News archive

[Updated 12:50pm] Czech kayaker Ladislav Švarc, 29 drowned on Saturday 19 July while running a waterfall near Puketitoi Rd in Northland. Švarc was boating with three friends on the Wairau River when he got into difficulties at the base of the falls. Despite being pulled from the water and given CPR he did not survive. Švarc was an experienced kayaker having run challenging sections on other North Island rivers.

On Saturday 14 June, Whitewater NZ held a successful AGM at University of Canterbury, Christchurch to review the previous year and to plan new initiatives. Following the election of officers to the Executive Committee, James Rae moves from Safety to Access, and we welcome Shaun McCracken and Aaron Osbourne as Safety and Education officers respectively. Thanks to departing Exec members Sean Bellamy (Access) and Aidan Haig (Education) for their hard work.

Kayakers are advised that flood protection works are underway on the Water of Leith from February to May 2014. Otago Regional Council (ORC) works are between the Dundas St Bridge and the Union St Bridge. Part of the works entails extensive work in the river channel and on the right bank of the river. The works would at times be a hazard for river users and kayakers. Warning signs have been placed upstream. Attached maps indicate warning sign placements.

Kiwi adventurer Graham Charles has updated his guide to the best of New Zealand Whitewater. New Zealand Whitewater 5 is now available to order, direct from Graham at http://www.grahamcharlesnz.com/. The revised and expanded fifth edition contains information on over 180 great kayaking runs from easy float trips to full-on hairball, unscoutable gorge waterfall runs.

This year's Tekapo Throwdown will be held on the 26th and 27th of October (Labour Weekend) at the Tekapo Whitewater Centre. The social event encompasses a variety of fun and competitive events including; a Ball Race, Rescue Relay, Slalom and Freestyle. The 2013 event is being supported by Up the Creek Kayaks (Jackson Kayak NZ) and Cumec Magazine. More information at http://www.cumecmagazine.com/tekapo2013 soon.

ECAN Commissioners have approved the Hurunui Water Project's (HWP) application to Environment Canterbury for consents to take water from the Hurunui River for irrigation (Report and Decision of Hearing Commissioners, (PDF)).

Whitewater New Zealand and Fish & Game have successfully appealed to the Environment Court to protect kayaking on the Nevis River from dam proposals such that by Pioneer Generation Ltd. The Environment Court decided (PDF, 7.8MB) that the kayaking amenity in the lower gorge of the Nevis River is outstanding and should be protected through a prohibition on damming.

This year the Whitewater NZ Annual General Meeting was held in Auckland on 11 May 2013, to which people came from far and wide. As people gathered into the Auckland University lecture theatre it was a time to catch up with old friends and make new ones over the mandatory coffee and home-made muffins kindly baked by our Auckland hosts AUCC.

Environmental Canterbury (ECAN) commissioners have accepted recommendations from a hearing panel on the proposed Hurunui and Waiau River Regional Plan. The plan arises from the Zone Implementation Plan (ZIP) developed by the Hurunui-Waiau Zone Committee under the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.