Thread: Ngaruroro river crossable at Kiwi Mouth & Rocks Ahead?

Hi all,
I'm planning a trip in the Kawekas later this year and have a rough route sorted, but I'm wondering about if the dog will handle the swingbridges and cableway. Is the river likely to be crossable in early summer at Kiwi mouth hut and Rocks Ahead hut?
Some of the YouTube videos I've seen it looks pretty good, but I don't want to get there and find I can't get the dog across. I'll be solo (apart from the dog) so won't be doing anything too risky.
Alternative options are do some more work on the dog's stay and release, and get her to swim across after I've crossed on the swingbrige/cableway, get her some practice on swingbridges, or hope someone else is handy to hold her or wind the cableway handle.

Years back we tried to get some dogs across a swingbridge and one jumped off the small bluff, narrowly missing landing on the rocks in the river.
We then tried it with a horse, thankfully it's feet went through the netting at the very start of the bridge before while there was still ground below it, so we were able to abort that dumb idea!

Cant speak for Kiwi Mouth but Theres a spot just upstream of the cableway at Rocks Ahead where you should be able to cross. Roughly in line with where the Rocks Ahead stream meets the river. Should be knee to thigh deep and you’ll pop out on the hut lawn more or less.

The Ngaruroro is continually dropping in level each succeeding year. In the early 80's you could still raft from Boyd to Kuri in summer. A very pleasant trip. Have walked from Boyd to Kuri via river. No issues what you planning.

If its in flood. COuld you not empty your pack, take the dog across tie him up and go back for your stuff?

Can’t just put a lead on the dog and keep it close?

Originally Posted by The bomb

Can’t just put a lead on the dog and keep it close?

That would work for the swingbridges as long as the mesh is small enough her feet don't go thru it.
The cableway might be best to take gear across, then come back to get the dog.

This was October a few years ago. I crossed the cable way but also up stream a couple times, was maybe knee deep where I crossed but pretty steep sided. But as said, can cross close to the hut, just might be a little deeper.


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Originally Posted by Sideshow

If its in flood. COuld you not empty your pack, take the dog across tie him up and go back for your stuff?

I remember some years back 2 guys rafting from the Boyd airstrip while the river was in flood… they got less than a kilometre before disaster struck… both bodies recovered.

Originally Posted by Seventenths

I remember some years back 2 guys rafting from the Boyd airstrip while the river was in flood… they got less than a kilometre before disaster struck… both bodies recovered.

One was a Napier detective. They called themselves adrenaline junkies. Some one witnessed them leaving Boyd and before the White Cliffs leading to Tussock they were already in trouble. One body found just above Whanawhana. Spoke to a person who located it. Not a very pleasant sight. I have pulled a raft most of the way from Rocks Ahead. Climate change. Its real.

If in any doubt about the river crossing use the cableway. Don't become a statistic. I lost a dog in the Otaki River many years ago and I nearly died trying to rescue him. When the Tararua Peaks ladder looked like this, I used to tie dog at bottom, climb ladder, empty pack contents at top, descend ladder, insert Lab X into pack and make sure he was well tied in, climb ladder, swap dog for pack contents and carry on merry way. A bit of shagging around and did a bit of 'dog in pack' training beforehand. Summary - training is helpful and so is thinking outside the box.

Dog in the pack works depending on the size of the dog. I am also doing a bit of dog across the shoulders training for 3 wire bridges but my current dog hates it, havent had her piss down my neck yet but would put it past the little bitch..

My girl weighs about 30kg, so she might have to go on a diet!

Hi Cigar
To check the river levels go to this link, if the river is in the range of 600-680 it is normally crossable. https://www.hbrc.govt.nz/environment/river-levels/
Cheers
Ruger7mm

Thanks for that
She's on the rise at the moment!

I was there some years ago with a mate who had a lab, he crossed with the dog in the box with him. The dog was a chilled hound, my advice would be to chain the dog on a short chain so you can focus on pulling yourself across with the handle that slides along the rope, it also acts as a brake when you get to the other side. Just remember to let the cradle go back to the middle when you have finished. Have a great trip!