Heavy rain that damaged sections of State Highway 1 and caused flooding in areas including North Canterbury and Kaikōura transformed several normally shallow, unnavigable rivers into temporary boating playgrounds. Such conditions typically occur for only a few days every few years.
Over the Matariki long weekend, a number of hardy jetboaters braved the cold and took advantage of largely frosty but otherwise fine conditions to explore rivers including the Eyre, Waipara, Selwyn and upper Ashburton.
Eli Pearson navigated the Waipara River near Amberley in his jet ski-powered minijet after launching near the river mouth close to the Pacific Ocean. Although flows had fallen from a peak of 44 cumecs, the river remained well above its typical winter flow of around 1 cumec.
“The Waipara River was a local river for me growing up as a teenager riding motorbikes and driving four-wheel drives,” Pearson says.
“I had always wanted to explore it by boat and, being relatively new to boating with plenty of water available, I jumped at the first opportunity to head up the river. The day went extremely well, and we made it through the gorge and some fairly gnarly rocky sections.”
Further south, the Eyre River, a small tributary of the lower Waimakariri River, peaked at 13 cumecs before rapidly dropping again. The brief rise in water levels provided enough time for several boaters to brave passing showers and bitter temperatures to explore the murky floodwaters in inflatable jets.
The Selwyn River also experienced a dramatic increase in flow, peaking at just under 80 cumecs compared with its usual flow of around 1 cumec. One local farmer told Boating New Zealand they could hear jetboats and inflatables running the river throughout the weekend, something only possible for a few days every three or four years.
Jet Boating New Zealand (JBNZ) Canterbury Chairman Joe Daly, along with a group of friends in inflatable jets and mini jets, ventured into the headwaters of the South Branch of the Ashburton River. Daly described the experience as “simply breathtaking” and said it was only possible because of the unusually high river levels.
Despite the unique opportunities, the floodwaters also highlighted significant hazards for boaters.
During his trip on the Waipara River, Pearson encountered damaged fence wires stretched across the water. Without the equipment needed to remove them safely, he reported the obstruction to JBNZ and local authorities.
Daly says the incident serves as an important reminder for those taking advantage of flood-affected rivers.
“Heavy rain offers some unique opportunities for boaters to explore places that are not often navigable, but this always carries a degree of risk,” he says.
“We urge all boaters to exercise extreme caution and maintain a careful lookout for flood debris and other hazards that may have been washed into the rivers.”
