Kokatahi – Pinnacle Biv – Adventure Biv – Toaroha

The lower Kokatahi valley to Crawford Junction has a reputation as being one of the more wild and unforgiving places on the West Coast.  With rough overgrown tracks, massive slips, tough river side travel, and a legendary class V kayak run,  it is one of the few sections of valley in the Hokitika basin I had not ventured into.  More recently, with members of the Permolat group undertaking hut and track clearing work, the Kokatahi was on my mind more than usual, and it finally seemed like the right time to experience this revered valley for myself.

Early on a clear and cold Saturday morning I set off up the Kokatahi with the intention of firstly heading to Boo Boo Hut and Pinnacle Biv, before traversing the Toaroha Rangle to Zit Saddle and Adventure Biv.  Travel is initially good going on river flats and river side, and it wasn't long before I was getting in my stride, and dreaming of the what lay in the valley ahead.  After an hour or so I spooked a decent looking stag and a hind on the track in the bush/river edge.  With this being a rare occurrence, I took the time to watched the stag gesticulate, and then bound across the river.  The hind had moved further downstream along the river bank by this stage, and shortly afterwards join the stag on the river flats on the other side. 

At the bridge across the Kokatahi

Soon after this encounter I arrived at the start of the Kokatahi gorges and the bridge across the river.  A short climb followed by a decent got me to Adamson Creek, from where the track begun the gradual ascent to the terraces where Boo Boo Hut is situated.  In a couple of spots the bush was teeming with prolific bird life.  Thanks to Permolat the track is now in great condition, and apart from a few windfalls, creek/gully crossing, and losing the track once, I was pleasantly surprised at the ease in which I arrived at the hut in only 3 and a half hours.

A delightful cascade

With plenty of time up my sleeve I set about repairing the leaking roof around the chimney with sealant a previous party had left for the job.  Once this was done I started up the route to Pinnacle Biv in beautiful warm and sunny weather some time after midday.

While somewhat overgrown, I found the route to be very followable, only having to back track a couple of times.  Reaching the bush line at about 950m elevation, the views of the Kokatahi valley and peaks were great.

Whitehorn Ridge

 

Looking up the Kokatahi to Crawford Junction and the Main Divide

At the bush line halfway up the hill to Pinnacle Biv

From bush line the route travels through a mixture of scrub and thick tussock, and while fairly distinct it definitely becomes more labourious.  After a short descent from Pt 1085 it was time to head up the final big slope to Crinkle Top.  With half a foot of slippery snow on the ground, keeping my balance and footing was always a struggle, and I was glad to reach Pinnacle Biv after 3 hours from Boo Boo Hut.

The ascent ridge and Tyndalls Knob

After checking out the accommodation and taking a short rest, it was time to collect some water from the frozen tarn, and then head up up to Crinkle Top to watch the sunset.  Everything was going to plan, and after a good dinner of chilli con carne and rice I settled in for the night.

Genoa Peak at sunset

In the early hours the wind started howling, and by day break gusty easterly gales were in full force.  The Main Divide was obscured, with clouds and snow showers spilling over onto the West Coast ranges.  This was not exactly in my good weather calculations, and ruled out going further along my intended route for the time being.  While going back downhill was an option, I was prepared to sit it out and hope for better weather later in the day.

Pinnacle Biv – A 5 star sanctuary from the storm

The biv felt solid in the gales, and I took some comfort in the knowledge it had no doubt been able to survive much more extreme weather in the decades since it was built.  With no sign of any improvement in the weather, the day was spent resting, sleeping, and doing a bit of reading, while always monitoring the sound of the wind, and regularly opening the door to take a look.  While I was nice and warm, the rate at which water was freezing in the bivs billy indicated it was definitely getting colder.

About 24 hours after the gales started, the frequency of the strong gusts decrease, and their force started to abate.  With the cloud pulling back towards the Main Divide revealing stars overhead, things were definitely starting to look more positive.  At day break the weather was looking good enough, and it was an easy decision to quickly pack up and get going on my intended route.

Genoa Peak and Lake Kaniere

Shin deep snow in tussocks initially slowed me up a bit, but once on the ridge to Genoa Peak the route was free of snow and ice.  Once I reached the summit the snow conditions were thin and hard, and I decided it was a wise move to clip on the crampons.  I continued on to Pt 1608 from where I got a good look at the route to Mt Reeves.

On the way to Mt Reeves

The weather didn't seem to getting any worse and I had plenty of visibility.  I usually try and pick my time in the mountains to coincide with very favourable weather conditions for safety reasons, and because I like to complete my journeys first time around with a view.  But less favourable weather is also something to enjoy, as it definitely brings a different feel to the mountain experience, and adds a level of uncertainty.  With lite snow falling, the occasion strong wind gust blasting spindrift, and the sun making brief appearances from behind the clouds, the mood of the environment was ever changing.  

With the exception of 2 steeper sections, the ascent of Mt Reeves was straight forward, and 3 hours after setting out from Pinnacle Biv I reached the summit.  I carefully negotiated some hard thin icy sections on the decent to Zit Saddle, and had I had another day to spare, I would have continued along the ridges to Toaroha Saddle.
  

Zit Saddle from Adventure Biv

Immediately after starting the decent to Adventure Biv the snow conditions changed, becoming deeper, soft and slippery, and definitely slow hard going for anyone heading up hill.  After the initial step descent the route flattens off after a stream crossing, and it was again a matter of trying to stay upright on unsure footing.

Looking across the Toaroha to Jumble Top

From Adventure Biv the track enters the bush and descends steeply to the valley floor.  By this time the weather was really starting to clear, and the warmth and luxury of Cedar Flat was amazing.  Running ahead of schedule I had a quick soak in the Wren Creek hot pools which were bathed in sunshine.  I was definitely in a good mood as I made my way to the Toaroha road end, having just experienced such a memorable and wonderful day in the mountains.

My enthusiasm and motivation for further trips is high, and a full traverse of the Toaroha and Diedrichs Ranges beckons.  Also the Kokatahi from Boo Boo Hut to Crawford Junction, which I fully expect will provide a sterner test than the lower section of the valley.

Waimangaroa River – Westport's Home Run

As a kayaker one of the joys of living in Westport is the close proximity of the Waimangaroa River – our backyard run.  A 15km drive north to Waimangaroa and a 15-20 minute walk gets you to the put in of one of the better after work runs in the country.  While no more than class III/IV, it definitely has still got enough going on to keep you concentrating, and provides the necessary whitewater fix which keeps you coming back again and again.  Of course the only thing you need is a bit of heavy rain – which doesn't come often enough for my likening – and you are doing well if you manage to get out on the run a dozen times a year.

From the Waimangaroa settlement a gravel road heads up the south bank of the river for a little over a kilometre before reaching the bottom of the Denniston Incline.  After leaving the carpark on foot the track soon crosses Conns Creek and is then rejoined a little way above river level.  If the Conns Creek crossing is up to your waist, and you are starting to have second thoughts about whether or not this is such a good idea, then the Waimangaroa is starting to get really high.

The track follows an old railway line which is long abandoned but nonetheless provides good access up the river.  After 500m the track ends at the Crossing where it is necessary to cross the river to continue further upstream.  From the Crossing to Conns Creek it is class III, and above the Crossing it is class IV.

One of the better parts of the track on the way to the Crossing

The Crossing rapid

On the opposite side of the river the track is rejoined after climbing up a small rockfall.  Upstream of the Crossing the track is harder going, but it's only about 200-300m to the put in (shortly after the tunnel).  At the put in there is a nice spot to do some ferry glides, and the first rapid also provides a bit of a warm up before the business starts.

Hard right is the standard line on the first drop.  The big rock on river left is undercut, but I have only ever seen someone go under there once, and it flushed pretty quick.

 

The first drop

  From here it is pretty busy through the next few rapids to the bottom of the Crossing rapid.

Below the first drop

 

At the top of the Crossing rapid after a bit more rain

Below the Crossing the river eases up to class III until Conns Creek, from where the river steepens and there are a couple of class IV rapids to negotiate.
 

Rapid below the Conns Creek confluence

The infamous Undercut is the final rapid of note, and while not overly difficult, the potential consequences of getting yourself somewhere where you shouldn't be makes it one of the more serious rapids on the river.  The big rock on the left forms a large underwater cavern through which a significant amount of flow passes.  It is not be underestimated and has been the scene of some potentially very nasty incidents over the years.

The infamous Undercut rapid

Below the Undercut rapid there are some nice class III rapids before the river flattens off to class II.  If the river is high enough and you are interested, the rock groyne a further 1.5km downstream (at the railway and road bridges) can provide some entertainment.

Glasgow Range

You can't beat a fine winters day on the Coast.  So with only mid-week sunshine of late, it was time to skip work for a day, get up high with a view, and try and banish those blues.

Heading up to the Glasgow Range inland from Seddonville is a great little day trip which provides the quickest and easiest means of getting up to around 1500m on the West Coast.  The track heads up to the prominent open tussock land which can be seen directly ahead while driving up the main road through Seddonville.  With the bush line being relatively low here, it doesn't take long to get up high enough to start getting some views.    

Access to the start of the Glasgow Range Track is via Marris & Woollet Roads which branch off from Charming Creek Road about 100m before the Chasm Creek Bridge No.2.  From the turnoff it is about 3km up these old forestry roads to the start of the track.  While drive-able in a 2WD, the roads are deteriorating, and there are a few steeper rougher sections which have the potential to do some damage.  So taking a 4WD or mountain bike might be a good idea.

The start of the track is sign posted and initially heads up and old 4WD track.  After the track starts proper it soon crosses Tate Creek, and from here a good DoC marked track heads up a broad and not too steep ridge.  The first bush line can be reached from Tate Creek after about an hour.  The track crosses scrubby open tussock land before soon re-entering the bush on the right.  From here the track is a little more difficult to follow and is marked with a combination of DoC markers and pink cruise tape. 

At the first bush line

From the second bush line the route is poled, and after an initial gentle slope a step section, which requires a bit of scrambling, must be scaled to gain access to the upper ridge.

The upper ridge and final approach to the top (Pt 1469)

Three hours by mountain bike and foot at a decent pace from Charming Creek Road usually gets me close to the top.  Pick a fine day and you will be rewarded with fantastic views in all directions.

View towards Reefton and the Paparoa

Tarns in the head of Mountain Creek.  Look closely at the mountain (Rocky Tor) in the background and you can see the Old Ghost Road.

View directly towards the Haystack and Mt Owen

Apart from a cool southerly breeze the day was perfect.  After sitting in the sun for an hour on the sheltered northern slopes, it was time to take some more photos and slowly head back downhill.

The Ngakawau basin and Stockton mine

Making my through the warmth of the sunny lower bush in a T-shirt was magnifique.

Styx & Inangahua Rivers

A warm northerly air flow was forecast to bring rain to the coast over the long weekend.  Frustratingly the really heavy rain didn't arrive until Monday afternoon/night.  After spending Saturday biding my time I came up with a plan to head down to Hoki early the next morning if it didn't rain in Westport overnight.

Arriving mid morning at the Styx, it was looking like it had plenty of water and was definitely good to go.  After a couple of warm up runs down from the lower corner I was in luck as a team of local paddlers showed up.  Following in behind and paddling some of the rapids higher up the river, at 10 times the flow it had been when I was last here in February, was a real hoot.

Back in Hoki I lined up a couple of Canadian's for kayaking the following day, but that plan fell through in the morning.  So on my way home I was on the lookout for a creek which was new to me and had a bit of water in it.  Blackball Creek had some water and was a possibility, but I continued on as I was keen for my first run on the Inangahua River.

The level looked a bit low in the open lower reaches of the Inangahau, but it was raining steadily and there was more than enough water for the more confined upper section by then time I got to Tobins Bridge.  The upper section starts about 2km upstream of Tobins close to where the road makes some bends marked 55km/h.  Two hundred metres downstream of here the river is in open view of the road where a side stream makes and entrance – this spot is immediately above the first waterfall. 

There are three big drops from the upper put in and you can choose which ones you put in for.  The top drop is a tight and nasty 5m waterfall with an exit width of less than a metre.  It's possible to get in below this above the a classic 7m metre waterfall that's walled in.  The final drop is a steep and continuous class IV rapid which requires some moves to negotiate the obstacles. 

I put in below the second waterfall and paddled upstream into the bedrock gorge.  The waterfall was thundering and I was treated to the sight shown below (photos are courtesy of Zak Shaw www.passion4adventure.blogspot.com who was also recently on the Inangahua).

Paddler on the second of the waterfalls

Below the third drop the rapid the river flattens off for a bit before steepening up again and entering a rapid where the river makes an S-bend in a short gorge.  There is a steep long entrance so eddying out to take a look or portage will require some forethought – especially at higher flows.  A hole at the entrance to the gorge tends to wash out at higher flows, and another smaller drop around the corner shouldn't cause major problems before the pool at the bottom.  S-bend rapid is right beside the road and is easily accessed from the culvert 100m upstream of the Patterson Creek road bridge.

Paddler negotiating the hole at the entrance to S -bend gorge

From here the river remains continuous class III/III+ until the final class IV rapid immediately upstream of Tobins Bridge.  This is a good spot to check out the flow, and if you don't like the look of the rapid immediately above the bridge, you had best not venture further upstream because it gets more difficult. 

After the first rapid below Tobins Bridge the river changes character and becomes much more open, wide, and flat.  Rapids are mainly shallow class II+ boulder gardens which are punctuated by 20 or so class III rapids – where the river steepens or is constricted – over the next 8km.  Take out can be arranged at various spots where the river and road meet. 

Arriving back at the car above Tobins the river had risen considerably and everything in the Upper was looking a whole lot bigger – waterfalls included.

The upper Inangahua section is beautiful and a really good spot for those looking to improve their class IV technical creeking skills.  There is nothing else that compares in the Murchison area and I can't believe it hasn't received more action given its roadside location.  I can't wait to go back!  It should only require medium rainfall to be runnable, and for those interested at high flows it will be continuous, committing, and an awesome ride.  While no Little While Salmon it would be an great spot for a class IV extreme race if it had a dependable flow.

The following pictures show the main drops at low flow (mid November 2013).

Top drop (very tight and nasty) from the lip of the second drop

Second drop is about 8m

Third drop

A tree is currently stuck in the middle of S-bend rapid

Pensini Creek, Mt Haast and Rahu River

A fantastically fine forecast for the weekend saw Chris and William heading away with a long wishlist of things to do and places to explore.  After spending a frosty Friday night at Lyell we headed down the road to scope out the kayaking potential of Pensini Creek.  We had spotted this creek the previous Sunday while mountain biking the Mackley Pylon road and thought it might be worth a look.

We started at the old coal bins just before the road climbs steeply away from the Pensini.  Heading upstream it wasn't long before we came across the 1st small waterfall.  This was followed by a further 2 waterfalls and a short narrow canyon before a major steam confluence on river right (after a little over 1km). 

The 1st waterfall

The 2nd waterfall

The 3rd waterfall

Short canyon above the 3rd waterfall.  The log partially blocks the entrance.

We carried on further upstream for another 1.5km to the confluence with Slug Stream before heading cross country for 500m and linking up with an overgrown 4WD track (marked on old topo maps) which took us back to the Pylon road.
  

In the upper Pensini

In summary the Pensini has the potential to be a worthwhile class III/IV run with some of the bigger drops possibly being a bit harder and more committing.  It will require medium to heavy rain and should be a great addition to the kayaking runs in the area.  It will be interesting to see what some of the rapids look like with a bit of water in them - especially the canyon.  The section from the coal bins down to the Buller confluence also looks like a reasonable class III run.

Some large tree issues on the lead in to the 1st and 3rd of these waterfalls will require clearing before a full descent is possible - and these may prove too difficult to remove.  Some tree portages are also required in the upper Pensini (above the waterfalls), but there is more than enough clean river at the moment for us to return with boats when the opportunity arises.  There is plenty of wood in the upper Pensini waiting to be moved downstream during floods. 

The best access has yet to be determined but it involves driving to the top of the first hill on the Mackley Road (possible in a 2WD) before branching off down the old 4WD track on the terrace above the gorge.  Some bush bashing will be required to get to the creek unless you carry on all the way to Slug Stream.  Alternatively heading down the first creek you cross on the 4WD track might be the best option (shorter run).  The confluence of this creek with the Pensini is immediately upstream of the narrow canyon and above the 3 waterfalls. 

After crashing at Williams grandparents place in Reefton on Saturday night we headed for a jaunt up Mt Haast on Sunday morning.  Perfect weather and fair dinkum hot in the sun.

William on Mt Haast

Next on the hit list was to check out the Rahu River.  We had a look at the Lock and Rocky Creek confluences before walking the Newcombe to Rocky Creek section.  We found amazing beautiful gorge scenery, gradient 50m/km with continuous small features and very few tree hazards requiring portaging.  Looking at the map the steepest sections are above Rocky Creek and below Newcombe Creek (up to 65m/km and still to be checked out).  The Rahu River is looking like it has the potential to be a great class 4 run with medium to heavy run.

Looking up the Rahu just below the Rocky Creek confluence

William getting excited about the kayaking potential

Rain is forecast for later this week and the weekend so crossing the fingers we get enough to kayak a few new runs.

    

The Mighty Mangatini Stream

The Mangatini has been on the radar of some of the Westport kayaking locals for a few years.  I (Chris) had walked up the Mangatini from the Ngakawau confluence with Rory in the summer of 2008-09 but wasn't particularly keen on what I saw.  Time dulls the memory and after 3 years I couldn't really remember how good, bad, or ugly the thing really was - and of course I had never seen it with anything more than a trickle in it.  With renewed interest of the unknown and the enthusiasm of the younger generation it was going to happen sometime.

On Anzac Day after some light rain overnight William and I drove up to the Stockton main gate and carried our boats into the Mangatini.  Access is via the walking track to Tintown which runs parallel to the haul road until the 90 degree bend.  Crossing the haul roads continue towards the Mangatini and the Repo Basin.

William always enjoys the walk in

Arriving at the put in we found the stream at what looked like a low/medium flow good for a maiden descent (1.6 on the gauge) and proceeded to scouted the rapids immediately upstream and downstream.  What we saw looked interesting although a little different than the kind of stuff we normally paddle.

It quickly became apparent that the Mangatini can only be described as a unique New Zealand kayaking experience.  Characterised by big wide shallow slides on very grippy and abrasive bed rock.  The water is very dirty - the catchment consists mainly of the Stockton opencast mine - and it is almost impossible to tell if the water is 10cm deep, knee deep or over your head.  Boats tend to stick rather than slide nicely on the rock which is very hard on paddles/boats and potentially the body if you get it wrong.  

The drop above the put in

The 1st rapid - gauge on the left in the pool

Chris on the 2nd rapid

The first rapid looked good, so after a warm up we were off.  After another look at the 2nd rapid it was all go - at least for Chris.  The Mangatini then narrows up for the 3rd rapid which is good because the water gets a bit deeper.  This rapid has two 1m drops (a decent pool exists between the two) and then ends in a decent small waterfall.

A nice waterfall at the end of the 3rd rapid

Run hard right and styled it!

Keen for more the 4th rapid looked alright, although perhaps a little shallow at the bottom.  Should be right?

Moments before impact on the 4th rapid

The end result was the front of Chris' Mystick split top and bottom almost halfway to the cockpit rim.  Nice job!  No feeling of a massive impact - just a bit of water around the legs and the realisation of what had happened soon afterwards. 

Smashed! Big blue looking a little worse for wear

Another look at the beautiful boat breaker

So ended our first day on the Mangatini.  On the hour or so walked back to the Stockton main gate we took the opportunity to check out the stretch of river above the put in.  Up here the Mangatini is in a gorge with numerous sieves and tight squeezes (a no go).

Two days later we were back with old boats for another go.  We skipped the short section previously paddled by joining the Mangitini downstream of the boat breaker.  The Mangitini was a lot higher and looking like a bit more of a beast (not sure of the gauge reading).  The water was a darker grey and didn't smell to good. 

A few hundred metres and 2 portages later we arrived at the Repo confluence where the Mangatini flattens out for a bit.  A decent drop followed before the river heads to the left where there is a big sand bank eddy straight ahead.  

This one is runnable

From here the river is wide and shallow and we hugged the river right bank.  Eddies were deceptively absent and it wasn't long we were taking some evasive action as the river headed into the abyss. 

The Mangatini heading into the abyss - the 1st mega rapid

Climbing and hauling boats out a long portage ensued around the 1st of the mega rapids.  Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of the bottom of this one but I recall it is a huge slide ending in a 10-15m waterfall.  Back in the boats for a bit it wasn't long before we reached the 2nd mega rapid which was an easier portage on river right.

The 2nd mega rapid

At the bottom of the 2nd mega rapid

William having a good day out in the Scud

Next came the 3rd and final mega rapid - portaging the first half in the bush on river right and then beside the river.

The 3rd and final mega rapid

Below here we crossed the Mangatini and found the track which leads down to the Ngakawau River on river left below the next slide.  All and all a serious and memorable day of adventuring and portaging was had and the Mangatini is now no longer the big unknown.  It took us 4 hours to reach the Ngakawau below Mangatini Falls from the put in.