Rafting in Clarence river
23 Friday February 2007 Filed in: Travel
When we
woke up this morning the rain-clouds was hanging
heavy in the sky. It was perfect for the activity
we had booked for this day, rafting in a RIB
(Rubber inflated boat) along the
Clarence
river. We where
supposed to be picked up at 9 o'clock at the
tourist office. And just a few minutes late a
old Mitsubishi van with a nice lady came and
we drove half an hour to her farm. She told us
her husband Ben was the guide and she would
only do the driving. She also said that she
had been to Sweden (Karlstad) once but she
didn't remember so much about the country
cause se was mostly partying at that time. I
felt that she was different then the women on
the north island, more basic with her feet
more steady on the ground. This was a feeling
I felt from more than once here on this
island.
Ben was also of the same sort, really friendly and with the with an intense love for what he was doing, both as a rafting guide and as a furniture carpenter. He took us up together with his wife 15 km up the stream and we put in the RIB in the water. He gave us some lessens how to behave in the boat and we where off. After only 5 to 10 minutes we stopped at a cliff and he told us to get of and jump from the cliff down in the stream, The jump was at its highest 5 m but we could choose to jump from other heights as well. We all jumped.
Rafting was fun and we went down the stream rotating the waves when there was white crest on the waves. Susanne was enjoying this to sitting in the back talking to Ben all the time. At one place we stopped and took a swim in the streaming water, they carried us fast down-stream and we floated along the river with tickling joy.
Ben told us that he also had a tour for 4-5 days from Hanmer Springs down to the ocean, a trip going on for 220 km. If we get here once more in life I'd really like to take that tour.
It rained all the time but that bothered us not at all, on the contrary the air became cold so the water felt warmer. What a day!
Ben was also of the same sort, really friendly and with the with an intense love for what he was doing, both as a rafting guide and as a furniture carpenter. He took us up together with his wife 15 km up the stream and we put in the RIB in the water. He gave us some lessens how to behave in the boat and we where off. After only 5 to 10 minutes we stopped at a cliff and he told us to get of and jump from the cliff down in the stream, The jump was at its highest 5 m but we could choose to jump from other heights as well. We all jumped.
Rafting was fun and we went down the stream rotating the waves when there was white crest on the waves. Susanne was enjoying this to sitting in the back talking to Ben all the time. At one place we stopped and took a swim in the streaming water, they carried us fast down-stream and we floated along the river with tickling joy.
Ben told us that he also had a tour for 4-5 days from Hanmer Springs down to the ocean, a trip going on for 220 km. If we get here once more in life I'd really like to take that tour.
It rained all the time but that bothered us not at all, on the contrary the air became cold so the water felt warmer. What a day!
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