Multisport Waimakariri Gorge Guided Trip
Price: $295.00 ( inc. GST )
| Price | $295.00 |
| Payment | Own gear, Hire gear |
| Item # | AZWG |
Waimak guided kayak trips occur at regular intervals through December and January once the rains have calmed down from the spring. We will guide you down the Coast-to-Coast course in your race boat, hooking you up with good race lines and developing plans for some of the trickier sections. Optional stop for lunch during our river journey and having our vehicle meet us at the get out makes this trip a great way to gain knowledge and experience of kayaking the Waimakariri gorge on the complete Coast to Coast course.
Meet at our shop at 7:00am to join the rest of your group and make sure you have all the gear required for the day prior to leaving for Arthur's Pass. Reach Mt. White bridge and set off before 10:00am. Lunch is at Gooseberry stream (Powerline crossing), where anyone who has had three swims, or wants to stop for any reason, can catch a ride with our driver to the take-out. The next contact with the road is 35 km later at Woodstock, one stop before the gorge bridge. A good article to read prior to setting out for the day is Brett Whiteley's Waimak Gorge Trip Notes, the Waimak Paddle and Run book is also useful - the river may have changed since the last revisions of these sources but the features will be similar enough for both to be highly useful.
Please see our front page and bottom of this page for currently booked Waimak trip dates. We add others as these fill up, so if you want a date that isn't on the list, please put that date in the comments section when booking and we'll do our best to find at least one other person for your preferred date - there is a two person minimum for a trip to run.
If you are booking a flight to Christchurch for your trip, please make it one that can be easily changed, as these trips are weather dependant and will be cancelled and rescheduled if conditions are unsafe. Please also note that we cannot be sure what time you'll finish your trip, so a morning flight the following day is a much better option than the night of your trip.
If you need to hire a kayak for this trip, please add into the comments section your weight and the kayak that you normally paddle at home. We only hire sea kayaks for this trip - usually the Barracuda Beachcomber. We strongly recommend that you bring the rest of your gear along with you - it's definitely preferable to use your own paddle - but if you need to hire a paddle, buoyancy aid or spraydeck (air bags are included in kayak only hires), we can sort you out with hire gear.
"Thanks so much for your patience, knowledge and guidance on the guided trip ... you helped me finish the race smiling." - Kipling Walker, Australia
Please note:
- Clothing and safety items - the same gear as is required for the Coast to Coast's kayak section must be brought with you and will be available for purchase if you don't have it all on the morning of your trip.
- You must have passed your Grade II certificate to undertake this guided trip
Also Please note: because we offer the option of running the entire Coast to Coast race route we do not guarantee a return to Christchurch time.
All of our moving water kayak instructors are qualified to a minimum NZOIA Kayak 1. All of our Sea Kayak instructors hold SKOANZ certification.
Learn with someone that knows how to paddle, how to teach, and how to make a quick and effective rescue should something happen.
Waimak Courses are run when there is demand, we require a minimum of 2 clients to run a trip. The dates below are confirmed at the time of writing and, if not marked as full, have space for further paddlers. If none of these dates suit you let us know - we can arrange a trip for your preferred date(s).
