SUMMER OF STORMS ENDLESS RAIN IN NEW ZEALAND'S BAY OF PLENTY

Nestled in New Zealand's North Island, in the heart of the Bay of Plenty, is a time-tested Whitewater Eden. Summer in Okere Falls typically promises endless Class III/V joy laps down the Kaituna and Wairoa rivers, and if flows line up right, a Kaimai classic. This year, months of relentless rains gave Rob Collister the endless summer of creeking he had always imagined, inspiring a long-awaited return to old favorites and rarely run treats and a new appreciation for the old faithful.

Rob Collister

As I lie in bed listening to the continuous pounding of rain, I contemplate which rivers will run tomorrow. While weighing up which river to paddle next, I realize I am sick of rain! This is not the summer I spent all winter dreaming of. Being the first full summer for the New Zealand Whitewater Academy, a kayak school started by Sam Ricketts and myself, the plan was to have an excellent season of lessons and tandem kayak trips down the mighty Kaituna River. We would get as many laps down the local rivers in our spare time as possible. But as the winter rains slowly dragged into spring, into November, December, January, and Cyclone Gabrielle, our work hopes might have been dashed, but not our Whitewater dreams. A TYPICAL…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Spring 2023

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