A good weather forecast was too much to pass up so off I drove to Wanaka to meet up with some canyoning mates to do two of the bigger canyons around. I had heard rumors about Ore Stream- wet, deep, dark, steep, epic. I had this one at the back of my mind and was quite happy to tag along with a strong group of canyoneers, several of which had been through the canyon before. We set off early, removing our shoes and socks to cross the Makarora River barefoot so as not to spread the invasive didymo algae into the pristine canyon. No need for coffee as the brisk water jolted us to the here and now. A pretty straightforward approach up a steep bush-clad slope and a significantly steeper drop-in placed us in just the right spot as the canyon started immediately below. We suited up and down we went.
Ore is one of the highest flow canyons in the area, which was reflected in the roar of the whitewater, the numerous hydraulics to avoid and my initial intimidation. The canyon was such that I felt a bit out of my element for much of it, to the point where I remember fantasizing retiring to a life of comfort and ease and safety for the next few weeks. At the bottom of every jump or rappel there was always a current to deal with and it took deliberate swimming to be sure you reached a safe ledge to cling to so that the flow of water did not flush you over the next drop.
A few great jumps and some very nice rappels down some beautiful waterfalls. At the largest falls our group split in two momentarily, as one group placed a bolt down the waterfall and the rest of us bypassed it by rappelling from tree to tree through the bush. Toine braved a 22m jump requiring a huge leap to clear the rock below. Scott boldly slid a steep 18m waterfall to the rest of our amazement. I wished I went for it afterward. It was a beautiful canyon that held strong to all the rumors, although it was quite short. Despite the group of six, including people that had been through the canyon before, Ore still had a good wilderness feel to it. It was definitely not a canyon to be taken lightly. We drove back to Wanaka where we dried our clothes in the hot sun before packing up to depart for the next adventure.
Ore Stream in distance
Photo by Chucky
Photo by Chucky
Toine's 22m jump
Scott's 18m slide!
Chucky getting pummeled on rappel
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