When asking a Nelson caver for advice on cool things to do in the area, kayaking the Wairoa River was right at the top of his list. The river is one of several tidally-influenced rivers that drain into the Whanganui Inlet. It was therefore imperative that we go at high tide to avoid paddling through mud. It was a dreary, drizzly day, but at least the weather was offset by a cheery elderly couple that wanted to hear all about what we were up to as we readied the kayak. We paddled up the wide mouth of the Wairoa inlet until it gradually narrowed down to the normal width of a river valley. The bush we past was beautiful and appeared completely pristine. Tree ferns, kiekie, nikau palms. Ratas were in full bloom, painting the green hillsides with red splashes.
After a long straight stretch, we turned a corner and continued our exploration, not quite sure what the river was about to do. During one heavy fall of rain we ducked under an overhanging tree which served perfectly as umbrella, and watched the drops bounce of the tannin-stained waters. Eventually the river narrowed down to 5m wide and the river turned a rich tannin brown. We were now out of the realm of tidal influence.
The trees now stretched over the river, forming a tunnel to dissipate the rain drops. We continued to where there was a log jam across the whole river. We called it good and began our paddle back. We found a shallow spot in the middle of the river where at least a dozen large eels congregated. We spent several minutes searching out the biggest ones and Sara carefully took some underwater photos. We had paddled about 4 km up the river which made for a nice relaxing round trip. It was a wonderfully peaceful place.
Thanks to Richard for another great trip with his kayak.
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