The long easter weekend was spent down on the East Cape around Napier. The mission was to paddle the Mohaka River. After an early start on Good Friday the team (Dodgey, Nicki, Sam, Mai, Steffan, Hayden and myself) arrived at the get in a little weary and stiff from the 5 hour drive. It was running late in the day and a 2.5 hour grade 2 paddle seemed not so appealing. I quickly volunteered for shuttle bunny with Sam, sniggering as the remaining five kitted up for an evening paddle. We were off to drink beer - err, strike camp.
Day two began with a foggy start. And out of the mist emerged a hoard of wild horses intent on taking up kayaking for themselves. Well, trying plastic kayaks as a dietary supplement anyway. Thankfully expensive multi-coloured tupperware tubs aren't that tasty and we were left in peace to much away on our breakfast.
The paddle was a nice bimble on grade III (IV) water winding its way through the isolated East Cape country side. No real epics - just nice waves, big ramp type rapids and a few large holes to contend with.
So there i was, happily following Hayden, minding my own business as we approach the top of a rapid. Hayden leads in cautiously going with the flow - we were running everything blind - no biggy, its not a hard river. Hayden suddenly nails an eddy and sits right on the eddy line. I was now the blind probe!!! And boy was there a big hole. No wonder Hayden made a sharp exit. Nothing for it but to charge it. Power on and a deep breath. The sky sure was clear and blue. An H3 vertical is apparently an impressive site!!! Hehe.
A cracking days paddle with a fish and chip (fush n chup if you kiwis don't understand english) dinner in Napier. Then back to camp for beers and sing song round the camp fire. Ok so thankfully no sing song but a good few beers were had in preparation for tackling the gorge on sunday.
Easter Sunday was another foggy day. And we were (well some of us - i was fast asleep) woken by more wild horse antics. This time it seemed they took a dislike to tents. Thankfully not mine. Anyway, today was the reason we came to do the Mohaka - the gorge (Willow Flat section).
It was going to be a cold day tucked away in the depths of the gorge. Once your in - the only way out is by chopper or by kayak. The group was down to four with only myself, Dodgey, Hayden and Mai going for it. We wrapped up in all the thermals we could find (thank the lord for my dry trousers) and off we set, waving goodbye to our comrade who we would not see for another 6 hours.
Hayden paddles off to infinity and beyond...
The run starts nicely with a picturesque grade II run before things start getting fun. A lot of the run has to be run blind due to it being in a gorge. This adds to the excitement as you never know what will be round the next boulder. The crux of the run is 'Guides Launch', a nice drop into a meaty hole. Mai discovered a chicken chute which she ran backwards - slightly concerned for her well being i followed what i thought was her line. However it turned out to be the wrong line. The skyward nose of my H3 once again signifying to the following that perhaps river left was a better option. Or so they thought.... Dodgey had an interesting moment (about 30 seconds of moment to be fair) in the whole on river left. Ah well, that'll learn him for paddling a silly small boat.
The scenery was stunning. House sized boulders and 150m high gorge walls. The deeper into the gorge we went the more stunning, and the best was saved for last. 'Hotel Rock' signified the beginning of the end of the run. It is indeed the size of a hotel. How it got there is anyones guess. It seems to be of a totally different geology to the rest of the gorge too, and too big to have come down the gorge. Ho hum the mystery continues.
The only way is up, baby, - Name that tune?!?!?
Then it was all over and a 5 hour trip back to Auckland. Awesome run. Awesome scenery, oh, and one thing of note. The shuttle for the bottom section is quite possibly the biggest shuttle known to man - must have been a good 80km!!!
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