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Stories
Clarence Trip 2004
Trip - Day Four
| Dusty
does breakfast We do our camp tasks, swap raft crews around, load up and get underway by 9 am. |
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For many of us, absolutely the
best day on the river. The rapids more varied, fun and frequent. The river, warm and clear and the air is warmer. Nice conditions, only a hint of wind and the sun's out. Both Alan and Chuck find the valley and mountains spectacular and spend many hours answering questions and explaining to the others what we are seeing. |
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| Jaw
Breaker rapid. "It's just round this corner."...we kept saying, and after this corner, it was. |
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| Jaw
breaker.
Both rafts cleverly maneuver this rapid! Click for kayaks on Jaw Breaker. |
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| Looking
back after Jaw Breaker gives a great view of this wild and
isolated country. It's also a chance to look back beyond the mountains and watch the following weather to assess what tomorrow will be like. |
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| About
half an hour after lunch, suddenly we round a corner and
there is a lot of metal wrapped round a rock in the middle
of a narrow chute. The remains of a hovercraft. The rafts maneuver away from the jagged edges and the kayakers execute their first "must do moves". The hazard was at P30: 778, 105 or 2577840mE 5910590mN on the New Zealand Topo map. This has been there for at least two years as a hazard and it's a real hazard! It the water was 5 - 10 cumecs higher, the rock in the middle of the river, would have seemed an an ideal place to park or play. |
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| Another
long day and towards the end of it, the wind picks up
somewhat. Bridget leads the group to a fantastic spot up behind Kanuka trees. This camp site is perfect for us. It's even equipped with a mesh windbreak, The wind has arrived. Rafts and kayaks are lashed down with ropes and packed with the heaviest rocks that can be carried. It was was the night of the storm that blew down the Cook Straight power pylons at Molesworth. |
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| Day
One Clarence / Acheron to Big Eddy
Day Two Big Eddy to Quail Flat Day Three Quail Flat to Figit Hut Day Four Figit Hut to Pot Garden Day Five Pot Garden to Matia Flat Day Six Matai Flat to Clarence River bridge Back to Clarence 2004 starting point
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