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Waihopai / Powerhouse to Avon Valley Road, II-III+

Wed, 2006-05-17 20:59 — jonathan
0
Waihopai
Info
Portage?: 
No
Class: 
II-III+
Level: 
any time there is water
Gauge: 
visual
Length: 
8km
Gradient: 
7.5m/km
Time: 
1-2
Put in: 
Waihopai Power House
Take out: 
Avon Valley Road
Shuttle: 
4.5km
Maps: 
O28
Character: 
fun playing in mini gorges
Hot tip: 
allow time for wine tasting on the way home

When the water is there the Waihopai is a very good little run and people travel from far and wide in Marlborough to catch some surfing and fun playing.

Squirly water through a narrow canyon with nothing harder than class III+ starts the run from below the Power House. In lower water a small drop adds a good feel to the canyon and run in general. I remember the day I first ran this little drop as a student in Blenheim. A team of us had psyched up for ages and portaged every other time. Finally it went – all 1.5 metres of it! I’m sure if we hadn’t been in kayaks we would’ve happily tubed over it without a moments notice.

The river winds its way down valley in a shrinking canyon before opening out onto farmland. The lower river has plenty of willows so be careful swinging around corners with no where to run to.

To get to the take out: From the township of Renwick, just west of Blenheim, head along SH63 towards Murchison (if you miss it just keep going – you’ll get some paddling in somewhere). Turn left at the signposted Waihopai Valley road. Drive about about 10-15 minutes up. When you cross the second Craiglochart Bridge turn right onto a gravel road about 100m past the bridge. If you don’t want the last kilometre or so of flatwater it is possible to get out just opposite Avon Valley Road (about a kilometre further on from the bridge).

To get to the put in: Continue up the road to the Power Station. 100m past the Power Station turn off is a gravel parking area. Park here and look for a faint track on the other side of the road leading down to the river.

http://www.marlborough.govt.nz/enviromonitoring/riversmap.cfm?section=5

Power House 2557915E 5948975N
Craig Lockhart #II bridge 2564975E 5952640N

Catchment: 601120
Egarr_Comments: "Excellent water with high flows in the gorge
Egarr_Code: 162.02.05
Egarr_Vol: SI
Egarr_Page: 138
Egarr_Rec: 4
Egarr_Scen:
4
RUS_Code: 2615

Fill: 
89%
NZ Whitewater 4th Edition 2006: 
p126
Credits: 
Graham Charles

This section appears in New Zealand Whitewater, 4th edition, 2006 on p126.

New Zealand Whitewater, 4th edition, 2006
No incidents reported.

Disclaimer

Canoeing and kayaking are activities with inherent risks. Whitewater NZ takes no responsibility for the accuracy of this guide, nor for any risks or dangers that canoeists or kayakers may encounter. Any users should fully research the current river conditions and ensure they are fully equipped and have the appropriate skills, before embarking on any river trip, per Whitewater NZ Code of Practice. While every effort is made to ensure that details are correct, it is possible that this information is no longer accurate. If you find discrepancies or errors, please let us know at guide@rivers.org.nz.