Jet Boat on the Waimak

Had a nice cruisy day enjoying the unexpected sunshine - the forecast was for a lousy day. Barking and I took Cousteau for a wander down the Waimakariri river, a beautiful spot that is well used by many outdoor types.

Barking mentioned plans by a group of local dairy farmers to remove half of the river flow on a continual basis. This will make the Waimak impossible to kayak below Woodstock and will stop people form enjoying this stretch of water in their jet boats. I am hoping that the plans don't go ahead, I do a Winter kayak racing series down this stretch of water. A famous multisport race in New Zealand, the Coast to Coast would also be affected.

The photo shows jet boaters enjoying the weather, I often curse these guys when they race past me in the kayak (the waves can be unnerving on a grade 2 river when paddling a tippy race boat). However they were having such a good time I couldn't help but smile. A lot of the jet boaters do slow up when they see us kayakers, a few speed up!