Rafting Personal

2013

Date: 2/03/13

River: O'Sullivans rapid

Participants: Alice, Taylor, Sonya and Richard

Duration of activity: 1.0

Incidents/injuries: None

It was the Buller feast raft across. We had three races all up and got into the semi's. On our second run we all missed the ball at the end and there were people flying everywhere trying to get it. However one team defaulted so we got into the semi's but only got third.

Date: 23/03/13

River: Whataroa. Grade 4/5

Participants: Alice, Lenny, Ru, Taylor and Jake with Eco Rafting

Duration of activity: 4.0

Incidents/Injuries: None

We got to go on a free heli trip as eco rafting needed people to fill a raft. It was an awesome section and we got to guide between the big rapids. We had to portage some of the rapids and got a good lesson with how to do it. We stopped for lunch at a cool waterfall with really clear water then headed off for the rest of the trip which was mellower than the section before lunch.

Date: 12/05/13

River: Crooked River

Participants: Conor, Sonya, Bex and Tim

Duration of activity: 2.0

Incidents/Injuries: None

The river was low and boney. I only guided one rapid as I was helping to teach the first years. I guided boulder garden and did it well.

Date: 12/06/13

River: Arnold River

Participants: Rhys, Alice and Jono

Duration of activity: 1.5

Incidents/Injuries: None

Was quite a low flow so had some good eddies to catch.

Date: 29/06/13

River: Arahura, Milltown gorge. Grade 2

Participants: Alice, Pip, Tash, Tim, Jono, Rene, Sam, Dylan and Andrew

Duration of activity: 5 hours

Incidents/Injuries: Over due for intention time

We started higher on the section that we planned to which added another 50 minutes onto the run. We also did not anticipate it taking that long as it took 3 hours last time we kayaked it. We did not leave a phone in the shuttle car so we could not text our intentions as soon as we were off the river and the shuttle is around an hour long. Other than that it was a good trip and we gave the first years a tethered raft drill.

Date: 14/07/13

River: Arnold River

Participants: First and Second years

Duration of activity: 2 hours

Incidents/Injuries: None

One of the first years had a tantrum and refused to do a paddle talk so it was a while before the trip got kicked off. I didn't guide much but instructed the first years a bit.

Date: 3/8/13

River: Granity and O'Sullivans Section. Buller River

Participants: Bex, Alice, Cady, Ru, Lenny, Watson, Dylan

Duration of activity: 5 hours

Incidents/Injuries: None

I got to guide Granity rapid and hit my line nicely. Lenny stuffed his up and went sideways into the main hole and got surfed for a bit but got out ok. O'Sullivans section went fine although not really worth it as there are only three main rapids and they are all pretty easy.

Date: 4/8/13

River: Earthquake section. Buller river

Participants: Alice, Ru, Lenny, Dylan, Watson

Duration of activity: 3 hours

Incidents/Injuries: None

I only got to guide a bit as we lost track of where we were on the river. Surfed lyell wave with the raft and almost flipped on mutliple occasions.

Date: 13-17/8/13

River: Tongiriro River. Grade 3

Participants: Rafting New Zealand

Duration of activity: 3.0

Incidents/Injuries: None

Went and did a week at Rafting New Zealand. Got on the river three times and guided twice some of the easier rapids. First time went good but the second time I guided I was really nervous. Got to learn the way the company is run and attended a staff meeting. Good experience all up.

Date: 21/09/13

River: Arnold River

Participants: Alice

Duration of activity: 1.5 hours

Incidents/Injuries: None

R 2'd down the arnold.

Date: 28/09/13

River: Mangles River. Grade 3

Participants: Watson, Alice, Bex, Cady, Lenny, Ru, Taylor and Dylan

Duration of activity: 5 hours

Incidents/Injuries: None

We did two trips down the mangles as there was quite a bit of rain so it was at a really good flow. It had some quite cool moves on it and was a really fun river. My guiding went pretty well and I caught eddies well and stuck my lines.

Date: 29/09/13

River: Arnold River

Participants: Alice and Bex

Duration of activity: 1.5 hours

Incidents/Injuries: None

Only three of us went down as others pulled out of the trip. High flowing arnold close to flood level.

2012

Date: 5/05/12

Trip location: Arnold

Group members: Owen, Rhys, Julia, Rebecca, Jono, Logan and Dylan

Duration of activity: 2 hours

River grade: 2

River flow: medium

Weather conditions: overcast then fine

Incidents/injuries:none

Narrative: I got a raft out for two days of rafting on the arnold and crooked. I thought it would be a good idea to start with the arnold as we had not rafted in a while. Dylan, Jono and Logan kayaked while the rest of us rafted. We practiced general raft guiding and all had time on the stick. You had to keep your wits about you on the raft as everyone was trying to get everyone out of the raft including the kayakers. At one point us on the raft decided to team up on the kayakers. We slowly made our way towards them and just as we got close Rhys leaped out of the raft and landed on the stern of Jono's boat tipping him over. We took it as a small victory against the kayakers who had been the worst at trying to push us out of the raft.

Date: 6/05/12

Trip location: Crooked River

Group members: Bex, Julia, Ru, Sara, Owen, Jake, Eckies, Ari, Ambrose, Lenny, Rob and Watson

Duration of activity: 3 ½ hours

River grade: 2

River flow: low

Weather conditions: Fine

Incidents/injuries: Ru forgot helmet but luckily someone had a spare

Narrative: I had got the raft out and was trip leader so was feeling a bit of pressure trying to oraginse everyone. The run started with a bump when we realised that Ru had forgot his helmet and was still going to go rafting. Luckily someone had a spare so we let him come along. Ari, Chris and Watson kayaked while the rest of us rafted. I got to guide down one of the harder rapids and was very surprised when I got down it fine. After that miracle I decided not to push my luck and switched over guiding. Bex, owen, jake and I did the shuttle and were in for a surprise when we found someone had left a window open in my car. There were bees everywhere and it took us 10 minutes fighting between ourselves before we made Owen reach his hand in and open the door. It took another 5 minutes before we got all of the bees out of the car.

Date: 21/8/12

Trip location: Grey River- Gentle Annie

Group members: Rebecca, Tui, Chris H, Hugo, Cory, Chris E, Tim and Alice

Duration of activity: 4 ½ hours

River grade: 2-3

River flow: Low

Weather conditions: Fine

Incidents/injuries: None

Narrative: I had felt like I hadn't rafted in a while so decided to get a raft out again but this time on the Grey. I did a safety talk at the put in and Hugo did a paddle talk. I guided first and managed to get the lowest section of the river. We had to walk the raft a couple of times and when we came to the first major rapid it was nearly impossible to get a clean line. I got the raft stuck but with some advice from Tui got it unstuck without taking up too much time. After that rapid I switched with Tim just as the river got deeper. About halfway through the trip we stopped and did a tethered raft for some river rescue practice then carried on down the Grey. I got another go at guiding but it was on a mellower and deeper section so I got through it alright. By then time we reached the takeout it was getting dark so Bex, Tui and I quickly got in the cars for a very long shuttle drive. When we returned just under two hours later the others were keeping nice and warm by a fire.

Date: 15/09/12

Trip location: Arnold

Group members: Bex, Dan, Phil, Julia, Tim, Martjn, Greg, Sara, Tui, Chris H, Astro, Chris E, Watson, Conor and Alice

Duration of activity: 4 hours

River grade: 2

River flow: high

Weather conditions: overcast

Incidents/injuries: None

Learning points: Going over guiding, river rescues etc

Narrative: We put in at the dam with four rafts. Bex and I went with Phil and Dan and alternated between the stick. We practiced eddying and some fairy gliding as well as a raft flip further down the river. There was a raft with only second years and the other second years were trying everything they could to catch them out including doing an unconcise swimmer. At lunch eddy we practiced throw bagging and re-coils then kept on down the river. Just before pyramid rapid our raft pulled over and Phil and Dan got Bex and I to do a drill for getting a wrapped raft unstuck. It was a really worthwhile trip and good to go over everything before assessments.

Owens photo ready face

Date: 23/09/12
Trip location: Arnold
Group members: Rebecca, Alice, Zenzi, Jake, Dylan, Jono, Ru, Lenny, Dan, Rob, Ari, Conor, Jeremy, Tim
River grade: 2
River flow: low
Duration of activity: 4 hours
Weather conditions: Fine
Incidents/injuries: None

Jake getting a ride from Dylan

We had Dylan and Jono in kayaks while the rest of split between rafts. Dan swapped around rafts so everyone got a chance to have him and his experience in their raft. Alice, Conor and Lenny were in my raft but by the end of the trip people had jumped ship onto different rafts. We practiced throw bagging swimmers, raft flips and vector pulls as well as general guiding. On this trip the crew acted like clients for the whole time and at one point Conor had a hard time trying to get Lenny to the outside of the raft when it had flipped. I was pretty happy with my guiding and feel that I have improved quite a bit since rafting with tech. Above lunch eddy where the river forks is a strainer across one of the channels. Dan made Conor get trapped on it and Alice, Lenny and I had to rescue him. We did it quickly and had him off the strainer quick smart. He then got us to go under the strainer so we could feel what a sieve feels like. I however was not keen to so just watched.

Strainer danger

Dylan and Jono switched over to rafting after three holes and Jake and Ari went in their boats. When we go to the takeout we decided not to do a second trip as we felt the first had been good enough and a lot of people had to go do their assignments.

Relaxing in the afternoon sun