand Whitewater, 4th edition, 2006 on p51.
