Wednesday 18th April – White Water Rafting & Hell’s Gate

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It was bloody freezing last night, I swear my nose was frozen when I woke up this morning from the draft coming in the back of “Dolly”. It’s a beautiful day and the “Blue Lake” opposite our campsite looks beautiful. After a leisurely breakfast we setoff off for our daily excursions. I’m going white water rafting and Kirsten is getting a massage in a Spa called Hell’s gate.

It’s never good to turn up to an adventure location to find an ambulance outside. Apparently a guy in the earlier group had broken his leg by getting it trapped between rocks going down a rapid!

After getting kitted out in all the sexy kit (NOT!), we set out in a clapped out bus to the Kaituna River (a grade 4 rapid). I feel a little apprehensive; as it seems our guides are a bunch of teenage adrenalin junkies. I must be getting old!

After a 20min ride we arrive at the river. While waiting to launch our raft one the guides decides it’s a good idea to push me in. God was the water cold!

We headed off and started with some relatively gentle rapids. These were 7 of us in our boat including a Danish lady that at first really didn’t want to be there! The river was very low so I thought that would make things easier. However, the reason the Kaituna river is graded 4 out of 5 is the 7m waterfall at it’s conclusion. This is the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world and the waters being so low actually made it bigger!

We stopped just above the Waterfall and were given our final instructions. I was at the back of the raft with the guide and it was our job to position the raft before going over. I’ve got to say at this point I was a little apprehensive, especially as you couldn’t see the drop!

30 seconds later we had made it and thankfully didn’t capsize; however most of the raft was submerged. I would like to tell you more about the experience but I didn’t see anything! IT was like being inside a washing machine. What I do remember is looking back up the waterfall and thinking “Boy that’s a big drop!”

After driving back to base I met up with Kirsten (post spa and massage) and we wandered around the impressive thermal reserve at Hell’s Gate. Boiling hot pools, bubbling mud and steam jets were the order of the day.

After a short stop for provisions we headed south along route 5 to our next destination Taupo. We arrived at about 7.00pm and cooked up some lamb chops, which were delicious.

We are going to try and arrange a fishing trip tomorrow on Taupo, which is world renowned for its trout!

Ta Ta for now K & M

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Photos

Before Rafting
Matt in the sexy gear!

Hells Gate
In Black & White

Comments

[m&d]

great photos
thanks