Rain
Mackintosh to Lawrence
Mon, 2010-10-04 15:05 — jonathanWe did this run thinking it was a first descent but have since heard it may have been done before. The reason for the lack of traffic was due to the two drops marked on the map which would be pretty serious if they were actually there. As it turns out, the good old topo map wasn’t quite right and the biggest drop on the run was only a six-footer.
Junction Wave
Fri, 2010-02-26 11:24 — tonywhA wee wave in the heart of town. Who would have thought you can surf only half a km from the Wholemeal?
From the main street of Takaka, turn into the Junction Hotel carpark, thread your way through the slalom course , turn left at the end and drive on past the fishing access sign. The car park is another hundred metres odd, so close you can be seen changing from the supermarket.
Best at 30 cumecs but there is something there between about 20 and 40. This is a fun way to cool down on a hot day, or provides locals with a bit of park and play before or after work.
Lake Stanley to Forks Hut
Tue, 2009-11-24 19:57 — jonathanThe Stanley is a little done addition to the Waingaro helicopter trip. When we did it in 2008 the helo pilot reckoned we were only the second group in, but who knows? There needs to be a reasonable amount of water around for the Stanley to be on. It is a very small creek, and as your second day will likely be on the Waingaro you need water to hang around for the second day as well.
Upper Gorge
Thu, 2009-11-05 08:51 — GlennThis is a short, fun little gorge in the stunning scenery of the Nevis Valley.
The river runs through a fun rock garden with some nice features.
To get to the put-in, drive from Cromwell, through Bannockburn and over Duffers Saddle to Nevis Crossing. Continue up the valley, cross Schoolhouse Creek and you'll soon reach Commissioner's Creek.
The ford over Schoolhouse Creek can be deep, watch out for it.
Waikawa Stream
Mon, 2009-08-10 18:48 — jonathanThe Waikawa stream is probably the best creek in the region when it's been raining steady and the rivers are on.
If its over 900mm then its going but 900mm is low so expect some scrapy class III-IV action at those kind of flows, but it gets better as water levels go up. When the river is charging around 1,600mm and over expect a non-stop run with a big water feel even though the river is only four or so meters wide at most points and still often only a couple of feet deep.
Inangahua
Wed, 2007-10-24 22:49 — GlennThe first rapid just above the road bridge doesn't really charecterise the rest of the run, which typically has more single drops with powerful hydraulics. The harder rapids are in the first kilometre, before easing to class III boulder gardens. At the flows necessary for this run to go, the water is brown and pushy, and you can hear boulders rolling along the river bed underneath your boat!
Leith
Wed, 2007-10-24 22:12 — GlennFalls Creek
Sat, 2007-10-20 20:27 — GuidoFalls Creek is a guidebook writer’s nightmare. It is a great trip - if you catch the water. Don’t blame me if you try and tick it and spend all summer and still don’t get it. You need to get there right after it stops raining - it drops very fast and you need to be putting in just as the rain is stopping. You want it to be brown and flowing nicely with a few rocks showing; the rapid upstream of bridge should look paddleable. If it looks a scrape the run will be a scrape. If there are no rocks showing there will be very few eddies!
This section appears in New Zealand Whitewater, 4th edition, 2006 on p193.
South Mavora Lakes to Kiwi Burn
Wed, 2007-10-17 20:25 — GlennFrom the put-in at the lake it's a fantastic float alongside honey-dew beech forest and through clear pools where trout cruise beneath underwater ledges. The forest gives way to a short gorge as the rapids pick up, climaxing with three drops.
This section appears in New Zealand Whitewater, 4th edition, 2006 on p265.
