Waimangaroa Gorge

The top of the Denniston Incline is a rather unusual spot to start a kayaking trip.  With 450 vertical metres to the valley floor, it is a long way down through the steep bush to the Waimangaroa River.  I have known about the kayaking potential of the Waimangaroa Gorge for some years, having previously walked its length on numerous occasions looking for good access routes.  I had even gotten my boat down the hill 5 years ago for some kayaking at a low flow.  With kayaking enthusiasm and ability at a high, dropping into the gorge again was definitely on the wish list for the spring/summer.

With the heavy rainfall warning for Friday not amounting too much, conditions were potentially ideal for a Waimangaroa Gorge run.  Shea and I headed out in the early afternoon to Waimangaroa where we found the river to be high at the main road bridge.  With much of the rain having past, the river no doubt dropping fast, and about 2 hours until we would reach the put-in, we reckoned the timing might just be right.  So it was up the hill to Denniston and the top of the Incline where he hastily got ourselves ready for the trip.  It was noticeably cooler than down on the plains and a gusty southerly wind was blowing.  But as soon as we dropped into the bush below the Banbury Arch we were sheltered.

The route downhill is on the true right of the creek which drains from below the Banbury Arch making best use of the available slopes, stream gully's, and ridge lines.  This creek joins the Waimangaroa opposite a large historic slip and about 1.5km below the Burnett Stream confluence.  The going through the bush is initially steep and involves a significant amount of boat lowering on slippery ground.   The mid section is less steep and boats can be carried, but as the river is approached the bush becomes thicker and viney.  Ninety minutes after leaving the top of the Incline we were stoked to finally reach the river, which was running at a perfect medium flow and looking just gorgeous. 

Heading upstream to the put-in

We didn't need much encouragement to head upstream for a bit so that we could run some of the Class IV on offer.  It also gave us a chance to get a look at the steeper Class V rapids just up river.  Heading upstream along the river bank was hard work, and is not an option for making further progress due to large boulders and the impinging river which block the way.

Just below where we put on

At the same spot last summer.  Just add water!

The weather was clearing and with the sun coming out it was a wonderful setting.  The first move was a nice 1m boof beside a rock in the middle of the river.  There were about 20 Class III/IV rapids downstream and the river was generally harder than the normal Waimangaroa walk-in run.  Nearly all rapids could be boat scouted and provided for fun eddy hopping and river running.

The river upstream was looking spectacular

A closer look at un-run Class V on the Waimangaroa

Class IV rapids downstream from the put-in

At the top of one of the longer and bigger rapids

The nice drop at the bottom

The only rapid which provided for some unscripted action was Carnage Corner.  I though a left line was good to go and ran it without taking a decent look.  After being back flipped in the hole and reportedly catching another couple of ends I was washed out.  Shea later styled a more central line in the big Tuna.

Shea checking out Carnage Corner

First drop on the normal Waimangaroa walk-in section

The river eases off before the start of the normal Waimangaroa walk-in section.  This section is now very familiar to both of us and felt easy at this medium flow.  The top of the Incline looks a long way from the bottom and appears to reach into the sky.  The climb back to the car provided for a fittingly strenuous end to the day, and half an hour later the 5 hour round trip was complete.   

The challenge is again on to find a route into the Waimangaroa Gorge which gets us further upstream and provides for the best ratio of kayaking to access and portaging difficulty.  There is some steep country up there with the river dropping 150m in about 1.5km between the Burnett Stream confluence and our recent put-in spot.  Looking at last summers photos at low water there are definitely some good looking rapids and drops up there.  How runnable they are, and at what flow, time will tell!

One of the bigger drops in the Upper Waimangaroa Gorge at low flow