Rain

Info

Class: 

II

Portage?: 

No

Level: 

20 - 40 cumecs on the Kotinga Bridge gauge

Gauge: 

Tasman District Council / Takaka River / Kotinga Bridge gauge

A 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.

Info

Class: 

IV-IV+

Portage?: 

Yes

Level: 

Needs extra water

Gauge: 

If Waingaro is in very good flow

Length: 

4.5km

Time: 

2-5 hours

Put in: 

Helicopter to start of gorge below Lake Stanley.

Take out: 

At the Waingaro confluence.

Shuttle: 

Helicopter

Character: 

Tight, steep boulder gardens

Hot tip: 

Great addition to a weekend Waingaro trip

The 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.

Info

Class: 

II-III

Portage?: 

No

Level: 

15 cumecs at the put-in

Gauge: 

Visual

Length: 

2km

Time: 

1 hour

Put in: 

Commissioner's Creek

Take out: 

Schoolhouse Creek

Shuttle: 

2km, mountain bike

Maps: 

NZ Topo F42

Character: 

Technical rock gardens

Hot tip: 

Wait until the sun's on the water, it's cold.

This 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.

Info

Class: 

III-IV+

Portage?: 

No

Level: 

Above 900mm but gets better higher; 1,600mm is awesome.

Gauge: 

http://www.horizons.govt.nz/default.aspx?pageid=172 > River Level > Waikawa at North Manakau Rd

Length: 

3km

Gradient: 

30m/km

Time: 

15mins - 1hour

Put in: 

Top of North Manakau Rd

Take out: 

Just above the ford at Waikawa Stream Recreation Area

Shuttle: 

3.2km

Character: 

Technical boulder gardens or scary freight train with no stops and big holes.

Hot tip: 

If its over 1500 get there!

The 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.

Info

Class: 

III-IV

Portage?: 

No

Level: 

Needs rain

Gauge: 

Visual, good when the rapid above the bridge is paddleable

Length: 

7km

Gradient: 

18m/km

Time: 

2-3 hours

Put in: 

At the road bridge on SH7, where there is a steeper rapid immediately above the road bridge

Take out: 

River flats on the right

Shuttle: 

6km

Character: 

Fast, exciting

Hot tip: 

Don't swim!

The Inangahua flows east from Rahu Saddle to Reefton before it joins the Buller. After heavy rain this section offers something a little different!

The 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!

Info

Class: 

III (IV+)

Portage?: 

Yes

Level: 

Above 15 cumecs??

Gauge: 

Otago Regional Council flow phone 03 479 6439

Length: 

3km

Time: 

1/2 hour

Put in: 

?

Take out: 

?

Shuttle: 

?

Character: 

Concrete hydroslide with great surf waves and dangerous weirs

Hot tip: 

Take out above the clocktower weir

Watch out for clocktower weir...

Info

Class: 

V

Portage?: 

Yes

Level: 

see description

Gauge: 

see description

Length: 

2.5km

Gradient: 

80m/km

Time: 

2-8 hrs - seriously!

Put in: 

bridge

Take out: 

Hokitika

Shuttle: 

3km

Maps: 

J33, J34

Character: 

Granite, steep as F&^%, terrifying, enclosed gorges, savage bush and waterfalls.

Hot tip: 

Go with someone who has done it. Take harnesses and plenty of throwbags. Don’t get on if it looks like its starting to rain hard!

Falls 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.

Info

Class: 

II-III

Portage?: 

No

Level: 

Above average flows

Gauge: 

Visual, and Southland Times fishing levels; anything more than low and clear

Length: 

6.5km

Gradient: 

8m/km

Time: 

1-2 hours

Put in: 

The first swingbridge at South Mavora Lakes

Take out: 

Kiwi Burn swingbridge

Shuttle: 

5.5 km

Maps: 

E42, D43

Character: 

Scenic, single braid, small gorges

Hot tip: 

Go for the weekend, take your mountain bike

The Mararoa flows from the two Mavora Lakes between Lake Te Anau and Lake Wakatipu and empties into the Waiau River. It is a beautiful area and the river trip no less. Camping at the lakes is stunning and I suggest taking mountain bikes for exploring further up the valley.

From 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.

Info

Class: 

II-III+

Portage?: 

No

Level: 

Above 18 cumecs

Gauge: 

Visual

Length: 

3km

Gradient: 

11m/km

Time: 

1 hour

Put in: 

Percy Valley Bridge

Take out: 

End of the road at Lake Manapouri

Shuttle: 

3km

Maps: 

NZ Topo D42

Character: 

Easy boulder gardens, beautiful scenery.

Hot tip: 

Take a mountain bike and get dropped off at Borland Saddle

You have to work for this one. It is a long way off the beaten track and best suits those in the area for other reasons (tramping, mountain biking). The run is moderate and needs water to make it worthwhile. Locals say it gets to class IV in very high flows. Maybe it does, but you can decide.

To get to the put-in, head into the deep south and Borland Lodge, west of Monowai and north of Lake Monowai. Drive past the Lodge and through the gate on the road over the Borland Saddle. Follow this winding gravel road for 37km to the Percy Valley bridge.

Info

Class: 

IV+ (V)

Portage?: 

No

Level: 

Running clear after rain is optimal.

Gauge: 

visual

Length: 

1.8km

Gradient: 

39m/km

Time: 

2-3 hours

Put in: 

Top of the road at the Turnbull power station intake.

Take out: 

When the river flattens out (see description)

Shuttle: 

2km

Maps: 

F37

Character: 

Steep, technical, boulder gardens.

Hot tip: 

Getting to the river may be the hardest part.

The Turnbull has been out of action for a couple of years because of access issues. By virtue of being back in the guidebook doesn’t mean it is ‘on’ or you have a right to be in there. BUT as far as I can figure the road to the power station is a public road BUT the landowner still puts a variety of padlocks on the gate AND he is rather difficult to get hold of BUT if you do get the water and access and everything right it is a blast and worth a couple of runs.

This section appears in New Zealand Whitewater, 4th edition, 2006 on p214.