Okere Falls- Pre Nationals Training

I am now living in Okawa Bay in Okere Falls with Anna, Sam and Jamie. Leela, Lou and Tyler have been chilling here too, its really sweet. Training with our coach Thomas has been really good this week, today we went mountainbiking inbetween our white water sessions. On Tuesday Mike, Brent, Chris and I will head to the South Island to prepare for the 2010 New Zealand National Championships that will be held next weekend on the Roaring Meg section of the Kawerau river just out of Queenstown.

Okere Falls- Training

After a good day of catching up with mum and Dad in otaki I have finally made it back to Rotorua! Katrina and I stayed the night with Luuka and on the Wednesday morning I got back into my slalom training with my French coach, Luuka and Johan. It is sooo good to be back and able to get some uni work done and training!!! I have a lot to plan for the year and lots of Uni work to do so here I go...
Check out this vid from the race!!!Pretty exciting! Awesome cargange.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KmnSg3l358

Citroen Extreme Race

The Citroen Extreme Race for 2010 was an awesome event! I had a really great time and am so glad I was there. For me my performance in my race runs reflects how far my boating has come in the last year, I managed to nail the left line a few times and was in the lead for most of my runs! Unfortunately I got caught on the eddyline and was overtaken by Nikki Whitehead, this pushed me out of contention for the win, it was a really unfortunate and unlucky occurance. Katrina made it through to the final but got caught up in the eddy on the left after the Cirtoen middle rock and this forced her to take a very nasty swim! Pete Simpson won the Mens, closely followed by Ben Robson and Chris Atkinson and then Brad Lauder. Nikki Whitehead won the chicks, followed by Toni George, Ngaio Hart and Katrina Van Wljk. This was all followed by a bit of a party at the river. We went to Queenstown the next day for some luging. And then on to Christchurch to stay with Willz and Chris Atkinson. Jono flew out early the next morning and me and Katrina carried on to watch the sunrise in Amberley! Then on to Blenheim where we had lunch at Nick Hoffmans and he took us to a awesome swimming hole on the Palorus river. We picked up two Dutch hitchhikers on the ferry and they are now coming North with me and Katrina! fun times!
It has been really great these last two weeks, lots of amazing rivers and paddling and people!
Better boost...
Louise

South Island Missions

After an awesome week of training in Australia with unlimited free water due to the fact that they kept the white water course running 24/7 some reasons to do with the algae in the lake I went out to dinner with all my Czech and some Slovaks to a CZE/Slovak Pub. Then flew home to Rotorua direct from Sydney, it was awesome! Within 20mins of landing at Rotorua airport I was on the Kaituna doing a riverrun! This was followed by a trip in Ryans boat to the hotpools. I arrived to find my Auzzy mate Jonno had taken over my whare in Okere Falls, we were joined a few days later by my good Canadian friend Katrina Van Wilk (also known by most as Canada!). We spent a few days rocking it in the falls doing riverruns and for me I caught up on a bit of Uni work and finished off the week of training with my French Coach Thomas Masuy. Katrina, Jono and I then drove to Otaki to spend a night with my parents. I was fortunate enough to catch up with two of my oldest and really good friends Skye and Ashleigh, it was great!
Canada, Jono and I then headed on the 2am ferry South. We drove to Murchison and arrived just in time for the Bullerfest! Bullerfest is an awesome kayaking event that is run every year on the Buller river in Murchison. I aced the first race which was a head to head time trial with 6 other chicks. But unfortunately got pushed out of contention when I failed to make the eddy at the bottom with the finish banner:(. It was really gutting. Canada was 2nd! and Niki Whitehead took the honours. Sam Sutton won the Mens, closely followed by Johann Roosenburg and Brad Lauder in 3rd. On the Saturday we had the Slalom race. My 2nd run was my better run being clean, I just lost a bit of time in the last upstream to the finish. Canada took out the Chicks and I was 2nd! Johann won the boys. Party that night with a theme of Rubix Cube...so lots of colour! The next day we did a riverrun on the lower Matukituki river which was pretty chilled!Fortunately too because Canada had forgotten her spraydeck!Then we headed to the coast for some epic Helicopter boating. We caught a helicopter into the deep wilderness of the West Coast valleys, amazing!Canada, Jono and I along with Niki, Toni, Sam, and Pete ran the Whitcome River the 1st day. Then Canada and I along with 5 other Canadians ran the Perth river, really really cool run, I must do it again, 6hour venture! It was a dramatic day too as Canadas boat leaked and proved to be pretty dangerous!! Then along with Sarge and Nick Hoffman, Canada, my sister Izzy and a few others we ran the Whataroa River, really fun and cool! Then we packed up our tent and drove across Mountains and through some amazing valleys to Wanaka! We stopped along the way in Okarito where an old paddling friend Sara Jane is now living!Totally wicked little spot on the Werst Coast with a total of 36 residents! We also checked out the gates of Haast along the way...Knarly!
We are now staying with Roy, Kelly, Jess and Holly Bailey in Wanaka! It is really awesome! They are taking such good care of us and feeding us up well with some amazing meals!They Rock! Today we ran Nevis Bluff and did one practice run down the Citroen Rapid! Was really so much fun! Loving this trip, it has been so awesome and everyone involved has been amazing!
Check these photos from the coast and Bullerfest!
Tommorrow is the Citroen Extreme Race 2010! I will be out in full force to defend my 2009 title!