Rafting the Rangitikei - Xmas 1990

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RAFTING THE RANGITIKEI - XMAS 1990 Rob Stone UCEP Paul and John We finally stopped at about 1.00 pm below Ignimbrite And so our first night was spent pleasantly warm and dry, Saddle. Ngapuketarua was wreathed in cloud and it was in the headwaters of the Rangitikei. raining heavily. I was soaked through, my lunch biscuits Next morning, rafts were assembled and gear lashed in its had turned to soup in my pocket, and it was five hours correct place. The rafting was about to begin, or so I back to the road end and my pack. Noel appeared through thought, until we set off dragging the rafts. The river was the mist and rain, commenting tersely that "in the old very low. days, we used to stop". As we shivered our way through lunch we discussed options ifthe chopper couldn't get our The first 2 days were spent in this way and it was slow gear in to the drop off today. Brian had found a small going. However, the time wasn't wasted as we sorted out piece of black plastic which he was offering to rent out, the various crews - Alastair and Noel, Roger and Steve, and I could see that by 6.00 pm, if the rain hadn't Paul and John, and Brian, Phil and myself in the larger stopped, then things were going to get really ugly. Sound raft. Phil explained the rudiments of boatmanship like the start of a highly successful Xmas trip rafting the "over", "back it up" etc. Brian spotted trout from the headwaters of the Rangitikei River? forward position, and I got in some preliminary skinbashing. Well, lucky for us the rain did stop, the clouds lifted and a chopper appeared bearing John Booth, a net full of We reached Ecology Stream within a few days, and this packs, rafts, food boxes, fishing rods etc. I knew then was a landmark, as it guaranteed more water. We spent that it was not some awful nightmare, and vowed never New Year's Eve here, and Noel caught the one and only again to go tramping without my sleeping bag, even on trout of the trip. Most of us were in our pits early, but day trips. Roger woke us at midnight to a clear sky and full moon. Brian quickly discarded his piece of black plastic, no doubt hoping we would forget his earlier demands, and set off with Noel to haul some of the monster trout out of the river.

As we progressed down river, the pools naturally got Brian's catering was brilliant, allowing us to be "up" on bigger and the rapids more exciting. We only had to many items, and needing a lunch spot of many square portage one major stretch due to lack of water, and metres to accommodate all the different spreads, and John although it was not exactly white-knuckle stuff, the rapids showed immense patience patching punctured rafts in were good. On our raft, the secret to success lay in awkward places. having only one Admiral, who shouted orders and added expletives if they weren't obeyed. Roger and Steve The latter part of the trip was spent drifting through miles however were seen paddling in circles at times, and of burnt-off hills, finally emerging on the Napier-Taihape entering rapids backwards and sideways. Noel had his road, to be met by the remainder of the Booth family in helmet on early in the trip, possibly a reflection of the Critchley "Pimp-Wagon". Alastair's Admiralty, and Paul and John were hauling their raft back up for a second go quite often. Brain Later that night, after showers and clean shirts, we demonstrated his manoeuvre, learnt earlier in the Motu, adjourned to a Chinese Restaurant in Taihape, and of pushing the raft off a rock in mid-stream, but completed the night with a spot of hooning in the main forgetting to get back on board. street. By now its probably safe to wear a Tongue and Meats T-Shirt in Taihape, although at the time , Phil Roger discovered his wetsuit had seams in embarrassing Booth was heard complaining that he would never be able places, and reverted to wearing nappies around the to show his face in town again. campsite, with vaseline smeared all over him. Thanks to the Booths for rafts, accommodation, a huge Noel lost his camera over-board: ever tried searching for breakfast at 5.30 am, to Paul for breaking the Guinness a black object in a waist deep swift river on an overcast Book of Records in packing a dozen people plus gear into day? his wagon, Brian for catering, and all other trip members for a great rafting trip: Paul Critchley, Brian Hunt, Steve Patience, Roger Bolam, Phil Booth, Alastair Booth, John Booth, Noel Thomas and Rob Stone. Yahoo! (Paul Critchley)