Nz guidebook

In this fully revised and expanded fifth edition of New Zealand Whitwater, Graham Charles presents information on over 180 great kayaking runs from easy float trips to full-on hairball unscoutable gorge waterfall runs. With each run information is provided about what to expect on the river, including grades, flow information, gradients, times, access details and shuttle distances without taking away that most important element: adventure! His river descriptions are spiced with dry humour, cautionary tips and tales, anecdotes and kayaking history along with a strong message on river conservation. New Zealand Whitewater Edition 5 is an essential part of any kayaker’s kit and will open a door to the extraordinary range of kayaking and river recreation opportunities available in New Zealand.

“I highly recommend this guide as an invaluable reference for resource managers and decision makers who have the fate of New Zealand’s recreational rivers in their hands.”

– Maree Baker Galloway, Environmental Lawyer

“This latest edition of the NZ Whitewater Bible is a reflection of incredible evolution as paddlers push further and huck bigger. There are so many new runs in this book for all levels and with the addition of the new ‘huck’ icon the extent of the vertical world in the NZ scene is very apparent. This book is a must when seeking out your next adrenaline fix or Facebook profile picture!” – Ben Brown, Professional kayaker

Graham Charles is one of NZ’s most versatile adventurers. With over thirty years of canoesport experience he has competed, performed and instructed to the highest levels. His passion for adventure, exploration and photographic documentation in the globes wildest places have lead to world-first expeditions in Antarctica, Tierra del Fuego and Sth Georgia with further journeys across Greenland and Spitsbergen. Graham now spends his time climbing, skiing, kayaking, working in the polar regions and enjoying time with his wife Elissa between his homes in Hokitika, NZ and Bozeman, Montana.

Graham Charles

“At last it’s back on the shelves and NZKS staff can simply sell the guide book instead of having to describe every put in and take out on the whole West Coast to every passing paddler! Just because it’s in the book doesn’t mean we have a god-given right to walk across every ploughed field. Use your commonsense. Be polite. Ask the farmer. Buy beer!

River Access is precious. Once again Graham has turned out a fabulous resource. He’s an (ageing, but) expert boater still and we couldn’t get better information.” – Mick Hopkinson, Guru

New Zealand Whitewater 5

New Zealand is a whitewater paradise. Known the world over for its great variety of challenging adventure runs in pristine wilderness. It offers fantastic scope for beginners and experts alike.

New Zealand

WHITEWATER 180 great kayaking runs

5

Graham Charles

Flows are read off the control gates at the put in. Each of the gates is numbered in divisions of 100 (equal to three cumecs), therefore three gates at 300 equals 27 cumecs.

Rafting companies operate between 200–500. Below 200, kayaks can hit the bottom of the falls hard. Above 500 is good and anything above 1000 is fast and pushy. It has been kayaked with fully open gates above 1300.

To get to the PUT IN: Find the small settlement of Okere Falls about 21km north of Rotorua on SH33. Put in anywhere at the slalom site or on the river right side of the control gates. The fenced-in area on river left above the control gates is private property, park outside the fence, off the road along the highway.

To get to the TAKE OUT: Drive 1.2km down the road opposite the put in carpark, signposted Trout Pool Rd, Okere Falls. There are toilets at the middle carpark if you need to go before you get on. Park at the road end. Make sure your car is locked and all valuables removed or well hidden.

Kayaking nightmare #1 – Irony (Tyler Fox)

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EAST CAPE/ BAY OF PLENT Y/ WAIK ATO

Kaituna River

Awesome & Gnarly Gorges

There is an awesome gorge run on the lower Kaituna, surprisingly enough called Awesome Gorge! It starts out from the Trout Pool Falls as a meandering stream and then slowly picks up pace through a few Class I–II rapids that give you a good taste of what is to come. The river backs off slightly at an open area that commercial sledgers use as a take out. Look for the tyre steps and the farm just past the pylons. Beyond this it picks up pace as the gorge narrows. The corners get tighter and suddenly, like your sphincter, the gorge tightens right up and you’re into a 300-metre section of continuous Class III white water. There are no eddies. Once you exit the fast-paced section you round a couple more corners before Awesome Gorge Falls. This is a three metre blind drop – run it off river left with a good boof over the hole at the bottom, hopefully. About seven more corners of fast moving water and you are at the take out. Look for the bright orange paint. You do not want to miss this.

Below the Awesome Gorge take out you are immediately into the meat of Gnarly Gorge, which is a continuation of the Awesome Gorge style of paddling but much narrower, steeper and faster with hidden trees and more waterfalls. You MUST seek quality local beta before you try this one. Paddlers have been regularly portaging the Gnarly Gorge section using the track on river right through the pine forest. It is about a 30 minute walk downstream to the next pool. Be aware the river right is all private land, and it is up to the individual to get permission for access. River left for most of the length of Awesome and Gnarly is scenic reserve but there are very few tracks.

CLASS: IV+/V LEVEL: As per the Okere Falls

section.

GAUGE: Gates on Lake Rotoiti

outflow.

LENGTH: 2km GRADIENT: 36m/km TIME: 25mins PUT IN: Bottom of Kaituna run – or run through.

EAST CAPE/BOP WAIKATO

TAKE OUT: Sharp left-hand bend. Orange spray paint on river right. Take out on the right. DO NOT MISS THIS TAKE OUT! SHUTTLE: Walk back over farm tracks – see hot tip.

MAPS: BE37 Rotorua CHARACTER: A bit like what

would happen if they tripled the flow, halved the width and added 100m high gorge walls to a theme park water ride.

HOT TIP: Take a sea kayak

portage trolley to wheel your boats back along the portage.

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Kakapotahi River

CLASS: Upper IV+–V,

Lower III+- IV+ (one harder short gorge) LEVEL: 8–20 cumecs

(upper gorge), any level for the lower gorge.

GAUGE: Visual, or local

beta LENGTH: 9km GRADIENT: 40m/km for

first kilometre, 10m/km for the rest of the run.

TIME: 4–8hrs PUT IN: Either mid-gorge or top-gorge.

TAKE OUT: Kakapotahi road bridge on SH6.

SHUTTLE: 8–9.5km MAPS: BV17 Kakapotahi, BV18 Kokatahi CHARACTER: Very tight, technical, committing, photogenic, sheer granite gorge.

Upper Kakapotahi The beautiful upper Kakapotahi is a fantastic kayak run, one of those places kayaks were just made for. It has seven drops, all of which are difficult to scout and have some consequences for blowing the line. Finding someone with prior experience is a good idea, especially if the river is pushing the upper end of the flow limit. About 12 cumecs is optimal and it requires rain to get to this level. The very first drop gets done upright about 50% of the time. The two middle drops are the crux. Run Postmans Falls hard on the left. The drop at Air Mail isn’t too bad, just run down the middle and boof off the rock and clench your buttocks to squeeze between any rocks on the landing.

It’s the lead-in to Air Mail that has undergone many changes and takes more Kakapotahi scalps than any other part. Check it out for yourself – and yes, the blocked-off recirculating eddy does hold people for a long time.

Seek information on the run before you go – it traps a lot of timber and boulders are shifting all the time. Getting out of the canyon is an interesting exercise that will test your fern climbing and rope handling skills.

Lower Kakapotahi

The lower Kakapotahi has proven itself as a lasting run for intermediates and experts alike. Best with a good fresh of water it can be paddled at most levels.

HOT TIP: A ‘destination’ After the Class IV descent to the river there are some good river trip.

Class II rapids to warm up on before the river sidles into an innocuous looking gorge (aren’t they all?). Once the swingbridge is in sight get out on river right and scramble up past the bridge to a good vantage point where a small stream has cut through the gorge. This drop is the most difficult in the section and is Class IV–V depending on the flow. Portage on the right to the bottom of the gorge or take a deep breath and ride the chicane to glory.

The tempo doesn’t ease for 2.5km as you negotiate fantastic Class IV granite boulder gardens through spectacular moss-lined granite sub-gorges with some fun play spots. A couple of the rapids are stand-out and a bit harder than the rest. Once the river spills onto the open river plain you are on the final stretch to the take out. Take out on the left side at a paddock with a dirt road that leads up to the Kakapotahi Valley Rd a short distance in from the main road (you would have needed to scout this if you are here for the first time with no local knowledge).

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WEST COAST

WEST COAST

TO GET TO THE TAKE OUT: From Hokitika drive 40km south to the SH6 bridge over the Kakapotahi River. Just after the bridge turn left up the gravel road (Mikonui Forest Rd) a short way (1 km) to a gate on the left, with an obvious dirt road leading down to a big paddock on a river flat. Park clear of the gate and road.

TO GET TO THE PUT IN: Continue 6km to an obvious loading area. (Be careful at a Y-junction a couple of kilometres past the gate – stay on the right.) The put in for the lower run is down the grassy/mud slope leading out of the clearing.

FOR THE TOP GORGE: Drive a further 1.5km to where the valley opens out. Park in an open area just before the road meets the river. The first drop, Mail Box, can be scouted down a faint track into the bush on the left of the clearing that leads to an old bridge site high above the river.

Kayaking nightmare #8 – Being lost with Rush Sturgis, Ben Brown and Rafa Ortiz – north is to the top (at least you’ll have Red Bull as sustenance!)

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WEST COAST

Upper Whataroa River

The huge north face of Elie de Beaumont provides a stunning backdrop for the first couple of kilometres of the upper Whataroa. The problem is there’s not much opportunity to stop and look at anything except the next difficult rapid.

The first few kilometres pack plenty of punch and are the crux of the Whataroa experience. This is a river that is big and feels big. Like the Whitcombe, the moves are often complex and huge, and the water is silty and hard to read. If you aren’t prepared to paddle some big water don’t bother flying in to the top. This is not a creek.

The action starts with busy, large rapids steep enough to require scouting. Most have a route somewhere that will only become apparent after scouting or brave eddy-hopping or portaging. About 2km down is a large rapid that has yet to be paddled completely. Portage along the rocks on the right or clamber up the stream and go along the track to the bottom of the rapid.

Once back on the water enjoy some fun rapids and easy sections. Keep your eyes peeled for the approaching Portals of Doom. Once you see them, portage on the right side close to river level (there are cairns marking the track start) to the track, then follow this past the gorge and get in at the first obvious route down to the river.

TO GET TO THE TAKE OUT: See Whataroa Other Stuff:

CLASS: IV+ (V) LEVEL: 40–120 cumecs (roughly 60% the flow from the WRC gauge) GAUGE: Visual, or www.

wcrc.govt.nz/river_level_ rainfall/7_days/whataroa. htm LENGTH: 16.8km to the

road end.

GRADIENT: 28.5m/km

WEST COAST

first 3 km, 8m/km from there.

TIME: 3.5–6hrs PUT IN: Butler Hut TAKE OUT: Old SH6

bridge site SHUTTLE: Helicopter – see providers on page 321.

MAPS: BW16 Whataroa CHARACTER: Big boulder gardens, big water feel.

HOT TIP: Be ready for

some big pushy water.

• Once landed at Butler Hut it is possible to walk upstream and get a kilometre of steep water on the Butler.

• In 2012 Barny Young et al flew about 5km above Butler confluence to the Upper Upper Whataroa . They found some super steep terrain and some amazing drops, with a decent amount of portaging.

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