Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.kayakcult.com

           

By Antz Longman

New Zealand is a young nation in terms of settlement and geology, with a constantly changing landscape. New Zealand's river systems provide some of the world's most exciting and potentially dangerous white water in the world.

 After the British started settling New Zealand in the mid 1800's, early pioneers quickly started searching out the gold in many of our river beds. Rivers like the Shotover, Kawarau and Buller still show the effects of the early mining and dredging. We now thank the miners for their dedication or possibly just 'Gold Fever' because we have roads and towns all along the South Island’s major rivers. These roads provide access to some of New Zealand most accessible white water runs, even if the roads are some of the scariest to drive. (Skippers Canyon Road into the Shotover, for example.)

 Gold wasn't the only thing which attracted early New Zealanders into our rivers. On the South Island's West Coast the Maori tribes discovered vast amounts of Pounamu (Jade or Greenstone) in the rivers. Rivers like the Arahura and Hokitika contained huge greenstone boulder. They still hold significant amounts of these stones but are now nationally protected areas.

In New Zealand's north the rivers have a different heritage. With the landscape initially shaped by volcanoes most rivers are now the victims of dams. The Waikato River is the longest in New Zealand and is home to several dams. Although many of the North Island rivers are dammed, due to negotiations with power companies Kiwi kayakers and other recreationalists are given dam release days (through natural river beds) to “compensate” for the loss of amenities. Although we would much rather have the rivers in their natural state, dam releases provide regular year round flows on rivers such as the Tongariro, Waikato, Wairoa, Kaituna, Mangahao and many others.

 As history has shaped NZ's approach to rivers, kayakers have also changed the way that they approach rivers. Next time I'll discuss the introduction of the helicopter and it’s the effect on the New Zealand kayaking scene.

Antz is the owner and editor of CUMEC Magazine, the only dedicated white water magazine for the New Zealand and Australian White Water communities. He started kayaking in a slalom boat and his since been seen playboating, creeking and having a general good time all over New Zealand, Costa Rica, Panama and California.

The Buller River near Murchison