Packrafting

On a dream

On a dream

Alpine tops, grade 2 rapids, southern ocean and two perfectly calm crossings of Hauroko, the "Lake of the sounding wind". Jamie McAuly had a dream trip by all accounts...

The quintessential Fiordland journey

Manapouri to Foveaux Strait  The quintessential Fiordland journey

On Christmas Eve we set off from the West Arm of Lake Manapouri with around a weeks’ worth of food, packrafting and tramping gear, a bunch of TOPO maps and loose plans to make it to Foveaux Strait. We had a small box of food delivered to Lake Roe Hut on the Dusky Track to pick on the way. For two weeks we linked together rivers, Fiords, lakes, some trails and a few different mountain ranges to make it to the Southern Ocean.

Gorgeous gorges

Upper Otaki  Gorgeous gorges

Traditionally, the Otaki gorge below Waitewaewae Hut was the domain of trampers with tyre tubes in low summer flows, and the occasional heli-kayaker when it been raining. Now, like many of the Tararua gorges, this is set to become a classic packrafting trip.

The upper Waiau

The upper Waiau

The thing about packrafting is, that the whole experience is greater than the sum of the two parts. Join Dan Clearwater as he traverses the Opera Range and paddles the Waiau River.

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