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This blog details news and events from my two major passions, art and white water kayaking. I may include posts about my other active interests including tramping, rock-climbing, tennis, exploring, snorkelling, house renovation, entrepreneurial ideas and various other hybrid activities. I welcome comments and look forward to receiving your feedback.
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Kayaking & Outdoors
In mid April, Jon Parker, Dean Benvenuti, Cam from the USA and I met Scott Bothwell from Gisborne and kayaked the Hopuruahine Stream and the Ruakituri River, both next to lake Waikaremoana. First we paddled the first 500m of the Hopuruahine Cascades, which was pretty intense and took over two hours including scouting, exiting the river via a cliff and taking photos. We got out just before an 8 m drop which may have been paddleable, but we didn't have time to assess it or the big drops we could see below it. 
Timon in the main rapid getting air off a rock and in the next shot, submerged in the chute below 
Next day we carried our kayaks 6km over very rugged terrain into the 72m high Waitangi Falls on the Ruakituri River.
These falls are well worth the tramp, are spectacular and quite unique in New Zealand. The portage down the hill to the get-in below the falls was a bit of a nightmare, but the paddling was excellent. The river flows over big wide shallow ledges which are up to about 5 m high and really fun to paddle. The rockforms in the bedrock were quite amazing. 
The walk-in 
Jon and two clones in the first rapid 
Dean in a 4m drop The day after, we paddled the Papuni Section of the river, immediately downstream. This was also a lot of fun, with some very tight maneuvering through tiny gaps. 
Dean in two places at once in the crux rapid on the Papuni Section  Interesting rock forms in the last rapid on the Papuni section Get in touch if you are interested in walking in to Waitangi Falls - I can give you some tips on the best route!
Kayaking the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River
18 September, 2008 by Timon
 Our kayak expedition down the Colorado was an amazing adventure of sixteen days duration. The scenery was incredible, with huge multi-coloured cliffs and strange, varied flora and fauna including crazy cacti, rattlesnakes and lizards galore. The Canyon became more impressive as we progressed downstream. The rapids consisted of huge waves and 'holes', but were technically not difficult to run. Some of these waves were brilliant to surf on. The major rapids such as Hance, Horn Creek, Hermit, Crystal and Lava were intimidating due just to the sheer size of the hydraulics, but of these, only Hance and Lava required any real route taking prowess. Several of our members capsized and swum in major rapids and had to be rescued. Two rafts flipped, and despite all gear being in drybags, much gear became soaked. Flipping the rafts back upright took a lot of rope, time and effort.
 We made several hikes up spectacular side-canyons. Some required rather exposed moves high up cliff-faces, and some involved clambering up waterfalls, swimming across or diving into pools.
Several of us were stung and bitten by ferocious red ants. These stings remained painful then itchy for days. One member of our team, Steve Ward, was bitten twice by the same scorpion. He failed to shake out his pants before putting them on and paid the price. After he threw the scorpion out his tent door, he stepped outside in bare feet and was stung again. Three hours later, his face began to tingle with numbness, but luckily, that was the end of his symptoms. Usually, people become sick for a few days.  The river flow at the start of the trip varied between 12,000 to 16,000cfs and flash flooding on the first day or two upped this to 22,000cfs - a high flow for the river. After this, the weather was characteristically fine until the second to last day when a major thunderstorm and deluge struck. This was a concern, as the Diamond Creek exit road is very vulnerable to flash floods. When we arrived at the takeout the next morning, the road was indeed totally washed out by the largest flash flood in twelve years. The five of us with the tightest flight itineraries walked up the devastated stream bed for a couple of miles to find workmen rebuilding the road. We negotiated an escape with them to Flagstaff in a big four wheel drive for US$300. The road was rebuilt by the following afternoon and the rest of our party arrived safely in Flagstaff and we had a final meal together before going separate ways.
I now have a great supply of wonderful canyon scenery photographs which I will use as reference for my art. Showspace Gallery in Flagstaff, next to the Canyon, is interested in any Canyon art I produce. Our outfitter from Seattle, Chris, did a great job of managing the technical side of our trip. She provided all the specialised equipment and systems and provided all the food.
Pohangina Exploration on Inner Tubes
05 February, 2008 by Timon
 | Duncan runs a nice drop | On 23 December 2007, Duncan McEwan of Victoria University Canoe Club and myself ventured Northward to find out the nature of the Pohangina River in the Gorge where it flows from the Ruahine Ranges, with the view to kayaking it at a later date. It has been paddled several times before at high flows and is a very serious grade 5+ run (on a grading system of 1 - 6 where 6 is hardest). We walked up the Gorge track carrying truck tubes and wetsuit gear until we came to Centre Creek, about 1.5km up the gorge. This track was steep and exposed in places and would be difficult to carry kayaks along. According to a local, resident near the start of the track, the river was fairly low. However, there was just enough water to tube down, and also enough to kayak down. From Centre Creek, we walked upstream a couple of hundred metres to see very steep rapids filtering between huge boulders. At this low flow, these were not really navigable. With more water they would become very challenging. We kitted up into wetsuits, boots and helmets and proceeded to float off downstream. We dropped over several 1m drops, falling off our tubes a number of times and continually bouncing off boulders. Soon, we came to a short, narrow bedrock gorge with a  | | Timon runs a small drop | very steep rapid leading into it. We clambered around the first part of it because it was too dangerous to tackle. However, we attempted the next part and both fell off in the first steep twisting drop and swam the rest of the rapid, which was a bit bumpy. Duncan munched his fingernail on a rock. Below here were several more very steep rapids. One in particular I climbed out ahead of Duncan to inspect. It looked ok, so I beckoned Duncan down it. He capsized in the final drop and began to recirculate in the unpleasant little pool below. I lent him a leg to grab. He was subsequently less trusting of my judgement. Shortly after this, the valley opened up for a distance before entering another very short, but less intense gorge, immediately after which we climbed up the very steep track to the road and dry clothes.  | | Walking a three metre waterfall | It was a great trip and we are keen to go back and paddle the section in kayaks, even at this supposed low flow (which I would estimate as being about 4m3/s). The gorge was ruggedly beautiful, and the river was similar in nature to those on the South Island West Coast. Incidently, Google Earth shows this section of river very clearly. It is also clear that there are rapids just as serious upstream for another couple of kilometres, so if you were prepared to grovel up the track, you would likely be well rewarded.
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