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south canterbury
From the blue Pacific, across the patchwork
quilt of Canterbury Plains to the snow-caped Southern Alps, this
region is a mighty adventure playground.
There are abundant opportunities for skiing and snowboarding in
winter and year round hiking, cycling, mountain biking, fishing,
rafting and kayaking.
South Canterbury is rich in cultural heritage. Timaru and Oamaru
have some of New Zealand’s finest historic buildings and
wonderful public gardens and museums.
There are new attractions to see every day, and fresh excitement
on wild rivers that tumble down mountainsides and scramble across
broad flood plains in a race to the sea.
The Rangitata River provides the closest rafting trip to
Christchurch, and commercial operators in Peel Forest
(Canterbury) and Christchurch provide a great 3 hour, Grade 5
trip on this wicked river. The upper catchment collects an
enormous volume of water, which ensures good rafting. Flows can
fluctuate wildly however, and the gnarly gorge section can be
difficult at times.
The put in is off the Rangitata Gorge Road and the run commences
with a series of Grade 3 rapids, followed by a tight section
called ‘The Pinch’. Above the irrigation intake are
steep rapids where monster boulders create holes and other mayhem
amongst the big white fluffy stuff. This is one of the greatest
Grade 3 - 5 river adventures in the country - ultimate
whitewater, ultimate fun!
The Rakaia also gathers huge melt water flows from several
glaciers, forming a braided shingle basin up to 5 km wide. The
river lacks rapids but is very swift, which makes it attractive
to kayakers. There are numerous put in points such as the
Coleridge hydro station and the usual take out is below the
Rakaia Gorge Bridge. Conditions are generally under Grade 2 and
care needs to be taken to avoid jet boats. In recreation terms
the Rakaia is a ‘Giant of the Plains’ with paddlers,
jet boaters and trout and salmon fishermen flocking to its stony
bed for action-packed adventure.
Other Canterbury rivers such as the Ashley, Ashburton and Waitaki
are also kayaked and rafted when water flows are adequate.
The plains, foothills, scree slopes and mountains of Canterbury
provide unforgettable images of beauty and peace which linger
long after the frenzy of flying paddles and foaming waves has
subsided.
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