You would think that now that Keith has all the kayaking gear he needs and has found a group that goes whitewater kayaking at least once a week, that that would be enough kayaking for him-but it's not. So this weekend we headed to Mavora Lakes area so Keith could kayak the Mararoa river.
With a forecast for the weekend calling for rain and chilly weather, we drove the 3 hours to get there thinking we wouldn't be there for the whole weekend. Luckily, the forecast was wrong, as they always are, and we got beautiful sunny days both days-but we also got very chilly nights. I think the Mavora Lakes area is just about one of the most beautiful places ever!
Peter Jackson must have also thought Mavora Lakes were beautiful, because this location was in Lord of the Rings a couple times. It was the location of the Fangorn Forest, where the Ents live(my favorite characters in Lord of the Rings!) and as Nen Hithoel which is where the breaking of the Fellowship occurs after the fall of Boromir and when Frodo and Sam leave together, on their way to Mordor. (and no, when I saw the locations listed I did not immediately know them, Wikipedia reminded me!)
Keith kayaked the Mararoa river both days and had a blast doing it!
The one con about this river is that it was coated in dydimo (aka rock snot). It's an invasive species of algae that effects stream habitats (it's have a huge negative effect on the fishing industry) and can be spread by a single drop of water. If you knowingly spread dydimo the penalties are up to 5 years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $100,0000.
While Keith was kayaking, I wandered around taking pictures of sheep, reading, and maybe even a little napping in a meadow-it was a rough weekend!
This coming weekend we'll be doing the Routeburn Track, which is hiking 32 kilometers in 3 days, so it was nice to have relaxing time now!
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