Kayaking Back in New Zealand

January started off very wet in Hokitika with fronts continuously moving up the west coast dumping rain. This meant that the rivers were pretty high for that time of year. This was nice to start off with as it meant that we could paddle a lot of the drive in and walk in runs such as the Kakapotahi, Totara and Styx.

Curt paddling Airmail - Kakapotahi

Photo - Warren

Upper Kakapotahi is a commiting gorge with some awesome boofs and this year after the floods it was made even better as the sieve in the mandatory portage has filled in creating yet another fun drop.

Warren paddling what use to be the portage

Photo - Curt Joyce

The Totara is a great flood run that gets huge very quickly and drops off again just as quick. When we got to the river it had flooded the fields and was going over the road. It was a fun highwater run and by the time we had done the run and the shuttle afterwards it was almost back to a normal level.

Flooded Totara

Photo - Curt Joyce

The Styx is a classic walk in and an hour of walking gets you into a great technical boulder garden section.

Styx

Photo - Curt Joyce

After doing these runs a few times we began to wish that the rain would stop so some of the upper heli runs would drop into a paddlable level. Luckily it happened eventually, it can’t rain forever even on the west coast. Heli boating really is an awesome experience and the fact that kayakers come from all over the world to pay about $100 NZ dollars for a days kayaking really says something about the quality of the runs.

Inside the chopper

Photo - Curt Joyce

From the moment you arrive at the pick up point and hear the chopper in the distance you know it’s going to be an awesome day. You load your kayaks on the skids and squeeze into the chopper with the pilot. As you fly up the valley and look down at the river, you try to see what the day has in store for you. It can be hard to see but one things for sure if it looks big from the chopper it’s going to be huge. Then theres the moment that the chopper leaves. Your left in the middle of nowhere with your kayak and only one way out.

Flying the boats up

The first fly in I did this season was the Toaroha. We had our boats flown in as high as possible slinged under the chopper then we paddled and portaged into the bottom of Toaroha Canyon where we paddled the last waterfall of the canyon before paddling out.

Bottom of Toaroha Canyon

The Arahura was the next on the list and as always provided an awesome day of paddling. For the first time I ran both Billards and Cesspit which went well with the exception of hitting the rock on the right in Cesspit with my paddle which in return punched me in the face. However it was a probably a good thing as it snapped me out of my ‘oh my god I’m in Cesspit’ moment into realising I needed to paddle.

Ken smiling for the camera on Curtain Call

Photo - Curt Joyce

Bottom Drop of Billards

Photo - Curt Joyce

Bottom of Cesspit Gorge

Photo - Curt Joyce

Last but definately not least we flew into the Upper Perth for an overnight trip. On the first day the chopper drops you off right up in the mountains and the scenery is amazing as are the steep technical rapids. The water level was higher than the last time I was on this section and the rapids were a lot cleaner but a little pushier.

Danny - Upper Perth

Photo - Curt Joyce

Ken - Upper Perth

Classic ski jump 'peeeaaah!' - Upper Perth

Photo - Curt Joyce

Ken - Upper Perth

We picked our way through this section and made good time down to Scone Hut where the chopper had dropped our overnight gear. We stayed the night in the hut and loaded our gear into our boats for the paddle out. After a couple kilometers of grade 2-3 to warm up in the gradient picks up again providing another full days worth of steep technical boating.

Curt - Perth

By the end of the day I was feeling pretty mental exhuasted after two full on days of kayaking and was happy to get to the end. The Perth is an awesome two day run and definately worth the flight.

Danny - Perth

Now I’m back at work doing a month long canoe expedition in New Zealand. Hopefully I will have some time afterwards to get back to the coast and get in a couple more heli flights before I head overseas again...