Google earth master! shots from creeks found by Matt Danes in the Hawkes Bay

Matt Danes - photo by Marcus Thompson


It is always cool gettin updates from people who are out there on their weekends searching and exposing some of New Zealands more undercover drops and slides. Over the past few years I have been gettin emails from Matt Danes from Hastings who has a skill to scope out drops from Google Earth like no other. I have seen his waterfall folder and its definatly a well researched and elaborate peiece of his kayaking equipment. While a few of his prospects have come up unpaddlable the one that have worked have opened my eyes to what Hawkes Bay has to offer.

Walk in to the Upper Esk River - Matt Danes and Skux dissapointed that this one does not go, well maybe with rain?! - Photo Josh Neilson

On Saturday Matt Danes and Marcus Thompson went into the hills behind my place in Hawkes Bay and slid down this little beauty. Matt found it many years back but never got to paddle it and it was believed to be paddled first last year by someone which you can see in a copy of Cumec magazine. Myself, Skux and kurt went in earlier this year which was a good day out but I can imagine that a lot more water would make it a lot more fun.
These shots were from the boys trip in there on the weekend just past!
Be warned, Bay paddlers out there if this creek gets high there is a beauty just upstream that might go! HUGE

Marcus Thompson - photo Matt Danes

Kurt Jane montaged on his descent down the slipery slide by Josh Neilson

Once Me and a few mates were out for a surf at Ocean Beach but with the storm coming in we decided it was too big. On the way home we stopped to check out Maraetotara River. The falls were low but I rocked up and ran my first waterfall ever. It was so low that i pretty much seal launched off the lip into the pool but that was it, i loved waterfalls. I then returned a few years later in flood with Kurt and we flew off the flooded drop. With Matt there watching and talk of waterfalls below and above we decided that one day we would check it all out.



While I was overseas Matt and Marcus ran the top section and found some cool stuff but a bit more water would again make it a faster trip.
There was also talk of them running the bottom section but I am still trying to find these photos.
All in all these local boys have torn up the back blocks of the Bay and found some nice little creeks!

Matt Danes- Upper Maraetotara River - Photo Marcus Thompson
Matt Danes- Upper Maraetotara River - Photo Marcus Thompson

Matt Danes- Upper Maraetotara River - Photo Marcus Thompson


Matt Danes- Upper Maraetotara River - Photo Marcus Thompson

Marcus Thompson- Upper Maraetotara River - Photo Matt Danes


These next drops have not been Paddled but are part of a creek near the sea that matt walked into to check out. There is one more waterfall that you can see from the rd but that is too shallow. All the bay needs now is a bit of water and it has a bit of fun!

Sam Sutton is off to Sickline World Champs

In 2007 Adidas Announced that there would be an official World Champs for extreme racing in Austria. With the Competition date set and everyone ready to race the weather came in a the river rose to un-raceable flows and it was canceled. Not to be taken back by this, organisers set another date in 2008 and the event was on again. While kayaking with Sam earlier in the year after his success at some races throughout Europe he mentioned that he would head home for a month and train for the race and return to dominate the competition! Now this isnt a random Extreme race where the top races from that county and the odd traveler batle it out. NO. This is a race where the top racers from round the world meet and race off for the top position in the world.
Sam's time back in NZ went well with a strict training programme and dedicated 6.30am practice races down his local Kaituna River.
On Friday Sam boards the plane and is off to Austria to put his training to the test and show the world that he means business.
Keep an eye out here and on www.samsutton.com for updates.
You can also see all the details of the event on www.adidas-sickline.com with updates, programme etc!

GOOD LUCK SAM!

East Coast representing

The Upper Rook's

team 440

Its been a while since I have been so fired up about a mission here in NZ. Zak and I took the opportunity to do a kayaking mission out east after running some river rescue training for an Auckland team.



We picked Zak's bro Elby up from his base on the Kaituna in Rotorua and headed east. The forecast was for plenty of rain so we were confident in finding some sweet paddling. With darkness settling over the land we drove into the Urewera's and into or first problem for the trip. Over a 100km of gravel roads and a fully loaded truck had taken its toll. Flatty. After plenty of grovelling around in the mud we got the spare on and tentatively hit the road knowing that another flat would have us sleeping roadside. Not an option.

As midnight drew close we rolled into our 'farm' base happy to be off the road. A few quick phone calls before we left meant that Zak had hooked us up some sweet shearing quarters. Chur!

zak in action on 'handle bars' drop

Over the next couple of days we tagged into multiple descents of the upper rook's sampling all the goodness it had to offer at the varying water levels that were on offer. A two minute drive from our lush accommodation had us at the take out. Drop the bike, and 10 mins later we were ready to put on. Not quite as sweet as the kaituna shuttle but plenty sweet for us.

kiwi rivers, gorgeous!

With geology not found in other parts of the country we got to sample plenty of papa slides and ledge drops. It was a bazaar feeling to be running sweet slides all set in sweeter kiwi bush.

The Munamuna River

Zak had walked in here a few years ago with his old man and taken a photo a two sweet ledge drops that he thought were about 5 foot in height. On the back of this we decided to go bush with the boats an see if we couldn't tap into some of these ledge drops.

Elby Shaw an hour in and wishing he had one of our hydraulic's 'strap on's'

More 4wd had us at the road end and strapping the boats on. The 3km hiked quickly turned into 5km as we realised the drops weren't were they were meant to be. The first hour and a half were pretty sweet going as we waded through bogs and across farmland. As soon as we stepped into the bush things got a little harder with a 260m climb up a migning slippery over grown track.

has anyone seen the put in?

The 3 hour mark had us just above the put in but it took a further 30mins of bashing to access the river bed.

Worth the 3 hour walk. You be the judge

Two 5 foot ledges. Yeah right!

With time running low we dropped into the 'flat gorge' as Zak had quoted it and ran some pretty big water class 4 and 5 for the next two hours. We didn't mess around with cameras and the like as daylight was running low and the river had already come up close to a foot while we were on it.

Elby getting 'cali' on it and staying out of trouble

Surfs were had had, lines were bold and we were happy to pull into the take out eddy. Not bad for a day out and what we think was the 2nd descent. All was left to do was to celebrate east coast styles. Drive an hour and a half for a beer and a dirty bourbon.

Mangawhio - by Ben Jackson

Socks. You don't need socks in California in July. You need jandels, boardies and beer, but not socks!

If you live in NZ and are working in the central north island during July then you will need socks... and a bunch more warm things as well. Having spent the past couple of years working on my 340+ jandel days a year this winter came as a bit of a shock. jacksonoutdoors almost became jacksonindoorswithbrieftripsoutsideintothebitternewzealandwinter.blogspot.com but I figured it would never really take off.

I have managed a few adventures here and there but my days in a kayak have been outnumbered by my days on a snowboard (4) and my days sick (6) but not quite my days hung over (3). Awesome, really... Mmm, anyway.

One such adventure had my driving to a river just north of Whakamaru which is just north of Wellington (by 6 hours).

I teamed up with the esteemed team of Brendan Bayly and Bernard Oliver. With plenty of rain around we headed for the Mangawhio River which is almost (literally) in Brendan's backyard.

All we knew is that it was beautiful and was steep in places.

About 20 seconds into the run the river signals its intentions. A clean crisp 12 footer. The next 30mins is filled with plenty of boogey water set amongst beautiful NZ bush.

you wanna slide?

A cascade and the main road bridge signals its time to step aside or step up. The 2 and 3 foot drops you scouted from the bridge turn into 10 and 12 foot drops. The bottom three drops are where all the goods lie. 10 foot into 30 foot into 40 foot of goodness. After scrambling to scout the combo we make a call. Berno and big drop Bayly will fire up the first two while I video. Then they will wait 15 nervous minutes in the micro eddy while I 'climb' my way back up to my boat. Easy.




Brendan lead by example making the top two look easy. Berno followed the trend. Sweet, my turn. Top drop, good, 30 footer, sweet until I land and my back rest blows out. Awesome. 3 kayaks, two boat eddy, vertical walled gorge and 8m down stream the river falls away another 40 feet. After trying in vein to sort my backrest the answer is obvious. Turn and tuck.

After a decent thrashing at the bottom I rolled up minus an elbow guard and smiles all round. Brendan follows soon and joins me in the eddy to watch Berno get the best thrashing I have seen in a long time... and its all caught on tape.

40 feet to freedom

First D - South fork Kings River

Rush getting amongst uncharted waters - Photo Toby Robertson

Hey guys here is a photo update sent to me from Toby Robertson who was part of the crew that got into the South Kings this year in California.
The Crew was Toby Robertson from New Zealand, Californians Charlie Center and Hydraulics Team member Rush Sturges.
The crew set out on the mission with an Epic walk in with some classic whitewater out to the take out.
All these Photos are Copyright to Toby Robertson! Cheers for the photos bro!


Rush Hiking in on Day 1 - Photo- Toby Robertson



Rush and Charlie getting high in the Sierras - Photo Toby Robertson

"Thats where we came from!" Way down there - Photo Toby Robertson


Rush heading South on the Kings- Photo Toby Robertson


The Crew - Rush Sturges - Charlie Center - Toby Robertson - Photo Toby Robertson

Rush is one of the USA repersentitives for Hydraulics. For more of his stories check out
www.younggunproductions.com
For more of Charlies missions check www.caliproduct.com
Cheers Toby for these sick images!