Yo!
I found a book of Poems of the New Zealand landscape's the other day at the back of a shelf, and have been slowly reading through them all and this one below has really stood out to me.
The Issue of Water
A life could be simple, it could be gushing like a spring,
it could be surging and cascading, swirling and rippling
like a river sweeping down to the sea: it is an issue
of fluency, the mother tounge, the first murmurings,
it is and issue of gentleness, giving, yet never giving
up the task of smoothening hardness, it is an issue
of purity, and of reflection, it is the issue of pure silver
coming as a colour into a dark world and moving
with such force and such beauty that we, standing beside it,
love what is coming and go willingly where it's going.
- DINAH HAWKEN
Huka Falls
When Sunday morning came along, there was no work to be done, no responsibilities on my shoulders, nothing but to urge to go kayaking so I set off to Huka to meet up with buddies Chris Madden and Johannes Warmbier (Flozzle Wozzle) for some summer time sessions.
I arrived around 11am, the flow was 100 cumecs and by the time Chris and Flozzle turned up I was feeling the fire! Chris, having run two laps on the falls the night before at 75 cumecs was already on my level of stokedness!
Here are some go pro stills of the day,
Sadly Flozzle Wozzles boat had been destroyed by another unfortunate paddler on the Kaituna earlier on in the month so he was out of the game this weekend.
Phil Mac's paddles are still treating me better than ever, Obey is the shit!
Me and Chris keeping our heads down.
Opening drop in the gorge.
Pretty Large Audiences, about to drop into the Pencil Sharpener
Midst of Pencil Sharpener
Chris adding to his airmiles off the main falls
'Lots of stoked noise'
Lunch break chilling in carpark. Back to front, Flozzy, Chris
We ran 3 laps in the morning and all went super smooth! This gorge has a big range of moves to make, from a clean creeky boof, into a pushy river-running style drop, a big water ramp ending in big laterals and waves then to top it off a 5 metre+ ramping boof over the falls that just sends you flying!! I love this place. Crystal blue and warm water, choice.
After lunch and a quick hot pools trip out of town, we ran one more lap and were done.
Me sending my final lap
Headcam shot from earlier on. Chris watching from below.
We camped out the night in Reids Farm just down the road, I was super excited to find out that it was free camping up to 7 days! Right by the river just up stream from Huka Falls gorge, sounds like the ideal spot for those traveling shit runners out there...
Anyways, back to work. CHUR boys for another sick weekend.
