What a way to end 6 months holiday!

Photos in this post reproduced with permission from Chee Chang Ho and Darren Rooney! so thanks to them.

All organised at last. Well, pretty much anyway. Chee Chang and Annabel, two friends of Andrews (my boss) picked me up on Friday and we drove down to Haast on the West Coast – an hours drive or so South of the glaciers. Andrew having done himself an injury (2 broken ribs) just after Christmas wasn’t able to join for the trip which was a shame.

However, the trip itself totally rocked. SO much fun. We even got helicoptered in. There was a bit of excitement at the start as one of the raft guides hadn’t turned up – and there wasn’t a repair kit for the two rafts that we did have. This meant the trip – at least for the people who were to raft – was going to be cancelled… Now, I’ve just finished reading Against the wall and Yates is quite honest in that book – so I thought I might try that too. I was.. honestly! ;) momentarily, slightly relieved that this meant I mightn’t have to terrify myself for the long weekend! However, it passed as I couldn’t bare the thought of spending the weekend in ChCh either…

So the helicopters came in to pick up the gear. A blue one and a black one. The guy in the black one did a really steep dive coming in, so I decided that was the one I wanted a go in. The guys in the WWCC (White Water Canoe Club) were really really friendly – and even let me have a go in the front. Our guy on the final approach went with the rotors perpendicular to the ground. It was amazing. Afterwards all I wanted was to quit the day job and become a helicopter pilot. It was so so so so so much fun.

We were around about 250-300 feet above ground (according to the altimeter). The rapids don’t look so munchy from up there.

Then it was straight onto the river (after being told the various calls etc which everyone got quite confused by). The first day had one pretty big rapid at the start – 3+ anyway, and then a long flat section (thankfully with the wind) before some more challenging 3+/4 rapids. Our boat got stuck a few times, filled with water etc. etc. but never flipped. Darren – from 39 Fendalton – was our guide. He’d been roped in at the last minute – but was super.

The first two pics are before and during a rapid. I’m the one in the blue climbing helmet! The below left pic is L->R Kirsty, Darren and Anna.

My petrifiedness subsided over the course of the day, and I was quite enjoying it really by the time we got to our camp. It felt really great actually to take out my trusty trangia stove – from old scouting days, fire it up, and cook a delicious meal of packet noodle stuff. Ok, while I was a lazy cook this time, that’s another leaf I’m determined to turn over once and for all. In fact, I made a resolution this week which I’ve managed to carry out so far.

No personal emails / skype from 9->5

Just incase I ever do return to working in Europe, I feel that if I can keep that resolution it’ll make the transition all the easier. And in fact I’m quite enjoying it so far.

Those two pics were of random scenery and the camp. After the drive down, and being out there in the wilderness again, seeing waterfalls coming out of the valleys, terminal moraines from glaciers perched high above the river.. I remembered pretty rapidly what I do love about this place. It’s funny – I mean I’d been back 6 days and I was rafting down a river in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of people I’d never ever met before (except Darren) and it was all totally natural and friendly. I love it!

So the second day.. I’ll just put up a bunch of pics. The main scariness this day was when we got stuck on a rock at the top of one of the rapids. A really nasty one actually. The boat totally filled with water, and we had lines thrown to us and we swam off the boat. Darren and Fletch (one of the other guides who hopped onto our boat) rigged lines, and with the help of pulleys we pulled the boat off the rocks.

Getting back on again to head back into the munching rapid (we had got stuck close to the top) took a little determination. Sorry! but it did (I’m not really that heroic!)

In this last one you can see our raft right up on its side.. really thought we’d had it at this stage (though in this case falling out would have been ok as we were at the end of this partic piece of white water)

Many pints were consumed that eveni
ng.. and then it was time for the long drive back to ChCh this evening. All in all an excellent trip – just so much fun.

Though.. after 6 months of holiday.. it’s strange, but I really am looking forward to being back in work!