I have republished this with some more content, enjoy!

March 17 2020

Covid 19 was just starting to be taken seriously, with only a few confirmed cases in NZ.  

Late monday night after a day of packing and driving, we arrived at Yeti tours in Ohakune bubbling with excitement. The next morning we finished packing our gear into big blue waterproof barrels, we loaded them and the canoes onto the trailer. My family and our friends Ella, Jordan, Julie and the three frenchies Bebe, Aurian and Matio clambered into the van with Gavin the owner of Yeti tours as our driver.

Two hours and a coffee stop later we disembarked at our destination, Whakahoro. Three days and 88 kms of river stretched ahead of us. Gavin suggested waiting till tomorrow as the head winds were raging, but anticipation made us foolhardy so gleefully we set out in our canadian canoes down the Whanganui river. 

Ella, Jordan and I shared a three seater canoe, us girls all being the same age meant there was bound to be some disagreements. Mum came up with a code name for when things got heated. Hairy balls! Every now and then she would paddle up to our canoe and shout out “HAIRY BALLS OR HAPPY DAYS?!”Thankfully most of the time it was happy days!

All along the rocky cliff sides that walled the river highway, radiant Rata, Rewarewa and Rimu blossom alongside cool Kamahi and proud punga, while friendly tree ferns grow as epiphytes on towering Tawa. The lazy river did little to help us with our 6-8 hours of paddling every day, we had to paddle the whole way. The occasional rapid kept things exciting as Julie and Bebe discovered when they found themselves upside down in the river, more fun for us then it was for them! Unfortunately because of our late departure and strong headwinds we only made it two thirds of the way, and had to stop at Ohauora campsite instead of John Coull, this put us two hours behind each day for the rest of the trip.

Each evening we arrived late, exhausted and hungry, but there was our camp to set up, dinner to cook and our big blue barrels to lug up the hill.

On the second evening a few of us walked the hour and a half round trip to the Bridge to Nowhere. It was so eerie to come round a corner and see a serene concrete bridge, surrounded by native bush in the middle of nowhere! 

On the last day the 50/50 rapids weighed heavily on my mind, 50% of people stay dry and 50% of people fall out. Us girls made it through! Bebe and Julie weren’t so lucky….again😂. 

 March 20 2020 

We emerged back into civilization ready for a pumping weekend at the fair!

Then we got the news. The Extravaganza had been canceled for the rest of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic. What were we going to do? Where were we going to go? In true gypsy style we organized an impromptu end of season party to say goodbye to everyone. Now we are in lockdown in a house in Motueka.

Everything is going to be alright. 

   
I wrote this for a travel writing competition, I hope you enjoyed it!

Love Dylan Daisy❤