CHAPTER XI
CANOEING ON THE NEW ZEALAND RIVERS
The Waimakariri—The enormous rainfall—Descent of the Waitaki River—The Tasman branch—Lake Pukaki—Leaky canoes—The Pukaki Rapids—The Waitaki Gorge—Out on the plains again—Sixty miles’ paddle to catch the train—Home once more
Canoeing on the New Zealand rivers is desperately exciting work. On the west coast of the South Island there is a canoe club, whose members build boats in watertight compartments specially suited for the rough journeys which they undertake. Some of these men are adepts at canoe-sailing, and think little of going out to sea in their cockle-shells and even making long coastal journeys. The brothers Park have established quite a reputation by their adventurous journeyings. On one occasion they crossed the South Island with their canoes, towing up the Teramakau River, crossing a saddle of 1,700 feet at its head, descending the Hurunui and then coasting fifty miles down to Christchurch. On another occasion the crossing of Cook Straits was effected by them.
On the eastern side of the island not much canoeing has been done, with the exception of the navigation of two of the largest rivers (the Waimakariri and Waitaki) from their sources to the sea by Mr. Dixon and myself.
I well remember how universal was the outcry against our attempting to descend the Waimakariri in 1889, upon which occasion we conveyed the canoes up to the head waters in the Southern Alps, and came down ninety miles of rapids at a tremendous rate, going through the celebrated gorge fourteen miles in length. Dixon reached Christchurch in one day—a wonderful feat—but I was not able to accomplish more than half the distance, and took two days over it. This involved a descent of 2,550 feet in altitude from the starting point.
In the following year the Waimakariri was again navigated by myself and three other kindred adventurous spirits, when a number of line photographic views of the scenery in the gorge were secured.
The descent of the Waitaki River, however, promised some exciting work, in addition to giving a grand insight into the story of the ancient glacier formation—a subject of great geological interest.
The rainfall in the New Zealand mountain districts is enormously heavy, as much or more than 150 inches per annum being registered in some parts. The rivers consequently carry a phenomenal amount of water for their length, and the calculations as to their discharge give wonderful results. The Clutha River in Otago—the largest river of the South Island—discharges as much water per annum as the Nile! It seems a strange statement to make; but such is the fact, the calculations having been made by competent men.