Otago Canoe and Kayak Club

Safety

There is a new log jam/drop in the Hutt Gorge which can be run (grade 4) or portaged (with some difficulty). 01 03 04

The Kawarau river.
The very popular, Smiths Falls to dog leg, the same trip run by Rafting companies.
Has a metal construction in the river.
This construction can be located river right, about 1/2 a mile up from the usual get out at rafters road. 
This " something" can be seen once you start looking from the bank down river when looking back up the river. It seems  the structure is for irrigation or water supply.
It is illegal and is suppose to be removed as it has no resource consent.
So, if you run the dog Leg section, do not be out of your kayak at the bottom of the run, river (R).
But If you are swimming then stay out in the middle until you pass it and then make your way across.

Dear paddlers,
We have received (belated) notice from Ray Sperling, consultant to Environment Bay of Plenty, advising that due to the failure of the earlier attempted "gap filling" project at Rock A on the Rangitaiki, that they have now decided to bring a digger to the river, build a platform and push the left hand rock to the right, thereby removing the
danger and of course permanently altering part of this technical Grade 3 whitewater run.

If you have any comments to make on this course of action (positive or
negative) please email to both
Ray at Pro Adventure pro-adventure@xtra.co.nz and Jonathan Moore at  Envbop  jon@envbop.govt.nz 

We apologise for the late notice - comments have to be in by 10 March and NZRCA only just received notice this week.

There is a notice also on this subject on  http://www.rivers.org.nz 

Regards
Alan Bell
for NZRCA etc