First Descent of Rocky Creek

This is a very late write up of a first descent we did on the 13th of December 2011. We had been hanging out on the West Coast doing local trips like the Upper and Lower Kakapotahi, Arahura walk in, Styx and the Toaroha. There was a big weather system that was about to hit the West Coast of the South Island. This river was one that GW boys Barny and Jordy had scouted out at low water and said it was good to go.

So on that information we waited for rain. We didin't have to wait long as late that night it started raining heavily. In the morning we waited a couple of hours for the rain to fill up the river before setting off for the small settlement of Rapahoe. We checked the flow at Seven Mile Creek which is the main river that Rocky Creek flows into. We left a vehicle at a carpark next to the ocean as our take out point. From the take out we drove North for two kilometres to a pullover bay and road with a big (locked) gate. This was to be the start of our walk.

The walk was a little bit dodgy to say the least. We were on DOC land but it was also a combination of old mines, operational drilling sites and helicopter landing pads. We walked fast and kept our heads down. The walk took us about an hour and followed tracks most of the way.

At the put in the river bed was covered and was easily enough to float our boats. We pushed off, eager to see what was around the corner. The run had numerous clean rapids and just one portage around some trees. There were a few industrial hazards such as rope and wire across the river, which were marking tracks as they crossed back and forth through the river bed.

Jordy pushing off at the put in

(Photo: Jess Matheson)

Jordy running the first rapid of the day

(Photo: Daan Jimmink)

Barny on a nice slope to boof

(Photo: Jess Matheson)

Me on a really tight one

(Photo: Jess Matheson)

Skux loving the Tuna

(Photo: Daan Jimmink)

Daan lining up a clean boof

(Photo: Jess Matheson)

Skux probing a big ramp

(Photo: Daan Jimmink)

Daan ducking to avoid the tree, another nice limestone slide

(Photo: Jess Matheson)

Barny on the last slide of the day

(Photo: Daan Jimmink)

It rained the entire time while we were on the river but it didn't seem to come up much while we were on it. It would have been good if we had a bit more water, but in saying that it was a good first time flow. Rocky Creek meets Seven Mile Creek not long after the last slide, which meant good flows for a nice float out to the ocean and the take out. 

Skux forgot to take the keys with him which left Jordy and I running up to the top. A very smooth first descent - thanks to Barny and Jordy for scoping it out for us.

The Styx

Heading out to the Kokatahi, I thought the river looked good to go. On second opinion, Jess thought it was a little high. On third opinion (Barny and Jordy) it was on the high side of good. The outcome? A better option of walking up the Styx river. 

The Styx river is in the next valley over from the Kokatahi, and it usually takes about an hour to walk to the put in. We were driving up the 4x4 track to the start of the walk and had got most of the way up when our trusty Landcruiser managed to get itself stuck (who would have thought?). We tried for an hour to get it out but the 4x4 wasn't engaging and therefore we weren't going anywhere. Going paddling and leaving the truck where it was (waiting for the sun to dry the mud) seemed like the best idea. 

Well stuck in the mud

(Photo: Jess Matheson)

From the truck we walked the hour to the put in. The track has changed a lot as many of the side creeks have blown out in recent floods, making the track hard to follow. At the river, the flow seemed to be a good medium. Once at the put in I looked around to find Barny and Jordy - they were pulling a tree out of the first rapid to create a clean line. We got changed pretty fast to stop the sandflies from attacking us. From here we had a couple of very clean rapids.

Jess on the first rapid

(Photo: Daan Jimmink)

Barny with Skux in the background

(Photo: Daan Jimmink)

Jess in the good bit

(Photo: Daan Jimmink)

Jess lining up the boof for the camera

(Photo: Daan Jimmink)

Skux in the same spot
(Photo: Daan Jimmink)

 Jordy, wishing he had his Tuna...

(Photo: Daan Jimmink)

 Looking downstream

(Photo: Daan Jimmink)

After the first kilometre the river started to become pretty manky. Recent flooding seemed to have brought down a lot of sediment from the side creeks and filled up the main river. The river felt like it wasn't as steep and some of the great rapids on the run were no longer there. We were disappointed to say the least as the Styx has forever been a bit of a West Coast classic walk-in. Right now? All in all not really worth the run. Maybe in a flood or two... Who knows.

When we got to the truck the mud had dried a bit. Listening to the instructions from the team, I tried again to drive us out. All of a sudden every one was yelling and all I heard was to "drive backwards." Doing as I was told, I drove back and got the truck even more stuck. It was time to get help. Jordy was the chosen one for this task because he is the fastest runner (all that training Jordy). Everyone else enjoyed the cold beer and wine that we had left in the river.

Lining up the tractor

(Photo: Jess Matheson)

Jordy returned with a famers tractor that made light work of getting the truck out. It was now time for more celebrations before the drive to Barny's house.

Celebrating the extraction of the truck

(Photo: Jess Matheson)

First Descent of Toaroha Canyon

This misson started like most missions do when living in Murchison: through Skype. After a couple of chats to Jordy during the week, Jess and I decided to head down to the West Coast to paddle the two day Perth. We had completed most of our drive down to Hokitika when we got a text from Jordy saying "We are saving the two day Perth for another day and heading into the Toaroha Canyon". 

We headed to Zak's house to find out more. JV and Zak were in the process of cooking an amazing BBQ meal when we showed up. Over dinner we asked them for some more information about the trip... "Mostly grade 4 with about two hours walking to get there". We were keen.

The next morning was a bit of a slow start because of a few gins the night before. We met at the normal take out for the Toaroha run. The first hour of walking took us along a well formed track in the bush then up along the river bed. Before the track went away from the river again we had a bit of a break, making the most of the readily accessible water and getting ready for the next part of the walk.  

The nice gentle river bed before the uphill

Photo: Jordy Searle

From the river bed the track disappeared into the bush, climbing steeply. At this stage I was wishing for my carry system, which I had left at home (because we were going flying). I think we had also well passed the "two hours of walking" mark.

Jordy doing it the hard way

Photo: Zak Shaw

 Zak getting close to the end of the uphill

Photo: Jordy Searle

Once we were finished with the uphill, the hard bit started. Access back to the river was down a big slip; loose rocks on top of loose rocks making it very slippery. A few sections were very steep and needed the use of throw bags to lower the boats closer to the river. At the end of the downhill we were greeted with the roar of the waterfall, nice cool water for drinking and the committing gorge downstream. We spent a while contemplating the 50 footer at the put in, but no one was keen to go first.
 

The 50 footer and the put in

Photo: Zak Shaw

Once we were on the water the rapids just kept on coming. They were all very clean with one portage and funky seal launch. 

Keith Riley on the first rapid of the day

Photo: Zak Shaw

Kev England on the first clean boof of the day

Photo: Daan Jimmink

Zak Shaw following into the tight gorge

Photo: Daan Jimmink

Zak riding the wall of water into a tight slot

Photo: Jordy Searle

Tight and steep... The rapids stacked up around me

Photo: Zak Shaw

Riding the wall, trying to stay high and dry

Photo: Barny Young

Jordy and I with not that much space around us

Photo: Zak Shaw

Charging into the cauldron... A late boof will get you through

Photo: Zak Shaw

Keith clearing the cauldron

Photo: Jordy Searle

JV keeping his speed

Photo: Daan Jimmink

Barny, post seal launch around the portage

Photo: Zak Shaw

Keith Riley, with all cameras focused on him

Photo: Daan Jimmink

JV boofing like a champion

Photo: Daan Jimmink

Zak hitting a clean centre boof

Photo: Daan Jimmink

Enjoying some boogie water

Photo: Jordy Searle

Just another big hole

Photo: Jordy Searle

The rapids kept coming in pretty quick succession, all of them being scoutable (some with a bit of imagination). There was a high commitment factor with this trip because of the number of must-runs with sketchy places to run safety. We got to the big rapid of the day which dropped into a very tight gorge at the end (just for something different). At the entrance to the big rapid by back band broke leaving me a little looser in my boat than I would have liked.

Me probing the big one

Photo: Barny Young 

Barny on the big one, JV running safety

Photo: Zak Shaw

JV stonking the big one

Photo: Daan Jimmink

Me on the last drop of the trip, a funky lead in to a cleanish 20 footer

Photo: Jordy Searle

The Toaroha Canyon is an awesome addition to the kayaking of New Zealands' West Coast. The down sides: you have to walk for it, you have to commit from the start and that if you have a swimmer in there it might be difficult to deal with. The plus sides: it is a low water run, you don't need to fly, you can call it tramping as well as kayaking, the scenery is outstanding and the quality of the rapids is high.

I think it is a classic and can't wait to get back in there.

Cheers for everyone who canyoned the run earlier - very helpful to know that it was good to go. Thanks to Zak Shaw, Justin Venable, Kev England, Barny Young, Jordy Searle, Keith Riley and Jess Matheson for a great day out.

The Magnificent Kokatahi

The weekend of Wild foods. It has been a few weeks since I have been on anything harder than the local teaching runs so was very excited at the prospect of going on a heli trip. After a leisurely trip from Murchison to Hokitika, Jess and I caught up with a bunch of friends for a BBQ. A trip down the Kokatahi sounded like a plan.

Ben Jackson on one of the first stacked rapids

Keith called Dando, he had a quiet day lined up and said the conditions were great up there. We booked him for 11am.

Shannon Mast loving Cover Shot

With a big group of nine flying up, we had a solid crew on the water. From the air I could see that it was a great choice to head up the Kokatahi. The conditions were awesome and the last flood had changed a few of the rapids for the better. We were able to boat scout most of the run and kept a good pace. 

Shan on the run out of Cover Shot

Cover Shot was the first big rapid that had changed for the better. With a nice lead in, then straight into an awesome boof, nobody could go wrong.

Owen Glover

Me on the vantage point for Cover Shot

Antoine Dupuis stomping Cover Shot

Keith Riley rail slide to boof

Me on Cover Shot

We heard the chopper heading back up the Valley. Barny and Jordy were flying up to the top for a quick afternoon bomb.

Ben Jackson nice boof, funky landing

Silas Beaver styling his first Coast trip

With Barny and Jordy catching us just after lunch, the team was now 11. A great crew to be out there with but also a bit big for safety, so we split into two more manageable groups after Carnage Gorge.

The Mass group walk

Chilling after Carnage Gorge

Jess Matheson on Skate Ramp

Silas on the kicker of Skate Ramp

Jess running The Cave

Another of the better changes of the trip was The Cave. We were able to paddle right through it instead of walking over the top of the huge rocks creating it.

Overall it was a very awesome day out with minimal carnage... A bit of skin lost from knuckles and that's about all. I am very eager to get back in there again soon. This run is quickly becoming one of my favourites on the Coast. A cheap flight plus a full day of boating.

Jess: Seal Launch into slide

Same drop, different angle