2020 Raft Log
Raft Personal:
17/03/2020.
Taieri River – Lower Section – Dunedin.
Wild Earth Adventures.
Toddy, Thomas, Lesley, Simon, Murray, Steffan, and 19 Kids and 8
Adults.
Overcast and Cold, warming slightly during the day.
Tidal Flow.
Rafting Trip with Wild Earth Adventures for St Mary’s School from
Mosgiel. (8 hours).
I did a day raft guiding with Wild Earth Adventures on the Lower Section of the Taieri River from John Bull Gully back to Henley. The flow was tidal, and we put on the river as the high tide was coming in. We were working with St Mary’s School in Mosgiel. I was in one of the Incept Rafts with three adults, and 4 kids. Fun day on the river, with a good crew. The day started off pretty cool, and only warmed up slightly. The kids did well swimming in the river, even though some of them were starting to get a little cold by the end.
I did a day raft guiding with Wild Earth Adventures on the Lower Section of the Taieri River from John Bull Gully back to Henley. The flow was tidal, and we put on the river as the high tide was coming in. We were working with St Mary’s School in Mosgiel. I was in one of the Incept Rafts with three adults, and 4 kids. Fun day on the river, with a good crew. The day started off pretty cool, and only warmed up slightly. The kids did well swimming in the river, even though some of them were starting to get a little cold by the end.
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20/02/2020.
Taieri River – Lower Section – Dunedin.
Wild Earth Adventures.
Toddy, Steffan, Thomas, Charlotte, Lesley, and 28 Kids and 14 Adults.
Overcast, clearing to Fine.
Tidal Flow.
Rafting Trip with Wild Earth Adventures for Mornington School. (8
hours).
I did a day raft guiding with Wild Earth Adventures on the Lower Section
of the Taieri River from John Bull Gully back to Henley. The flow was tidal,
and we put on the river as the high tide was coming in. We were working with Mornington
School. I was in one of the Chinese Rafts with three adults, and 7 kids. Fun
day on the river, with a good crew. One slightly challenging kid. Also managed
to lose my buff when the jetboat soaked us.
2019 Raft Log
Raft Personal:
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16/10/19.
Taieri River – Lower Gorge Section – Dunedin.
Wild Earth Adventures.
Steve, Steffan, Thomas, Charlotte, Murray, Seb, Simon, Lesley, and 21 Kids
and 7 Adults.
Fine.
Grade 2 running at 54 cumecs.
Rafting Trip with Wild Earth Adventures for Green Island School. (8
hours).
I did a day raft guiding with Wild Earth Adventures on the Lower
Gorge Section of the Taieri River from Lee Stream down to Outram. The river was
flowing at 54 cumecs, we were working with Green Island School. I was in the
little blue two-man Raft with Charlotte.
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07/03/19.
Earthquake Section – Buller River.
Wild Rivers Rafting.
Rafters: Marios, Steffan Rolfe, Julie, Larry, Karen, June, Thomas, Amy,
Robert, June, Diane, Thomas, Steven, Linda, Joe, and Donna; 3 Raft Guides.
Fine.
Grade 2, and Grade 3, Longford Gauge running at 12 cumecs.
Wild Rivers Rafting Tour for National Geographic Adventures. (4 hours).
I did a rafting trip with Wild Rivers Rafting through National Geographic Adventures. We rafted down the Buller Gorge with Wild Rivers Rafting through the Earthquake Section to Iron Bridge. The river was at a very low flow (12 cumecs at Longford), and we were paddling into a headwind. With the low flows most of the rapids were at Grade 2, with only 2 at a Grade 3. Great day on the River though.
I did a rafting trip with Wild Rivers Rafting through National Geographic Adventures. We rafted down the Buller Gorge with Wild Rivers Rafting through the Earthquake Section to Iron Bridge. The river was at a very low flow (12 cumecs at Longford), and we were paddling into a headwind. With the low flows most of the rapids were at Grade 2, with only 2 at a Grade 3. Great day on the River though.
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| Nat Geo Adventures - 7th of March 2019 Bruce giving us a briefing. |
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| Nat Geo Adventures - 7th of March 2019 Raft coming down the Buller |
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| Nat Geo Adventures - 7th of March 2019 The rest of the on the Buller. |
Raft Training (Wild Earth Adventures):
14/11/19.
Taieri River – Lower Gorge.
Wild Earth Adventures.
Steve, Steffan, Murray, Lesley, Tom, Charlotte, Simon, Brian,
and 26 students & 9 Adults from St Joseph Cathedral School.
Fine, changing to rain in the afternoon.
Grade 2, 30 cumecs.
Client day with St Josephs Cathedral School on the Grade
2 Section of the Lower Taieri Gorge with Wild Earth Adventures. (8 hours).
I did a day White
Water Raft Guiding with Wild Earth Adventures on the Lower Gorge Section of the
Taieri River. After loading up the rafts and gear at the gear shed, we headed
through to Outram Glen to meet the clients. The Rafts and gear were transported
up river to the Lee Stream by Steve in the Jetboat, and 5 of guides were also
transported up to get the area setup, and start working on lunch. The group was
transported up the river for lunch. The group was then split across 5 Rafts – I
had one adult, 6 kids, and Leslay. We then guided down the Grade two section
from Lee Stream to Outram Glen which was running at approximately 30 cumecs. I
did a quick session instructing my group on paddle strokes and holding on. The
trip went smoothly, spacing between the rafts was good. We played the Troll
Bridge game at Outram which worked well. It was a fun trip down the river.
After getting everything back to the gear shed, unpacking, and cleaning, we had
a group debrief.
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19/09/19 to 20/09/19.
Taieri River – Lower Gorge.
Wild Earth Adventures.
Steve, Steffan, Tom, Charlotte, Phil, Ross, Toddy, Brian,
Lesley, and Pete.
Fine.
Grade 3 and Grade 2, approximately 5 cumecs.
White Water Raft Guide training on the Lower Gorge
Section of the Taieri River with Wild Earth Adventures. (2 days).
I did two days White Water Raft Guide training with
Wild Earth Adventures on the Lower Gorge Section of the Taieri River. On the
first day we spent the morning being guided on the Grade three section from
Mullocky Stream down to the Rock Garden. We practiced doing a bit of tethered
rafting in preparation for some of the trainees to attend a river rescue workshop
in November. After a BBQ Lunch at the Rock Garden we guided down the Grade two
section – I guided the river section below Bum Rock and had a bit of time
working on the line through the Bum Rock Rapid. We spent a little bit of time
swimming on the Bum Rock Rapid. The following day we focused on Trip Logistics
in the morning, and then again guided down the Grade two section. I guided from
the Rock Garden down to Bum Rock. We spent a bit of time swimming in the Bum
Rock Rapid, before swimming again in another rapid lower down. The River was
running at approximately 5 cumecs – so pretty low.
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| Wild Earth Adventures - 19th of September 2019. The Wingatua Viaduct. |
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| Wild Earth Adventures - 19th of September 2019. Looking down Pipeline Rapid. |
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| Wild Earth Adventures - 19th of September 2019. Approaching Bum Rock. |
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| Wild Earth Adventures - 19th of September 2019. Rafting below the Rock Garden. |
2018 Rafting Log
Rafting Personal:
20/03/18.
Queenstown Rafting Shotover - March 2018.
Rafting down the Shotover Gorge.
Queenstown Rafting Shotover - March 2018.
Hitting the Bottom of Cascade.
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12/01/18.
I did a cruisey rafting trip down the Dog Leg Run on the Kawarau River with Queenstown Rafting. The river was at a low flow (~120 cumecs). We spent a lot of time floating down the river outside of the raft – and where only required to be in the raft for the Grade 3 rapids (Do Little Do Nothing, & Dog Leg), and beneath the Bungy Bridge.
Queenstown Rafting Kawarau - January 2018
Smile and Wave Boys, Smile and Wave
Queenstown Rafting Kawarau - January 2018
Steffan on the Way down to the Put In.
Queenstown Rafting Kawarau - January 2018
Raft Convoy.
20/03/18.
Gorge Run – Shotover River.
Queenstown Rafting.
Rafters: Steffan Rolfe, plus 22 other clients; 4 Raft Guides, and two
Safety Boaters.
Fine.
Grade 3, and Grade 4, approximately 30 cumecs.
Queenstown Rafting Shotover River Rafting Tour. (4 hours).
I did a rafting trip with
Queenstown Rafting down the Gorge Run on the Shotover River at approximately 30
cumecs. The rapids were Grade 4. We started off with a trip over the Skippers
Road to the Deep Creek put in, before descending down 8km of mostly grade 2.
Then we went through a couple of Grade 3 rapids, and then down through Mother
(Grade 4), out the Oxenbridge Tunnel, and down Cascade (Grade 3) to the Take
out. We got stuck sideways on one of the rapids through Mother, which was an
interesting experience.
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| Queenstown Rafting Shotover - March 2018. Rafting down the Shotover Gorge. |
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| Queenstown Rafting Shotover - March 2018. Hitting the Bottom of Cascade. |
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12/01/18.
I did a cruisey rafting trip down the Dog Leg Run on the Kawarau River with Queenstown Rafting. The river was at a low flow (~120 cumecs). We spent a lot of time floating down the river outside of the raft – and where only required to be in the raft for the Grade 3 rapids (Do Little Do Nothing, & Dog Leg), and beneath the Bungy Bridge.
Smile and Wave Boys, Smile and Wave
Steffan on the Way down to the Put In.
Raft Convoy.
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| Queenstown Rafting Kawarau - January 2018 Chief at the Bottom, us at the Top. |
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| Queenstown Rafting Kawarau - January 2018 Rafting out of the Bottom of Dog Leg. |
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| Queenstown Rafting Kawarau - January 2018 Riding through the Dog Leg Wave Train. |
Raft Training (Wild Earth Adventures):
06/12/18.
I did a day White
Water Raft Guiding with Wild Earth Adventures on the Lower Gorge Section of the
Taieri River. After loading up the rafts and gear at the gear shed, we headed
through to Outram Glen to meet the clients. The Rafts and gear were transported
up river to the Lee Stream by Steve in the Jetboat, and six of guides were also
transported up to get the area setup, and start working on lunch. I was part of
the setup group, and did the meet and greet at Lee Stream. The group was
transported up the river in two groups for lunch. The group was then split across
9 Rafts – I had two adults and 8 kids. We then guided down the Grade two
section from Lee Stream to Outram Glen which was running at approximately 90
cumecs increasing to 140 cumecs. I did a quick session instructing my group on paddle
strokes and holding on. The trip went smoothly, although spacing between the
rafts could have been better. We were paddling into a head wind which was a new
experience, and definitely impacted on the handling of the raft. Overall it was
a fun trip down the river at a flow that I hadn’t experienced before. After
getting everything back to the gear shed, unpacking, and cleaning, we had a
group debrief with a few learnings being discussed.
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31/10/18.
I did a days White
Water Raft Guiding with Wild Earth Adventures on the Lower Gorge Section of the
Taieri River. After loading up the rafts and gear at the gear shed, we headed
through to Outram Glen to meet the clients. The Rafts and gear were transported
up river to the Rock Garden by Steve in the Jetboat, and three of the guides
were also transported up to get the area setup, and start working on lunch. I
was part of the meet and greet group, and after doing a briefing and gear check
with the clients we started walking along the Taieri River Track up to Lee
Stream. We then issued life jackets to the group for their Jetboat ride up to the
Rock Garden. Once we were all there we had lunch, and then got the group kitted
out in Life Jackets and Helmets. Toddy then split the group across 6 Rafts – I had
two adults and 6 kids. We then guided down the Grade two section which was
running at approximately 68 cumecs. I had a little bit of trouble breaking out
of the first eddie, which required two attempts. I also ended up nose first in
the crack in Bum Rock, which I got through by performing a weight shift to the
right. The rest of the trip went smoothly, although spacing between the rafts
could have been better. Overall it was a fun trip down the river at a flow that
I hadn’t experienced before. After getting everything back to the gear shed, unpacking,
and cleaning, we had a group debrief with a few learnings being discussed.
20/09/18 to 21/09/18.
I did two days White Water Raft Guide training with Wild Earth Adventures on the Lower Gorge Section of the Taieri River. On the first day we spent the morning being guided on the Grade three section from Mullocky Stream down to the Rock Garden. After a BBQ Lunch at the Rock Garden we guided down the Grade two section – I guided the river section below Bum Rock. We spent a little bit of time swimming on the Bum Rock Rapid. The following day we focused on Trip Logistics in the morning, and then again guided down the Grade two section. I guided from the Rock Garden down to Bum Rock. We spent a bit of time swimming in the Bum Rock Rapid, and then shifted a few rocks out of one of the channels to make it easier to get the jet boat up, before swimming again in another rapid lower down.
Wild Earth Adventures - Taieri River.
September 2018.
Rafts tied at the bottom of the Rock Garden.
06/12/18.
Taieri River – Lower Gorge.
Wild Earth Adventures.
Steve, Steffan, Ross, Toddy, Tom, Phil, Lesley, Liam,
Brian, Dan, one other guide and ~50 students & 18 Adults from Hawea Primary
School.
Overcast, clearing to fine..
Grade 2, starting at ~ 90 cumecs increasing to ~ 140
cumecs..
Client day with Hawea School on the Grade 2 Section of
the Lower Taieri Gorge with Wild Earth Adventures. (10 hours).
I did a day White
Water Raft Guiding with Wild Earth Adventures on the Lower Gorge Section of the
Taieri River. After loading up the rafts and gear at the gear shed, we headed
through to Outram Glen to meet the clients. The Rafts and gear were transported
up river to the Lee Stream by Steve in the Jetboat, and six of guides were also
transported up to get the area setup, and start working on lunch. I was part of
the setup group, and did the meet and greet at Lee Stream. The group was
transported up the river in two groups for lunch. The group was then split across
9 Rafts – I had two adults and 8 kids. We then guided down the Grade two
section from Lee Stream to Outram Glen which was running at approximately 90
cumecs increasing to 140 cumecs. I did a quick session instructing my group on paddle
strokes and holding on. The trip went smoothly, although spacing between the
rafts could have been better. We were paddling into a head wind which was a new
experience, and definitely impacted on the handling of the raft. Overall it was
a fun trip down the river at a flow that I hadn’t experienced before. After
getting everything back to the gear shed, unpacking, and cleaning, we had a
group debrief with a few learnings being discussed.
31/10/18.
Taieri River – Lower Gorge.
Wild Earth Adventures.
Steve, Steffan, Ross, Toddy, Tom, Leigh, Phil, and 41
students & 12 Adults from Tahuna Intermediate School.
Fine.
Grade 2, at ~68 cumecs.
Client day with Tahuna Intermediate School on the Grade 2
Section of the Lower Taieri Gorge with Wild Earth Adventures. (10 hours).
I did a days White Water Raft Guiding with Wild Earth Adventures on the Lower Gorge Section of the Taieri River. After loading up the rafts and gear at the gear shed, we headed through to Outram Glen to meet the clients. The Rafts and gear were transported up river to the Rock Garden by Steve in the Jetboat, and three of the guides were also transported up to get the area setup, and start working on lunch. I was part of the meet and greet group, and after doing a briefing and gear check with the clients we started walking along the Taieri River Track up to Lee Stream. We then issued life jackets to the group for their Jetboat ride up to the Rock Garden. Once we were all there we had lunch, and then got the group kitted out in Life Jackets and Helmets. Toddy then split the group across 6 Rafts – I had two adults and 6 kids. We then guided down the Grade two section which was running at approximately 68 cumecs. I had a little bit of trouble breaking out of the first eddie, which required two attempts. I also ended up nose first in the crack in Bum Rock, which I got through by performing a weight shift to the right. The rest of the trip went smoothly, although spacing between the rafts could have been better. Overall it was a fun trip down the river at a flow that I hadn’t experienced before. After getting everything back to the gear shed, unpacking, and cleaning, we had a group debrief with a few learnings being discussed.
I did a days White Water Raft Guiding with Wild Earth Adventures on the Lower Gorge Section of the Taieri River. After loading up the rafts and gear at the gear shed, we headed through to Outram Glen to meet the clients. The Rafts and gear were transported up river to the Rock Garden by Steve in the Jetboat, and three of the guides were also transported up to get the area setup, and start working on lunch. I was part of the meet and greet group, and after doing a briefing and gear check with the clients we started walking along the Taieri River Track up to Lee Stream. We then issued life jackets to the group for their Jetboat ride up to the Rock Garden. Once we were all there we had lunch, and then got the group kitted out in Life Jackets and Helmets. Toddy then split the group across 6 Rafts – I had two adults and 6 kids. We then guided down the Grade two section which was running at approximately 68 cumecs. I had a little bit of trouble breaking out of the first eddie, which required two attempts. I also ended up nose first in the crack in Bum Rock, which I got through by performing a weight shift to the right. The rest of the trip went smoothly, although spacing between the rafts could have been better. Overall it was a fun trip down the river at a flow that I hadn’t experienced before. After getting everything back to the gear shed, unpacking, and cleaning, we had a group debrief with a few learnings being discussed.
I did two days White Water Raft Guide training with Wild Earth Adventures on the Lower Gorge Section of the Taieri River. On the first day we spent the morning being guided on the Grade three section from Mullocky Stream down to the Rock Garden. After a BBQ Lunch at the Rock Garden we guided down the Grade two section – I guided the river section below Bum Rock. We spent a little bit of time swimming on the Bum Rock Rapid. The following day we focused on Trip Logistics in the morning, and then again guided down the Grade two section. I guided from the Rock Garden down to Bum Rock. We spent a bit of time swimming in the Bum Rock Rapid, and then shifted a few rocks out of one of the channels to make it easier to get the jet boat up, before swimming again in another rapid lower down.
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| Wild Earth Adventures - Taieri River. September 2018. Rafts tied at the bottom of the Rock Garden. |
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2017 Rafting Log
Rafting Personal:
24/09/17
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| Dart River Funyak Trip - August 2017 Dart River and the Humboldt Mountains |
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| Dart River Funyak Trip - August 2017 Funyaking below Mt Aspiring |
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| Dart River Funyak Trip - August 2017 Rockburn Chasm |
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| Dart River Funyak Trip - August 2017 Pluto from the Rockburn |
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| Dart River Funyak Trip - August 2017 Picnic Lunch below Mt Earnslaw |
2016 Raft Log
Raft Personal:
11/12/2016
Tekapo River and White Water Course, Tekapo.
White Water Canoe Club.
Rafters: Steffan Rolfe, Dave, Ian, Ruth, Danielle, Paul, and two others from the WWCC.
Fine.
Grade 2 and Grade 3, approximately 17 cumecs.
WWCC Xmas Party Rafting runs. (3 hours).
I went to the WWCC Xmas Party, and jumped on to one of the Club Rafts for three runs down the Tekapo White Water Course on Grade Two and Three Rapids at ~ 17 cumecs. I acted as crew for two runs, and then guided the grade two rapids on the last run – acting as crew for the last two grade three rapids at the end of the course.
WWCC Xmas Trip - Tekapo River Rafting
December 2016
The Raft on the Wave
WWCC Xmas Trip - Tekapo River Rafting
December 2016
Breaking into the last eddie
Tekapo River and White Water Course, Tekapo.
White Water Canoe Club.
Rafters: Steffan Rolfe, Dave, Ian, Ruth, Danielle, Paul, and two others from the WWCC.
Fine.
Grade 2 and Grade 3, approximately 17 cumecs.
WWCC Xmas Party Rafting runs. (3 hours).
I went to the WWCC Xmas Party, and jumped on to one of the Club Rafts for three runs down the Tekapo White Water Course on Grade Two and Three Rapids at ~ 17 cumecs. I acted as crew for two runs, and then guided the grade two rapids on the last run – acting as crew for the last two grade three rapids at the end of the course.
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| WWCC Xmas Trip - Tekapo River Rafting December 2016 The Raft on the Wave |
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| WWCC Xmas Trip - Tekapo River Rafting December 2016 Breaking into the last eddie |
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2015 Raft Log
Raft Personal:
29/09/15 to 30/09/15.
Arnold River, West Coast.
Assessors: Nathan (Reefton) Topp, Southy, Darren.
Students: Steffan Rolfe, Thomas Campbell, Sarah Hardstone, Josh Bougen, Reuben Sage, Hazel McAlister, Jordan Rose, Henry Norcross, Lion Van Der Wielen, Simon Burgess, Zhane Harvey, Sean Stinton, Ariel Coleman, Curtis Anderson, Kate Sheehy, Ryan O’Connor.
Fine.
Grade 2, approximately 50 cumecs.
Grade 2 White Water Raft Assessment. (2 days).
I sat my Rafting Assessment as part of the Tai Poutini Polytechnic COE Programme. The assessment consisted of Safety & Paddle Talks, Guiding, Rope Work, Rescue – Raft flips, Throw Bagging, and Swimming through Grade 2 Rapids. The river was running at approximately 50 cumecs both days.
24/09/15.
Arnold River, West Coast.
Steffan Rolfe, Raymond Ohrenschall, Thomas Campbell, James Maclean, Sarah Hardstone, Josh Bougen, Zhane Harvey, Ryan Morris, Reuben Sage, Mac Beamish, Hazel McAlister.
Fine.
Grade 2, approximately 50 cumecs.
Raft Assessment practise on the Arnold River. (4 hours).
We did a White Water Rafting trip down the Arnold River. We practiced several of the skills required for our rafting assessment. This mainly focused on knots and rope work, raft flips and re-flips, and guiding. The river was running at approximately 50 cumecs._________________________________________________________________
19/08/15.
Buller River, Riverside Campground, Murchison.
Georgia Sadler, Ryan Morris, Thomas Campbell, Hazel McAlister, Josh Bougen, Steffan Rolfe, Jack Ryan, Danielle Lusk.
Rain showers throughout the day.
Grade 2, approximately 125 cumecs.
River Rescue Training day in Murchison. (5 hours).
I attended a river rescue training day in Murchison with students from the TPP Outdoor Recreation Programme. We spent the morning working on setting up Anchors and 3 to 1 systems. In the Afternoon we worked on Raft Flips, throw-bagging and swimming in the river.
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| River Rescue Day Murchison - August 2015 Setting up the Anchor |
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| River Rescue Day Murchison - August 2015 The Buller River at Riverside Campground |
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11/07/15.
Crooked River, West Coast.
Henry Norcross, Raymond Ohrenschall, Steffan Rolfe, Lion Van Der Wielen, James McLean, Simon Burgess.
Fine, but cold and frosty.
Grade 2, Low Flow ~15 cumecs.
Rafted down the Crooked River with 5 other rafters in 2 rafts. (5 hours).
We did a rafting trip down the Crooked River with 5 other students from Tai Poutini Polytechnic on two rafts. It was a cold, frosty day, and we did the grade two section in low flow. There were a lot of exposed rocks down the river, and both rafts got pinned a few times (these were addressed by weight shifts). One of the party members got quite cold as the river was mostly in the shade. We addressed this by stopping, and getting more layers of clothing on him.
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| Crooked River Rafting Trip - July 2015 Awaiting the arrival of Sunshine |
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| Crooked River Rafting Trip - July 2015 James getting back into the current |
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| Crooked River Rafting Trip - July 2015 Steffan in the Guide Seat |
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| Crooked River Rafting Trip - July 2015 Steffan guiding down the Crooked |
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| Crooked River Rafting Trip - July 2015 At the Crooked Takeout |
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27/06/15. Trip Leader.
Arnold River, West Coast.
Ryan Morris, Thomas Campbell, Sarah Chadderton, Raymond Ohrenschall, Rueben Sage, Steffan Rolfe, Joshua Bougen, Zhane Harvey, Lachlan Brownlie, Michelle Heslop.
Overcast.
Grade 2, 128 cumecs.
Rafted down the Arnold River with 8 other rafters in 2 rafts. (5 hours).
I acted as trip leader for a raft trip down the Arnold River on the West Coast at approximately 128 cumecs. We did two laps of the Arnold River. We had no incidents on (or off) the river, and the turn-around times at the put in, and take out meant we had two awesome runs down the river. |
| Arnold River Rafting Laps - June 2015 Ray guiding down the Arnold |
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| Arnold River Rafting Laps - June 2015 Sarah guiding down the Arnold |
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| Arnold River Rafting Laps - June 2015 Tom guiding down the Arnold |
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14/06/15.
Arnold River, West Coast.
Steffan Rolfe, Thomas Campbell, Sarah Chadderton, Jordan Rose, Georgia Sadler, Raymond Ohrenschall, Hazel McAlister, Mac Beamish, Danielle Lusk.
Overcast.
Grade 2, 100 cumecs.
Rafted down the Arnold River with 8 other rafters in 3 rafts. (3 hours).
Went white water rafting down the Arnold River on the West Coast at approximately 100 cumecs. Our original plan had been to raft the Milltown Gorge section of the Arahura River, however this did not go ahead due to the bridge over the Taramakau River was closed. We then attempted a Crooked River run, however we couldn’t locate the farmer to get the gate key. Due to this we did an Arnold run instead. During the run, one of the rafts ended up running into a strainer, and one of the paddlers jumped out of the boat into the strainer. He was not injured or harmed, however there was some work done by all three rafts to ensure his safety.
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| Arnold River Rafting Trip - June 2015 Mac Guiding |
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| Arnold River Rafting Trip - June 2015 Tom guiding down the Arnold |
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| Arnold River Rafting Trip - June 2015 Arnold River Rainbow |
Raft Training (TPP):
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30/03/15 to 03/04/15.
Tai Poutini Polytechnic – Certificate in Outdoor Education.
TPP Campus, Lower Matakitaki, Granity run on the Buller River, and O’Sullivans to Iron Bridge on the Buller River.
Instructors: Koryn Gould, Nathan (Reefton) Topp, Tim Marshall.
Students: Mac, Zach, Sean, Ryan, Steffan, Sam, Demi, James, Eigil, Ray, Zhane, Arianna, Alex, Wade, Kit, Katrina.
Fine on the 30th, Fine on the 31st, Overcast clearing to Fine on the 1st, Overcast on the 2nd, and Fine on the 3rd.
Grade 2 and 3 Rapids, on the Buller at approximately 16 cumecs.
TPP Campus: Raft Repair, planning for multi-day expeditions, and camp layout. Lower Matakitaki: River Rescue session – swimming on rapids, V-lowers and retrieving swimmers, setting up basic rescue systems. Riverside Campground: River Rescue Theory Session. Buller River – Granity Section: Estimating Cumecs, Wrapped Raft Scenario and Exercises, we were guided down Granity Rapid. Overnight trip down the Buller from O’Sullivans to Iron Bridge camping below Big Deep Creek. (5 days).
I sustained a sprained ankle on the first day of the trip at the top of the Lower Matakitaki River.
On the first day of our second week of rafting on the Certificate of Outdoor Education at Tai Poutini Polytechnic, we were taught about Raft Repair by Koryn Gould. We were shown how to prepare the Adhesive and the MEK, how to prepare the raft and patch, and then carried this out. He also taught us how to tie off a broken section of the raft. We were then taught about planning for multi-day rafting expeditions, and how to organise and layout an overnight campsite on a rafting expedition. The following day (March the 31st – which happened to be my birthday) we drove to Murchison and did a river rescue day at the put in on the Lower Matakitaki River. We were taught by Tim about swimming through rapids, into eddies, and climbing on to rocks in the middle of the river. Then we were taught about V-lowers and retrieving swimmers by Reefton, and then ran through out paces in terms of setting up basic river rescue systems by Koryn – unfortunately I managed to roll my ankle during this session, so had to sit out on the river rescue competition that followed on from these sessions at the end of the day.
On the first of April we started at Riverside Campground with a River Rescue Theory Session. After that we drove to the Gowan Bridge to the start of the Granity Run on the Buller. While the shuttle was being set up, Tim taught us how to estimate the volume of the river (cumecs). Then we rafted down the river, and took out not far down where Koryn taught us about setting up rescues using the raft to access points in the river. We then carried on down river, and not far above Granity, we practised a wrapped raft scenario, and did some exercise swimming on to the raft, attaching carabiners to the bottom of the raft, shallow dives off the raft, and then eventually un-wrapped the raft. Then the guides (Koryn, Tim, and Reefton), guided us down the Granity Rapid – exciting!! That night we did our raft guide theory test.
The following day was the start of our expedition starting above the O’Sullivan Bridge down to below Iron Bridge. At the start of the day we were shown how to pack for an expedition trip, and how to setup the Gear Raft. Then we rafted down the Buller River, through O’Sullivans Rapid, Whale Creek Rapid, and Jet Boat Rapid. We portaged around Ariki Falls, and floated down the Buller below the Falls as part of this portage. We overnighted at a camping spot between Big Deep Creek and Little Deep Creek. From there our rafting trip took us down to the takeout below Iron Bridge. We rafted through the Earthquake Rapid, Whopper Stopper, Rodeo Rapid, and Gunslinger. Once at the take out, we carried the Rafts to the Trailer and packed up all the gear. On the way down we had to do a Raft Flip and Re-flip. It was amazing and inspiring to Raft through this Grade 3 section of the Buller River.
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| Raft Module Week 2 - March 2015 Rafting past the Strainers |
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| Raft Module Week 2 - March 2015 Pulled out above Ariki Falls, surrounded by Orange Granite |
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| Raft Module Week 2 - March 2015 Positioning the Raft for the Wrap |
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| Raft Module Week 2 - March 2015 Zhane guiding down from Gowan Bridge |
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| Raft Module Week 2 - March 2015 Ray swimming to the Raft |
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| Raft Module Week 2 - March 2015 Granity Rapid |
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| Raft Module Week 2 - March 2015 Kit guiding through the Rapid |
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| Raft Module Week 2 - March 2015 Whale Creek Rapid |
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| Raft Module Week 2 - March 2015 Securing the Gear inside the Netting |
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| Raft Module Week 2 - March 2015 Ariki Falls |
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| Raft Module Week 2 - March 2015 Floating down the Buller River |
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| Raft Module Week 2 - March 2015 Getting the Camp Prepared |
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| Raft Module Week 2 - March 2015 Iron Bridge |
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23/03/15 to 27/03/15.
Tai Poutini Polytechnic – Certificate in Outdoor Education.
TPP Campus, Lake Brunner, and Arnold River.
Instructors: Koryn Gould, Nathan (Reefton) Topp, Paul E.
Students: Mac, Zach, Sean, Ryan, Steffan, Sam, Demi, James, Eigil, Ray, Zhane, Arianna, Alex, Wade, Kit, Katrina.
Fine on the 23rd, Rain Showers on the 24th, Overcast on the 25th, and Fine on the 26th & 27th.
Grade 2 at approximately 50 cumecs on the Arnold River.
TPP Campus: Industry & Raft Familiarization. Lake Brunner Flatwater Session: Client & Guide Strokes, Re-flipping the Raft. Arnold River Session: Safety Briefings, Client Strokes, Swimming, Jumping into Deep Water, Raft Angles. TPP Campus: Water & River Dynamics. Arnold River: Guiding and Safety Briefs, Throw Bag Session. TPP Campus: Industry Presentation, and Wrapped Raft Scenario. Arnold River: Safety Briefing, and Guiding. Arnold River: Guiding, Using Crew to Manoeuvre. (5 days).
On the first day Koryn took us through a familiarisation session on the Rafting Industry and on Rafts themselves including materials and construction. On the 2nd day we started by learning how to load the raft trailer and secure the rafts and gear. We then did a flatwater session on Lake Brunner learning about Client and guide strokes, and reflipping the raft and moving around the water out of the raft. Then we went to the Arnold and were guided down by the Raft instructors. During this session we were taught about Safety Briefings, Client strokes on the river, swimming, jumping into deep water, and about raft angles.
On the Wednesday session we started at the TPP Campus with a theory session by Reefton on Water and River Dynamics. Then we went to the Arnold River for a rafting trip focussing on Guiding, Safety Briefs, and Throw Bagging. Then on Thursday (26th of March), we started the day with a presentation by Paul E and Koryn on the Rafting Industry and on the theory associated to a raft wrap. Then we did another session on the Arnold River focussing on the Safety Briefings and on Guiding. On the last day we went to the Arnold River and worked on guiding again, and Koryn got me to focus on using the crew to manoeuvre the raft around the river.
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| Raft Module Week 1 - March 2015 Koryn giving a Guide Briefing at Lake Brunner |
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| Raft Module Week 1 - March 2015 Reefton securing the Bow line |
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| Raft Module Week 1 - March 2015 Arianna Guiding down the Arnold |
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| Raft Module Week 1 - March 2015 Floating down the Arnold |
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| Raft Module Week 1 - March 2015 Ryan Guiding beside Buffer Rock |
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| Raft Module Week 1 - March 2015 Arianna inspecting the front of Buffer Rock |
