Aotearoa Landscapes: Hollyford 2013

An eight day road trip from Christchurch to Gunn's Camp on the Hollyford River via Queenstown, Mavora Lakes and inclusive of a visit to Milford Sound. This annual UCCC pilgrimage is a 2000 km return journey with antics, spectacular scenery and often culminates with a rather rowdy night out in Queenstown.

2013 saw 15 kayakers get on 11 sections of 5 different rivers (Kawerau, Mararoa, Hollyford, Tutoko and Arthur Rivers) in a variety of conditions from 15 to 150 cumecs.

Thanks to the crew for such an awesome adventure, bring on 2014!
Here is Tim Grunshaw's video edit of the Hollyford 2013 trip.

Here, the 15 strong crew is amping prior to departing Christchurch.

Tim, firing early, running Citroen on the Kawerau River.

Party eddy on the Dog-leg section of the Kawerau River.

Jo Jury surfing the Do Little wave, again on the Dog-leg section of the Kawerau.

Nevis Bluff, viewed from the road above, at about 150 cu.

Jo Jury, Tim Grunshaw and Will Hand rallying into Nevis Bluff, ready to feel the burliness!

Tim and Jo running the crux drop in true truck'n'trailer fashion, a style normally reserved for low volume, steep creeking. This as a result of Jo taking a surf in a hole above this drop

and the resultant carnage in the run-out of the bluff rapid.

Following our stint in Queenstown, we traveled to the Mavora Lakes for our first nights accommodation. Here, a long exposure as we unpacked.

From Mavora Lakes, we did the Mararoa River, a fun, wilderness-feeling grade 3 run which drains the south Mavora Lake.
Next stop - Gunn's Camp on the Hollyford River!

With views of the Darran Mountain range like this, we were truly in awe of the surrounding vista.

The approach to the Homer Tunnel

and inside the Homer Tunnel

Out the other side into an impressive basin which all feeds into the Cleddau River and flows into Deepwater Basin, Milford Sound.

Here, the crew are warming up in the sun after a rather frosty start before our walk in to the Tutoko River.

Off the Tutoko, more touristy pics.

This time in front of Mitre Peak, Milford Sound.

The drive over to the Tutoko after a howling downpour followed by a stellar bluebird day.

The hike in to the Tutoko River.
After an hour hiking through dense Fiordland bush to find a stream with "no moss on the boulders", we had to hike half an hour down a stream and hope we made it to the bottom of a "heinously steep looking rapid". Luckily we got it right!

Forrest revelling in the hike in

Having a rest after half an hour or so of bush bashing down a stream bed

Stoked we popped out in the right place!

The Darran Mountains in unbelievable clarity, after a dumping of rain we were spoilt with two days of incredible sunshine and no wind. The sky was truly this blue and the mountains this dark, the contrast was hard to capture and even harder to believe!

An avalanche above the entrance to the Homer tunnel (Milford Sound side). This was one of four avalanches we witnessed on the trip and carried on for around 2-3 minutes.

Party night in Gunn's Camp.

The crew on our last morning at Gunn's camp. Following this pic we ran Falls Ck and the first gorge of the Marian Ck section on the Hollyford River, a fantastic place with a pretty steep gradient!

Jo hitting the crux drop on the Falls Ck section of the Hollyford River.

The Marian Ck rapids on the hike up to Lake Marian.

The sun setting on Lake Te Anau. This spot was incredible as we practised our stag roars and heard it rebound off the opposite side of the lake with the sound travelling back in excess of 5 seconds later.