The Waitaha is my favorite run on the west coast of NZ.

It is longer, bigger, and harder than many of the other runs, and has a huge variety of rapids, and even a hour long portage near the end of the day , just to keep you honest!!!

After and exciting hover landing and unload, we set off with the early morning sun shining down the valley. It is good to get an early start on this run, you never know??!!

JJ Shepard fired it up early on running thumper with an unexpected and extremely effective boof to the right side!!!

He nailed it!

The whitewater stays staunch, and we had a good flow, the holes kicking keeping us on our toes.

On the famous cave rapid we portaged the entry to the cave and paddled out the other end, and boofed the hole.

Barney got spanked in the hole at the exit, and we lost his boat in the next continuous section of rapids.

Dave exits the cave.

In one of the last gorges the rapids build up with some pressure moves, and here Dave finds a way to sneak the unportageable rapid.
Fortunately it was after here we found Barneys boat, and paddled down to Morgan gorge.

Morgan gorge is a good place to pick up your boat, and portage, about a kilometre of walled in nastiness, it takes about an hour to portage.

Then you are back into it with the last section of grade 4 and 5 testing your endurance. Everyday on the Waitaha is a day to remember!!!