Water Adventure Must Do’s in New Zealand
Posted on May 22, 2008 under Tips & Advice |White Water Kayaking
Kayaking is New Zealand’s most popular river sport. It’s an individual’s sport, involving a lot of fun challenges. Staying upright while trying to avoid boulders and punch through waves is enough to double anyone’s heart rate. The more peaceful side of the sport involves gently gliding down beautiful rivers and through remote wilderness areas.
Skills
Kayaks have more speed and maneuverability than rafts. However, these are not positive attributes until you have the skill and judgment to be able to use them to your advantage. Until the eskimo roll is mastered, any mistakes usually result in a ’swim’ (being swept down a rapid while desperately clutching your canoe and paddle). New Zealand has an extensive network of canoeing clubs, many of which provide excellent instruction courses. As kayaking is potentially very dangerous, it is best to learn with a club or commercial canoe school.
Equipment
Currently the best all-purpose white water kayak is the Dancer. You’ll also need a paddle, spray skirt and spray jacket (or nylon wind breaker), as well as the general safety equipment previously mentioned. Canoe clubs usually hire out equipment at very reasonable rates.
Tubing
Tubing is a lot of fun and has a strong appeal because it costs nothing and requires few technical skills compared to kayaking. A tube raft can easily be carried into remote rivers and constructed on site. After lashing a couple of over-inflated truck tyre inner-tubes together and making an improvised paddle, you’re away. It’s a hard-case sport that will probably never make it to the Olympics.
Skills
The main skill required is knowing how to read the river. Tubing itself is a piece of cake. A tube raft is stable (or at least it should be) and easy to climb back onto if you capsize. Picking the right line down the river and avoiding the obstacles mentioned above is not so easy. Tube rafts are difficult to steer and spin around quickly after bumping into rocks. They are very slow on long flat sections.
Equipment
For each rafter, beg, borrow, or steal two large truck tubes and 5 metres of rope, and the safety equipment previously mentioned. Each party needs at least one foot pump, a puncture repair kit, a valve tool and plenty of spare valves. You can get most of this stuff from your local garage. Paddles can be improvised out of almost anything (take a look at the cover!). The perfect craft has yet to be designed, so we’ll leave that up to you. But make sure it’s tied together tightly and there’s nothing loose that you can get snagged on. To inflate a tube quickly, take the valve out, blow it up by mouth, screw the valve back in, then use the foot pump to inflate it the rest of the way.
Rafting
To raft down really rough rivers (grade IV and V), you should go with a professional rafting company. Most guided trips are safe, well organised and no previous experience is required, even for really big water.
River Sledging
This exciting new sport involves swimming, with the aid of a glorified boogie board and flippers, down rivers and through rapids that would take years to master in a canoe. As yet the sledges cannot be bought in New Zealand, but a few adventure companies offer excellent trips on some of our most popular rivers.
Sea Kayaking
The kayak was originally designed and built by Eskimos to be used in the sea, and in recent years there has been a revival of using it for this purpose. Nowadays, well designed fibreglass and plastic, single or double kayaks can be hired at most of the best paddling spots. Both stable and fast, these kayaks can glide along at the same speed as a walker but carry twice as much gear.
Skills
Only basic kayaking skills and a moderate level of fitness are required. With a little common sense it’s a very safe activity. A full briefing on kayaking techniques, safety procedures and the area you’re paddling in should be given by the company you hire the kayaks from. If you’re still hesitant, hire a guide. Companies do not rent kayaks to solo paddlers.
Equipment
Along with the kayak, a life jacket, spray skirt, paddle, and safety flares are provided. Often, camping equipment and snorkelling gear are also available. Take all the standard outdoor stuff, and an extra large sunhat and sunglasses.
Diving
Diving reveals an unimaginable world of strange creatures and bizarre plants - it’s often difficult to tell which is which. To skin dive you need three basic things: a mask to see, a snorkel to breathe and flippers to move. A wetsuit in cold waters enables you to dive without freezing to death. To go scuba diving you have to sit a course to obtain a scuba certificate. Shops will not fill your tanks unless you have one. Never dive alone.