NAIADS BACK TO NATURE

The chance to be part of a team to explore hidden secrets of one of the North Island’s lesser known rivers, in an inflatable jetboat was something that Barry Thompson couldn’t pass up.

IN 1956, THE INVENTOR OF THE WATERJET,

C.W.F.Hamilton drove the first jetboat on the Kaituna River, from Okere Falls wharf downriver through the rapids below the bridge and back again. Forty plus years later it was my turn to tackle this awesomely beautiful river, albeit from the more sedate lower approach. Today those same rapids are a magnet for rafters and adrenaline seekers, who can experience the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world. As jetboating through the rapids borders on the suicidal, our plans were to explore the Kaituna River from where it drains into the Bay of Plenty, at Te Tuna, to the first – or last, depending on which end of the river you start from – set of rapids in the Kaituna gorge. We had four 4.8m Naiad Sport Jet boats to negotiate the river, as well as a whole team of supporters, all keen to see what lay beyond the lush flat farm land around Maketu. The 47 km Kaituna River is the major outflow for Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti and in rafting or kayaking terms the upper sections are graded at 5 plus. The first 15 km are narrow, strewn with rapids including the infamous 7m waterfall and plunge nearly 150m in altitude to where the last rapid falls into the fast flowing river. From there is about 12 km of native bush where Pungas, Rewa Rewa, Kea Kea and Manuka touch the very edges of the clear fast flowing and chilly Kaituna.

Steep rock formations provide a surreal background and on every bend your eyes are focused in the hope of surprising a wild red deer or pig. The best we saw were a few sheep, although the bush abounds with native birds and fantails that dart along beside the boat like guardians of a private unspoiled domain. Longridge Park, home of the Longridge jetboat, - a North Island ‘s long established jetboat operator, - marks the end of the natural bush and from there downstream the Kaituna meanders through farmland, where Friesian cows and wild ducks are your only audience.

EASY LAUNCH

We launched our four Naiads at the Bells Road ramp, about 18 km down stream from our first planned stop at Longridge and only a few kilometres from the river mouth. The path of the river was not always like it is now. In 1955 work began to divert the Kaituna River mouth from Maketu and through an artificial cut at Te Tuma. This gave flood relief to the farms upstream and has resulted in the formation of the Maketu wetlands, a home of duck shooters and conservationists alike. The depth of water in the lower reaches rom the ramp to the sea is such that locals use it to launch outboard powered boats, which they take over the Te Tuma bar and out to fish the waters of the Bay of Plenty. Above the ramp is more suitable for jetboating, although even well into the gorge there is still depth upwards of 3m. Our 4.8m Naiad SportJets were all powered by Mercury 175hp Sport jets, which is effectively a Mercury 175hp V6 outboard powerhead modified to take a Mercury outboard jet unit. The Naiad Sport Jet proved to be a great little boat, with quick acceleration and precision handling response. Just like you would expect from a jetboat. You can toss the boat in any direction and it responds instantly. Turn too sharply and you can perform the ‘jetspin’ even without trying.

LONGRIDGE PARK

The 30 minute trip to Longridge gave us all an opportunity to experience the unique handling of a jetboat as we cruised upstream towards the distant hills. At Longridge Park, a well-known 50 hectare property offering jetboat rides, kiwifruit and farm tours, as well as 4WD adventures, there was time to regroup before heading into the gorge and the ‘unknown’ destination that lay ahead. If you are going to use your own boat on the river past Longridge Park you are required to contact them first. Certain areas of the river are so narrow that there’s no room for two boats to pass, so it’s a matter of making certain the water is clear from other traffic. From Longridge our plan was to jetboat in our Naiads to the rapids, enjoy the scenery and the natural wonder of the Kaituna River and get back to Longridge for a late lunch. Both the Kaituna River and the Mangarewa river which join a few hundred metres south of Longridge Park, are stocked with rainbow trout, although on this trip we never got a chance to drop a fly and find out for ourselves. Ninety years ago the Kaituna was reported to provide the best sport fishing in the district with rainbow as large as 12 kg being taken and many others caught all the way to the mouth at Maketu. Driving upstream and into the gorge required the drivers of each Naiad to read the fast flowing water for hidden obstructions and to weave their way with caution through narrow sections, between fallen trees and through tight cuttings that presented something different at every turn. We reached the point where we could go no further, despite a number of the team being keen to try. Although the narrow rapid, bordered either side with huge boulders covered only by pressure waves was wide enough to squeeze our small Naiads through, we had been informed that just beyond lay another set even bigger and meaner. The decision was made to look but don’t touch! A number of boats and PWC’s have been lost beyond this point and we didn’t fancy adding to the tally.

BACK DOWNSTREAM

It wasn’t until we turned to go back downstream that we could actually see the rapid fall of the river. You definitely get the impression you are going downhill at this point as the

river drops 30m between here and Longridge Park. Also the return run with the sun in our eyes made navigation more difficult and the was certainly difficult to read. Fortunately the only real obstacles were those hanging off the river banks and all four Naiads returned to Longridge without hitting anything. One of our team did have a ‘major loose’ when approaching a hard turn a little too sharply and unexpectedly carried out an unrehearsed jetspin. Wet jeans and dented pride where the only damage. Back at Longridge we tucked into a feed of prawns, fillet steak and a cool Chardonnay – hey, someone has to do it – before returning downriver and all the way to the river mouth. The bar was moderate and it would have been no problem carrying on to the Motiti Island, just a few kilometres offshore. Time was against us however and we soon headed back upstream to our launching point. It was a great trip and a neat way to test the Naiad Sport Jet in an environment for which it’s aptly suited. I have not done a lot of jetboating, but the Kaituna trip in the Naiads has certainly got me keen to do more.