Canoeing the Buller River

Machine-read text (unproofread)

Read from the scans by software, so it contains mistakes. Typing it up properly would help blind readers: use Suggest an edit.

CANOEING THE An account of a canoe expedition before I could panic I was out of the undertaken by seven staff members of cockpit and in the water with the boat. the Cobham Outward Bound School. My boat having achieved its aim quietly At Kawatiri we had a quick brew slid off the rock and drifted downstream before donning wet suits and climbing with me hanging on to an end. My antics into our canoes in a quiet back eddy. proved to be a laughing point for all John Field, who was our driver, jumped except Terry whose boat also had a into the truck and roared off in a cloud mind of its own, he did the same as me. of dust, heading for Gowanbridge, our John Field had anticipated some action next rendezvous. at Gowanbridge and was at the ready We were on our own. I gingerly tried with his camera. However he was disa few turns to try to get the feel of my appointed as no one capsized. We boat again. Tony, Gordon and Terry, secured our canoes to the bank and went all turned into the current and were away up to have a look inside the Gowanbridge downriver. store, something all travellers down the "Oh well," I thought, "Here goes!" Buller river are advised to do. This store Turning upstream I edged the bow of is reputed to stock almost anything and my boat into the current, locked my the storekeeper was easily able to satisfy knees tightly against the rests and leaned our request for a packet of durries. out onto my downstream paddle. The "Where are you headed for," he boat spun around. A quick couple of enquired. Our sodden lifejackets and strokes and I was into the rapid, rising wet suits dripped water on his floor. up and down over an evenly spaced "Downriver, we answered. series of pressure waves. The rapid "Better watch out for the 'narrows'," curved to the left and the waves steep- he warned. ened to 4-foot ridges. The bow smashed "Thanks for the warning," we replied through a crest and sent spray over all as we dripped our way out. of the boat and into my eyes. I blinked The "narrows" turned out to be a boilthe water away but the same thing ing surging mass of water over 200 yards happened again. long. We climbed out and inspected the "Slow down, slow down," I found problem. Would it go? Tony said yes. myself saying out loud. A couple of We climbed into our boats again and back paddles took the speed off my boat Tony was away and out of sight in the and gave me control again. In the foaming water. Before I had time to do smoother water near the bottom of the much about it the current had drawn rapid I saw the three front boats turn my canoe into the top of the rapid. I soO0 into a back eddy and stop. I followed saw why Tony had disappeared when their example and turned facing up- my boat too became completely covered stream to await the arrival of John, by water for 20 yards. I was quickly at Norm and Don, who were following. the bottom of the rapid waiting for the Everyone agreed that it had been a others to come down. Tony stood on the good easy rapid to start on and were bank with a heaving line in his hand all smiles. I laughed along hoping to ready for any casualties. This turbulent hide the nervous feeling inside me. If stretch of river produced two fine swim- I had had that much trouble on an easy mers and Tony was kept busy hauling one how was I going to fare on the big them out. ones that Tony assured me were to From the "narrows"on the difficulty of follow? the rapids eased and there were long The next series of rapids helped to stretches of flat water to paddle, a tiring build my confidence again and the task in our short slalom canoes. These time we reached Gowanbridge by was 13ft. 6in. boats are made of fibreglass feeling more like the professional I was and although excellent in fast white supposed to be. My canoe obviously water tend to veer from side to side in sensed this and to stop me getting big- calm conditions. These calm stretches headed about my, new-found ability were becoming longer and longer and suddenly swung sideways and jammed we were glad when Murchison appeared against a large rock. In this situation and we were able to pull our boats out the correct procedure is to lean into the of the water, load on to the trailer and rock and push the boat clear. I am not look for a campsite. noted for doing the right thing in an While the rest set up camp Gordon emergency and promptly leaned up- and John took the truck and went stream, filling my boat with water; further downriver to see if there was

BULLER RIVER going to be any problem on the follow- the bank. Don, coming down after Goring day. Soon afterwards they returned don almost came out as his craft was with Gordon talking excitedly about tipped on to its side, but some skilful some monster of a rapid several miles sculling with his paddle saved him from downstream. I was glad that I hadn't a capsize. Norm began his approach, the seen it as I was sure I would be having water caught his canoe' and swung him nightmares about what I had been away from the channel and although he through without having them about tried to correct, it was too late. His what was going to come. Exhaustion beat boat caught against the big rock in the the nightmares into second place and middle of the river and in a flash he was I slept well. upside-down. the canoe free of Norm's The day dawned grey. as we reluctantly weight spun high into the air and crashed struggled into our cold wet gear. That down into the far channel. There was no funny feeling in the stomach returned sign of Norm. Gordon moved out to as I floated my canoe once again and retrieve the upturned boat while the climbed into the cockpit. Downstream rest of us looked for Norm. Still no I could see the beginnings of the Buller sign. The thought that he could be pingorge. The sight of its high walls was ned against that rock flashed through doing nothing to help my enthusiasm my mind. Suddenly 100 yards downfor canoeing. However, my fears went stream an orange lifejacket showed with the passing of the first two rapids below the surface, then a head broke and by the time we were into the gorge the water, and then Norm took his first I was feeling quite able to handle this breath for what seemed like an age. We fast water. The sheer rocky walls of the emptied his boat and helped him to get gorge sent currents swirling from side in. to side and formed small whirlpools "All I could see was deep green under our boats which suddenlp veered water," he said in disbelief. We all us from our intended course. These walls looked back at the rapid and we were also tended to magnify sound and we thankful that it had been Norm who had could hear the rear of big rapids hun- fallen out and not one of us. dreds of yards before we got to them. After this experience we tackled the rapids with much greater caution - the A big one could be heard ahead sO "fear of death" had been instilled we climbed out to inspect. A large rock, Several miles further on we in us. almost covered by water divided the a narrow part of the stopped at river into two channels. One side tock downstream I could see gorge. that Looking the main volume of water but was a be the one that Gordon and this John must had foaming mass of white water and seen on the previous I could see cbvicusly difficult. The other side was what had made them excited. night. green water and although it had a 3-ft. was solid rock. The river narrowed All around drop in it, it was the easier looking of half and there was by the two choices. Tony stood on the bank a drop of 15 feet. with his paddle ready to push us into From here for over 250 yards there was the best line of approach should we nothing but foaming boiling white water. need it. I took my time returning to my John would heaved in a log to see where it boat but could not walk as slow as the and didn't go to. Into the cauldron it went others and was first into the water. reappear. Damn! I was hoping someone else "Must have been waterlogged," said would be first. As I approached the John hopefully as he tossed a lighter log rapid my canoe gathered momentum. after it. This one did not reappear either. Ib braced my knees and leaned backward We were thinking twice about going as I shot forward over the drop. The down. All eyes turned to Tony, our green water took the stern and smashed expert. it downward against a hidden rock jar- "Better give this one a miss.' " he ring the whole boat. The bow went under after due consideration. We all said the water and buried itself up to the a sigh of relief as we began to breathed portage cockpit combing. The buoyancy of the the boats down to the next convenient bow overcame the momentum and the put-in place. With caution still front lifted clear of the water and sent most in our minds we canoe-ed upper- the me skidding sideways out of the rapid. remaining section of the There was a lcok of surprise on my face our boats being rafted gorge in pairs, as I paddled to the side and grasped stability. Once out of the gorge together we stop- for ped at the first sandbank and spent a to believe. With the increased volume of pleasant half-hour soaking up some sun water this far west came long straights of and regaining spent nervous energy. calm water. The rapids became easier Below here the gorge opened out, the and the straights longer and it was with sun broke through the cloud and canoe- relief that we pulled into the bank for ing became an enjoyable recreation for the last time, below Lyall bridge. the first time since the start of the trip. On board the truck we climbed into Somehow nothing seemed quite as hard our sleepingbags for the long journey or as fearsome as what had gone before. home. They were seven very tired arms Even the rapid caused by the Inangahua that lifted ales as the truck sped through earthquake, a quarter-mile series, was the night towards Anakiwa. not as forbidding as we had been led JIM KETTLEWELL.