hi my name is Chris (Pikey) Bucksey and im from the uk, am at the moment in Oz and am coming to nz in feb,
Was planning on buying a car and simply travel NZ paddling as much as possible with as many people i could meet,
i dont have the fund myself to do this with out calling back home so was hoping i could hop around meeting cool people that could put a poor british boater on some great runs hopefully cureing the shakes i am having to deal with for the last 2 months, if anyone could even point me in the right direction to chat to most of the NZ paddlers through a forum would also be handy!
i know im cheeky for asking but thanks and hopefully be catching you guys and girls somewhere on the water!
pikey

you'll definitely find people in NZ

Try www.rivers.org.nz - it's the recreational paddling site. The people on there are absolutely awesome with information = I've gotten info on everything from where to paddle to how to get a boat from the north to the south island there.

steff

thanks guys and girls ive now change my date so im there in between the 20th may and 20th july, wanted to head there with some money!
but thanks for the link i will stay intouch with people on there!
thanks pikey

yea if you head to turangi i might be able to find you a floor space at my house and go on trip on river just down the road

G'day,
You'd be better off to come in February than May, I'm in Queenstown at the moment, and the shotover is dry. it's -2 degrees out side, snow on the hills, not ideal time of year for boating, allthough in saying that sum of the better north island runs have more water in winter. Even push it a bit further back till Nov-January. Spring run off makes for good boating, although late december early Jan is the tourist season. NZ White water guide by Greham Charles is an excellent place to start 125 runs with flow info, put in, take outs, grades and a hint as to what to expect on the river. You'd find sum1 to boat with any day of summer on the kaituna up north, must do run. Murchison camping ground down south has more playboating and paddlers than you can handle. THe rafty's are usually kayak friendly. I work on the shotover and for a box of beer we;ll usually strap you boat on the top of the stack and give you a ride into the middle of no-where for a shotty run, the saftey kayaker;ll even give you the head's up to whats around the corner. Don't quote me on it but i think the rangatata and rangitiki boys'd be the same. You;ll be right sum1'll look after ya