It was the annual VUCC Labour Weekend Trip 2000 and the intended itinerary was to paddle the Ngaruroro River, a back section off the Napier-Taihape Road, which would entail us staying overnight half way down the river. Duncan had arranged a raft guide, Kevin, to come with us and take our gear and we had Carol, Chip's friend from the UK with us who was to be on the raft as a non-paddler. It seemed all so perfect.
The crew for this trip included me, Debs, Duncan, Chip, Carol and Eaon. We left Wellington around 6pm and headed to my folk's house (Hotel de Brown for those from a previous trip).
The trip up to the Bay was rather uneventful apart from the washed out bridge at Ekatahuna. Which meant only one thing for us paddlers...... there was water in them there rivers Jethro!
We arrived in Napier at the obligatory hour of 11pm to celebrate the last hour of my father's birthday with him. Happy Birthday - Dad - can the kayakers stay again? Ha ha they love it!!!
Cracks started appearing in our oh so perfect trip plans when we learnt that our trusty river rafter guide "Kevin" was having trouble getting out of bed and bright light was a big issue for him.
I could feel a collective thought reverberate through the groups ranks and it sounded something like "bloody typical". But we did not lose hope that this hard core Bay man would pull through or be miraculously cured overnight.
Alas upon making contact with Kevin the next morning we learn that daylight was still a problem and from his death bed Kevin was not moving.
What to do, what to do.....no worries it was a long weekend..... he might still get better.
The crew being the adverse and dynamic kind of people we are made alternative plans.
We started the vertical drive north to the Urewera National Park for the Canoe Club Waikare Taheke dam release. I love the Waikaremoana area and so was quite happy to go tripping up there - the others needed a bit more convincing. We got there mid morning to find a chocolate brown river and about 30 Hawkes Bay paddlers milling around. The usual mooching and chatter proceeded with the final decision to head up to the top Whakamarino run. Which apparently is a speedy creek in which it pays to keep your wits about you.
I made an executive decision that it wasn't for me and know that I made the right choice when Duncan & Chip joined me Debs and Eaon and the confluence to the Waikaretaheke section. Duncan was the quietest I had ever seen him and he was looking rather pale as well. All he could whisper was "I am not doing that again". Chip was a bit indifferent but lets just say it was apparently quick, narrow and there were trees that one had to lie on their back deck to get under.
Once Duncan regained some colour we set off for our promised grade 3, which turned out to be something that was struggling to get to a grade 2. There were the standard few good holes and waves that we mucked around in but the run still took about 45mins and knowing that the water gets turned off at 4pm we loaded the boats and headed back to the get in and blasted down in about 15 minutes.
In summary: a beautiful area, but don't think I would ever make the effort to go to the release again.
Considering it was still early in the day we decided to make the drive down to Willowflat on the bank of the Mohaka and camp for the night so we could just get up in the morning and the hell shuttle wouldn't be so bad. There were a few others camping in the paddock and we set up on the soft grass and cooked us a feed of kidney beans....whoa baby.
The next morning we gathered ourselves together Carol packed our lunches and then we did the long shuttle in style by leaving my car at Willowflat and loading all six of us into Tokyo Subaru, stopping once to leave koha at the farmers house. We got on the river around 11.30, a respectable hour for us VUCCers.
This section was amazing, I had heard it was a beautiful section but I was not prepared for the incredible rock formations and foliage we saw. Admittedly I was a bit nervous getting on to this unknown river and was psyching myself out for grade 3+ rapids and the infamous Long Rapid.
Now I do not think this rapid is long because of its length but because of the time we spent scouting it. We were seriously there for about 2 hours scouting and taking photos. I made it through the first few drops with the obligatory pressure roll and then walked the last drop to calm my nerves.
Next one to look forward to was Corner Rapid, which I had talked myself into walking, had it not been such a nice day and I was quite happy sitting on the rock with Debs showing me the "best line". With my heart pounding Debs coaxed me into my RPM and said follow me. Sweet - gave her a bit of distance but saw her get flipped and sucked towards the under cut rock where I knew that it was not a good idea to go. I'm sorry Debs, but I switched into self preservation mode thinking VUCCing heck, I am not going to follow her and went a bit more river right to make the first drop perfectly and that set me on target which a few power strokes for the shoot on hard river left. I then had enough speed to boof of the drop and miss getting worked in the hole at the bottom. Making it through that rapid without swimming gave me heaps of confidence for the rest of the day.
Oh yeah, I did have one little swim in the rockgarden when got pinned under a rock and knew wasn't gonna be flushed out from that sucker. But I am still of the philosophy that swimming keeps my feet on the ground and in touch with the realities of paddling.
We continued down the river a bit faster now as no one had a watch but we noted that the sun was getting lower in the sky and we weren't half way yet.
We stopped at Hotel Rock for a perve and all marvelled at the extraordinary power of water and time.
The last drop before the bridge was another scouting job. There was a conspicuous Rooster Tail in the middle of the drop. Eaon generously offered to lower Chip down the rock on a throw rope to fish around and check if it was a rock. We couldn't be sure so portaged this baby and floated around the corner to the bridge where we found Carol was just heading to the farm to call search and rescue because it was 7.30pm (we had been on the river for 8 hours) and she was getting a bit worried. Doh... sorry Carol.
A relieved Carol pulled us off the water thankful that we were still alive and made us cups of tea and coffee. The other campers from the night before who had passed us on the river were also a bit concerned and looking relieved that we had finally showed up.
We were oblivious to the fuss and just tired and so glad didn't have to do the 45 minute shuttle to pick up any cars at the get-in thanks to Carol. We made our way back to my folk's house for Pizza before getting on the road.
I was lucky to have Carol in my car and she drove the whole way. I was so tired that all I remember is pulling out of my parent's driveway, the Levin turn off, the gear shed and my bed.
Libby.
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