Thread: 13' raft on Nelson area rivers

Dwelling bangoes.Once that alloy frame is removed all lateral rigidity is gone and it becomes a tractor inner tube that you can get buckshee out of the beaurepairs rubbish skip.A kiwi river raft has lateral stability cells (seats) keeping the centre of g low,and is paddled not rowed.Cash it up fot $US dollars over there where there is a market for that type of craft & use the green backs on arrival to purchase the right tool for the job.

Yeh I think the best advice is to sell it there. You can't really just look at flow rates on rivers here to try and compare. If you think about the topography here it's a long skinny country. The rivers lose altitude quickly and pretty straight and confined rather than wide huge river plains and meandering water ways. I just can't think of many rivers here you'd use such a set up and certainly none where you'd be hunting.

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Originally Posted by Ned

Yeh I think the best advice is to sell it there. You can't really just look at flow rates on rivers here to try and compare. If you think about the topography here it's a long skinny country. The rivers lose altitude quickly and pretty straight and confined rather than wide huge river plains and meandering water ways. I just can't think of many rivers here you'd use such a set up and certainly none where you'd be hunting.

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Good point re our topography.

I think I am right in saying that nowhere in NZ is more than 100km (62 miles) from the sea. Yet the mountains can go to 12000 ft in that distance.

So many rivers here not so much meander, rather plummet to the sea

I do `t think that can fit these rivers. I only been to Nelson area twice, but all the river I experienced all with strong current and sand fly

Originally Posted by bluebaiter222

Those elevated high seats are unsuitable for steep NZ mtn rivers over grade 1,you'll get spat out.The whole set up looks like for gentleman drifting on a placid bayioux.That construction won't handle our typical conditions of sharp rocks puncturing that lightweight looking Chinese fabric.Talk to the local Murch commercial guides to see about what robust kit they run the rivers with that can handle the jandle.The alloy wrap around frame will get bent on the first rapid,so guite unsuitable.the raft needs to flex when negotiating a rapib.You won't see one setup like that in NZ.Pay for a 1/2 day Murch commercial charter on the Buller to get your head around NZ rafting conditions before you commit to buying a useless piece of unsuitable Chinese junk

I am from China, and I agree with you on this point for the product and user experience, and I am sorry, no joking really. In the ccp `s economy, there is no creation, only copy but those factories in China they have the capability to make good stuffs in low price. But....their business model is make to order, it means overseas buyers gave them what to make, and they will make it for them. No Chinese manufacturing owner will think about these three words: mission vision and values because they are struggling to survive from high taxes.Say, 30% net from their operation incomes, and another 10% for bribery.

Go back to your poor user experience, the source is not factories in China, is the importers of NZ, like you, a citizen of NZ and those who have PR. Quick money, who will care about you will feel. One time deal.

It would go well in the Wanganui river up north.....

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

It would go well in the Wanganui river up north.....

no - having been on the Wanganui river a no of times in jet boats if it rains overnight the center of gravity sitting up so high in that boat not good at all - there are rapids there that would throw one out if river was up a bit - looking at it well might be useful for a duck shooter to pick up ducks on a very calm piece of water

Yep, done the Wanganui a number of times in high flows, where whirlpools are formed at the foot of rapids on a bend. The centre of the whirlpool can be a meter lower than the surrounding water level. Quite scary and not where you want to tip out.

Originally Posted by XR500

Good point re our topography.

I think I am right in saying that nowhere in NZ is more than 100km (62 miles) from the sea. Yet the mountains can go to 12000 ft in that distance.

So many rivers here not so much meander, rather plummet to the sea

I had always thought it was 90 miles from the sea so I found this here and I was wrong but we are both roughly right about the general principle

https://teara.govt.nz/en/natural-environment/page-2

"All roads lead to the coast. There is no location in New Zealand that is more than 130 km from the sea. It is a very long coastline: estimates range from 15,000 to 18,000 km. Precise measurement is impractical because of the countless twists and turns around inlets, headlands, spits, bays, harbours, fiords, sounds and estuaries. Although the North Island is smaller than the South Island, it has a longer coastline."

This is why I like threads like this as I never knew that about the coastline

If OP is still reading, I am used to seeing rafts that look more like this

Lest we forget the earliest documented trip down the Motu was some blokes on tractor tubes wearing rain coats. High tech indeed. A frame on a raft is not the best for NZ rivers. Rafting is a unique and exciting way to see the back country. Also avoid rafting in the pitch black darkness. Done that down the Rangitikei and Ngaruroro.Life is for living. Do it.

Originally Posted by TeRei

Lest we forget the earliest documented trip down the Motu was some blokes on tractor tubes wearing rain coats. High tech indeed. A frame on a raft is not the best for NZ rivers. Rafting is a unique and exciting way to see the back country. Also avoid rafting in the pitch black darkness. Done that down the Rangitikei and Ngaruroro.Life is for living. Do it.

ahhh the old Motu - done it several times - exciting nahhh bloody terrifying in places - but the thing I really remember is the last 5 km with the wind coming up the Motu and the river running really slow for the last 5 km it turned into a back aching paddle - but rapids with names like Bullivants cascade and the helicopter in upper end to be respected - incidentally Kahu Bullivant was one of the early ones down the river as TeRei says

Its a double edged sword re Enzed.Not only our topography as pointed out above, but our geology.So young just out of nappies.The gradients havnt had millenial eons to erode down to a lazy flat meandering course.Our jagged young rocks ideal for puncturing rafts without a protective rand havnt been smoothed ,then finally weathered away to silt/clay with the passage of millions of years.The steep grades result in the fines immediately washed away every fresh, continuily exposing more raw rock.You would be deluded to believe you wont hit a rock (and not bend an alloy frame) on any river in the Nelson region.The only place in Nelson you could use that craft for fishing/hunting on would be the Cobb reservour or Lake Rotoiti and only on a windless day.Happy rowing

Originally Posted by Barefoot

It's rare to see american style rafts and guide boat setups used here.
If you are moving here like I think you are planning too then it won't hurt to stick one in a container with the rest of your gear. Some one will buy it here if/when it doesn't suit.

Exactly what I'm thinkin!!

Thanks folks. Ok...I took offense to calling one of the top raft brands in the world a cheap piece of junk. It's not. Period. However a few things...
1. I'm not as dumb as some...more than most. BUT, I would plan on scouting/hiking rivers/drifts LONG before taking the family with me for an "easy trip"
2. Yeah, dammed good points about gradient and the years of water eroding rocks and the differences between our countries.
3. Hence my original post eluding to easy (for the family) and doable (for me and Stingray) within a few hours of Nelson or so??

Thanks again...I don't take offense to being called an idiot, I was asking if there were places that an idiot could plausibly take a raft down a river

PS: Also, I'm kinda heartbroken about all this as I was pretty stoked about this idea :/

Originally Posted by Joe Schmo

Thanks folks. Ok...I took offense to calling one of the top raft brands in the world a cheap piece of junk. It's not. Period. However a few things...
1. I'm not as dumb as some...more than most. BUT, I would plan on scouting/hiking rivers/drifts LONG before taking the family with me for an "easy trip"
2. Yeah, dammed good points about gradient and the years of water eroding rocks and the differences between our countries.
3. Hence my original post eluding to easy (for the family) and doable (for me and Stingray) within a few hours of Nelson or so??

Thanks again...I don't take offense to being called an idiot, I was asking if there were places that an idiot could plausibly take a raft down a river

PS: Also, I'm kinda heartbroken about all this as I was pretty stoked about this idea :/

As I said earlier It would be ok on the lower Mot and Appleby rivers.
I stopped in to a pullover on the Mot yesterday, midday and immediately spotted 2 separate trout feeding off the surface. Went for a closer look and promptly slipped in my sneakers fell on my arse and narrowly avoided having a swim!