Tuakopai Stream

The Tuakopai River runs through the Kaimai Ranges in Tauranga, New Zealand. It is a super fun class 4+ river with lots of nice drops and fun slides. It requires heavy amounts of rainfall. Here is a little edit I put from our trip down this river last week, thanks to the boys for a good afternoon:) (Apologies for all the head cam and shitty footage).

 Quote of the day: If you don't like horizon lines your on the wrong river!

 Spa Falls

 "I think you go right..."

Heading North

Otaki beach with Nell & my father

 Surf sessions- too messy for a board;)

 Lake Wanaka paddling

 Surfing the Hawea Wave with Canadian Brenna Kelly

 As much as I will miss the night sky of Wanaka, the Mountains, the rivers, the lake and the people I am stoked to go back up North, now basing out of Mount Manganui

Winter time on the Islands!

 I have been getting up at 6am every morning for the last week to be able to get in a few hours of study before heading up the mountain to shred all day long! Then coming home to continue work on assignments. I now have 3months until I finish my Graduate Diploma in Secondary School Teaching! 

So with ski season under way my good friend Leela has come down to Wanaka to stay for a few weeks and join me on the slopes! It has been good times for sure. We have been hiking to the Summit of TC to get to the deeper powder and today we went off-piste to do some backcountry on some real nice Powder!

To finish off the day I went out for a surf on the local play wave in Hawea, about 10minutes out of Wanaka. This wave was designed I believe by Scott Shipley and is super fun. I was sooo stoked to get back in my boat. I teamed up with Pete Simpson, an old time legend of kayaking, he always carries so much stoke on the water and is a pleasure to paddle with! 

 At the Summit!

 Heading out to create some fresh tracks

 Day 8 at TC- Leela making new lines

 Leela- A little bit stuck

 Pete Simpson- NZL Number 1 Freestyle Boat & Legend:)

Me- Attempting Freestyle

Mid-winter boating!!!

I first received the latest 'Duemstuff' Drysuit when I was at the Futalefu in Chile. It arrived at a perfect time as the weather was horrible and cold. On return to NZ it was summertime so I was pretty much in skins or with a light dry top most days. Now however, it is a bit colder here in New Zealand! Although I have to admit it is not as bad as I thought it would be. 
2 and a half months ago I broke my arm mountain biking, on Saturday I got back on the river! I decided there was no better way to get back in the boat then to do a full river run of the Kaituna incl. the lower gorges! This run takes about 4hours and is continuos class 3-4. It has some of the most epic sections of gorges with high walls and remoteness. On the Sunday I did another 3laps with 2 walk backs of the upper Kaituna which was sweet! Its at a perfect level right now of 500, my favorite level. The following weekend I got in another full Kaituna River run down the Gorges with just me and Ryan at 500s, a really sweet level! And such a good day!

I have been wearing the drysuit every time I paddle now and it is awesome! It has good gaskets and the material is light but durable. At first I was not sure how long it would last as it seemed too light and not strong. Its lightness does not seem to matter though. It is strong and has been keeping me really dry. I love it because it is really comfortable and easy to paddle in. Stoked! And even more stoked to be able to paddle in the middle of winter here in New Zealand. 

I have been coaching slalom to some of NZ's junior rippers! But with the ski season now underway I am going to be spending most days up the mountain! 

Wanaka

 MAC- Walking to Mt Aspiring College to educate the youth of NZ!

 Ryan came to visit:)

Life here in Wanaka is awesome! The days have been getting colder with a lot of snow now resting on the mountains but most afternoons the sun comes out:) I have been seeing a physio for my arm as it is still not 100% meaning I cannot really paddle yet. It is quite frustrating but with the cold I will be looking to go skiing rather then kayaking anyway. I am treating this as my first proper rest from paddling in about 6years! It makes you realise how obsessed you are with the sport you love, well for me anyway! I am happy to rest but starting to get very fired up for getting back in the boat!

Anyway, here are some pictures of the hikes up Mt Roy and Mt Istla that I have been doing. Soon I will be hitting the snow, followed by a NZ Southern Season of Spring boating! Stoked to be here in NZ

South Island, NZ

 Waiting to catch the ferry across the Cook Straight...North-South!

 Driving past CHCH- epic views of the Southern Alps

 WHITEWATER!!!Stoked to Graduate for my Bachelor Degree from Massey University- they have supported me in the last few years in my studies and with my sport. 

 Stoked to see Dolphins on the ferry crossing!

So stoked to be supported by Watershed Drybags! These are by far the best Drybags on the market. They keep gear super dry and are soo awesome to carrying a camera and multi-day trips. 

I have now moved to one of New Zealand's top adventure sport destinations- Wanaka! I have a teaching placement here and have started doing a bunch of coaching for some of the Kayak Slalom athletes in the area. It is getting pretty cold here now so I am busy preparing for the ski season which will kick off in just under a month!!! I am pumped for winter but already started making plans for my next kayaking destination and adventure!

Mountain Biking

 Ryan shredding on the bike

 So my latest sport of interest is Mountain Biking!!!Rotorua is the perfect place for this with the Redwoods forest right there- one of the worlds best!
Unfortunately on the weekend I had a bit of an epic crash!!I was carried out of the forest by the ambulance and taken straight to ED. The result was just a broken arm in the end. I am hoping to heal up well in the next month. Pretty gutted as there is a lot of rain at the moment and lots of good creeks have been flowing! All good though, getting some study done:)
My injury has got me thinking. In all extreme sports there is an element of risk, be it of breaking an arm, getting concussion or loosing your life from drowning or other. I have decided for me that sports are such a major part of what makes me happy. They are my passion, my drive and my life. I love the places my sport has taken me, the people I have met, the life lessons I have learnt and what it has opened me up to. I would not be happy without my adventures and the thrill that I get out of pursuing extreme sports. I dream up adventures constantly and hope I can keep living them for as long as I continue enjoying. I will of course try to reduce my risk by making smart choices and being safe. I want to live a long time and plan to do so. But sometimes things happen quickly and situations can be out of our control. It is just good to be aware of this.  All I can say is at least I have lived, and lived dreams.

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NZ Extreme Race Series!

So the NZ Extreme Race series finished after the BullerFestival in Murchison. Kenny Mutton took the overall in the Mens with Shaun Curtis winning the Junior Boys. Louise Urwin took out the Womans in the end with me in a close 2nd and Brenna Kelly in 3rd. 

I have now started my teaching placement at a highschool here in Rotorua. In the weekend I went on a coastal hike with my sister, some amazing scenery. I also did an overnight trip in a seakayak on Lake Tarawera, this Lake is beautiful and we camped out at Hot Water beach under the stars!  Summer boating continues here in Okere Falls, stoked to make the most of the last days of summer! I have been trying to keep my fitness up as I have a month of boating in the Pacific North West of America coming up towards the end of April! I will be meeting up with some radical chickas to get on some missions and in some good boating before braving a cold winter in NZ! This will be my first winter in ages...next year I am definately looking to charge back on the International Extreme Race Circuit!