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New Zealand Whitewater: Errata & Updates

Having accurate information is vital for the safe enjoyment of New Zealand's whitewater rivers so if you have updated information, please let us know by using the update form below.

The following errata apply to New Zealand Whitewater, 125 Great kayaking runs. Revised edition, 2002.

Taranaki/Hangatahua (Stony) | Hollyford

Taranaki/Hangatahua (Stony) (p89), 2 April 2005, trailbuilder at gmail com
Walked up Puniho track to junction of Stony River Track, left turn down SRT to river, angled slightly upstream to reach river. The first 2k is more of a IV-V stretch than the lower more normally run section reached from the top of Puniho Rd. Gradient probably 60 m/k, the bed is big boulders, bank to bank drops and blind rapids dropping into boulder 'grottos'. One 3 meter waterfall. The walk takes less than one hour and was worth it. The trail is somewhat overgrown, boat dragging worked well. On another note, the Stony has been the scene of major flood changes due to a big gravel slip on Pyramid stream up on the mountain beginning five years ago. This has increased the energy of floods, completely scouring the river bed, moving aside the bigger boulders and making the normal run much less interesting, more rubble, while still as steep.

This upper (new) run retains more of the old characteristics, and reminds me a bit of the Upper Kakapotahi without the vertical walls (just boulders). Eddies are very small, but useable at around 8-10 cumecs. There remains another potential 4-5k of runnable river above, but the walk becomes much more severe and steep. This new section I am describing in potentially the most significant piece of river in Taranaki, a grade harder than the relatively new Kiri Stream (I wrote you of that months ago) and well worth the walk. I did it solo and continued down to Wiremu Rd, not wanting to walk out at the usual put in, and unnable to recognize it as well from the river.

Hollyford (p284-291), 2 April, J Hunt
Throughout these pages, Marion Creek should be corrected to Marian (as per the NZ Topo maps).

Also, p290 Morraine Creek should be Moraine Creek (correct on map).

The following errata apply to New Zealand Whitewater, 120 Great kayaking runs. Revised edition, 2000.

Ohinepango (p64), 30 July 2002, Alan Bell/Gareth Evans.
Ohinepunga (tributary of Waihohonu) should be Ohinepango.

Ruakituri River, 8 March 2002, J Hunt.
A number of sections are runnable on this Hawkes Bay river. See Ruakituri River for more information.

Hollyford River (p276), 2 November 2001, J Hunt.
Correct spelling is Marian Creek.

Stony River (Hangatahua) (p79), 15 October 2001, S Moseley.
There are three normal put-in points on the Stony; the highest is the top of Puniho Rd. This puts you straight in to steep, fast continuous rapids. Breakouts are small and rare at higher flows. After a kilometre there is a stretch where the river bed has been modified to try to prevent erosion of the right (northern) bank. This makes a channel that is deeper and narrower than the natural river channels. It is straight for about 500m and then turns left. At high flows this whole sequence is class V with a major hole at the bottom.

The second put in is at the very top of Saunders Rd. The seal runs out at the junction with Carrington Rd and the unsealed road takes you 3kms alongside the Blue Rata Reserve to a parking spot. There is about 100m track from there to river. This put in is just below the modifications described above. The third put in is at the Wiremu Road Bridge. There is a take out part way between Wiremu Rd and Okato at Mangatete Rd. Here there is a gauge on the bridge. A good flow is 1.0 metres, below 0.8 is a scrape. 1.6m is a torrent.

Advice to those contemplating the river, check the gauge. If it is your first time, look at the river from the top of Saunders Rd. This will let you see the above mentioned modification about 100m upstream. Also get in touch with the New Plymouth Kayak Club for the latest.

Mokihinui and North Branch Mokihinui (p133-135), 17 May 2000, from Robin Rutter-Baumann.
The flow / level details for the Mokihinui are potentially misleading and should be checked carefully. The gauge is found by driving past the second ford and continuing uphill for approx. 1km after which the road descends to the river and bears right at a place where there is room to park cars and a cable across the river - a track down to the river leads to the gauge which has been broken off above 1.6m. The river can be run well below the flows suggested ie. between 0.8m and 1.6m rather than above 1.6m. (Rory devine confirms that flows around 1.1-1.3m are ideal for the upper Mokihinui).

Having run the river upper at 1.25m with a group capable of class IV I would suggest that this section is IV/IV+ and although Rory says that above 1.3m other lines become possible the continuity of the rapids and the total length of the trip make this a seriously big day out for class IV paddlers. Parking at the gauge and running back to the ford landing area is a great idea if you envisage finishing in the dark (like we did) as this get out is easy to spot due to the cable.

Arahura (p177-178), from Hugh Canard, May 2000.
Somehow the entry rapid on the Second Gorge has been called The Cesspit. On the map 260-J33 Kaniere, the pool above the wire bridge downstream of this point is called The Cesspool. Have a wee look see. This has been the name since before the river was first paddled. In floods, logs and debris swirl around in this pool in huge quantities, miraculously flushing out when the flow drops. Cesspit is a bloody awful name for such a challenging rapid and is unworthy as a name on a river which has great significance to Ngai Tahu. Associations of shit don't fit well on waiora. When we paddled it in 1986 I called this rapid Raureka's Revenge, after the hermit woman who lived somewhere up here 300 years ago. The pass at the head of the Arahura is called Noti Raureka (Browning's Pass today. Raureka was quite a woman by all accounts. I thought she should get a modern day mention. Whatever it's called by modern kayak teams, "Cesspit" should go. Surely we can be more literate. Names are very powerful. Whatever name you put in your guide will eventually end up approved by the NZ Geographic Board and be printed on a map. I could go on (and on and on).

Karangarua (p205), from Tony Ward-Holmes.
The stats for the Karangarua River (p205) are incorrect. Try these instead:

CLASS:	IV (IV+) V in high flows
LEVEL:	Any. Done at medium-high flow, running grey-brown, approx. 40-60 cumecs at SH6 bridge.
GAUGE:	Visual. Flow is two-thirds what can be seen at the SH6 bridge due to the addition of the Copland.
LENGTH:	9km
GRADIENT:	16m/km first 3km, then flattens.
TIME:	8 hours, including 5 hours walking with inflatables and river crossing
PUT IN:	Confluence of Karangarua and Purcell Creek.
TAKE OUT:	SH6 bridge, either Copland track carpark or true left if there is a track.
MAP:	Topomap H36 Mt Cook
CHARACTER:	Big mountains and often big, cold water. Wide river bed full of big schist boulders.
HOT TIP:	Get involved in kayak access issues before we lose more rivers like this!

For more information regarding the Karangarua, refer to Access to the Lower Karangarua.

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Use this form to submit an update to New Zealand Whitewater, Revised edition. Updates and errata will be displayed on this page, and emailed to the author of New Zealand Whitewater, Graham Charles.

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Created: 16 February 2000, updated: 29 January 2008 12:19.
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