Stage 3: Upper Clutha River
Wanaka Dry-Dock
Before continuing, it was now necessary to winch the raft onto the Wanaka dry-dock for several weeks, to season the logs.
Lake Wanaka Outlet
On February 22nd, the raft was again on the water, floating much higher, weighing about four tonnes. Jeff and Stu had previous commitments, so I welcomed the assistance of good friends Fred, from Boston, and Ruth from London. Both, initially, would follow on land.
Poling raft toward Deans Bank
The raft handled well in the upper reaches, slipping through rapids, negotiating bends and running a few chutes. But at last, approaching the Snake, before Luggate, I was drawn towards rocks. I braced myself. The raft ran right up out of the water, spun broadside, almost came free, and then stuck fast.
It was a long walk to my next check-point to find my land crew. Later, having found help to free the raft, we pondered how to improve lateral steering, and the next day we added a forward-sweep - or long oar, so that a second person could help guide the raft.
There were tight bends and rapids ahead, with shoal water. We decided to try polling the raft with two raftsmen. So the next day, Fred, a well-travelled sailor, took the fore pole, while I took the aft, and we cast off. We made careful progress through the Snake rapids to Luggate, where we tied up. Just around the corner was the “Devil’s Nook” – the most dangerous hazard on the river above Cromwell.
Devil's Nook, Luggate
Embarking again, Fred and I coaxed the raft around the inside of the hair-pin. Soon, I took the aft-line ashore with a grappling-hook attached. As the current picked up, I followed, holding the stern inshore, while Fred worked the forward sweep, keeping the bow in. Clambering among trees and rocks, I almost couldn’t hold the raft. At the last moment, when the current headed toward the cliff, and the point of the hair-pin ended, I hoped to hold the raft in and throw the grappling-hook around a tree, to bring the raft into the backwater behind the point.
When the moment came, however, the grappling-hook tore loose, and I couldn’t hold the weight. Running forward onto the point, I instead threw the hook and rope around my waist, and dug my feet in, as Fred, and the raft, swept past. Fed heaved the bow left. The rope tightened around me. I leaned back, straining, sliding into the water. The raft slowed, almost halted, came left a fraction. Fed pushed hard on the sweep. I held my ground, at last, and gradually, the raft sucked into the backwater behind the point.
Thereafter, we continued down a peaceful reach towards the Maori Gorge. Using the forward sweep, we negotiated several bends easily. The river narrowed. Rock walls confined us. The turbulence ran up to a metre high as we steered past rocks the size of houses. Eventually, the gorge opened out into shingle banks. That night, we put in near the Lindis Crossing, about 20km from Lowburn.
The next reach was island territory, wooded and full of willow hazards. We navigated through hundreds of channels. In places, enormous up-rooted willows lay mid-stream. Before long, we approached one such tree that we could not avoid. The raft was drawn onto the tree with such force that we were almost thrown off on impact. At once, the deck was awash.
Lowburn Islands, sequence running onto a willow snag
After island territory
Hauling on sweeps near Lowburn
Lowburn camp
Cooking on an open fire
