27 February 2007

Exercise Kapyong Summer was born out of an idea to fittingly commemorate the 25 years of service for 163 Battery, 16 Field Regiment, RNZA. We decided to undertake a sea kayaking expedition around Stewart Island, a paddle that has only been completed by a handful of explorers and is known to be one of the more difficult kayak expeditions in the world.

After more than a year of planning and preparation, the expedition party departed Linton on 1 December en route to Burnham to collect our AATC guides, Staff Sergeant “Arab” Ahradsen and Captain (Retired) JJ Pihema. We also collected a mountain of fresh food to sustain us for 14 days on Stewart Island, and our first hurdle was trying to fathom how on earth we were going to get all that food inside four double kayaks and still have room for a paddler and his gear! After several packing attempts we finally got it all in and set off for the drive to Invercargill, our last main land stop before the ferry trip to Stewart Island.

With final checks complete, all eyes turned to the weather forecast. Seasonal high winds – unseasonably southerly – had been continually smashing Stewart Island during the previous fortnight. Indeed, two days prior to our arrival, the Stewart Island ferry was forced into port for 48 hours as the seas were just too rough. It was with some trepidation that we noticed the weather patterns appeared to be getting steadily worse – our best-laid plans appeared to be in jeopardy. Out of hope rather than good judgment, we made the short, if incredibly rough, journey from Bluff into Oban.

Visiting Stewart Island is like stepping back in time, and it truly is a spectacular place. It is a predominantly fishing and tourism-based society, with a local population of about 300. Most visitors go to Stewart Island to tramp, hunt and fish, so our expedition garnered a fair amount of interest. However, the weather continued to deteriorate and, on speaking to local experts, our expedition was beginning to look untenable. Indeed, the ferry driver initially laughed at us when we told him we intended to circumnavigate!

With the future of the expedition in jeopardy it was time to make some tough decisions. Stay and paddle, meaning a maximum of two days of paddling then up to a week of waiting out rough seas, or cut our loses and do something else. The OIC and the AATC guides discussed the problem extensively. The major problem was time: the team just didn't have the time window for a minimum eight-day paddle if we could only guarantee two days of paddling at a time. Therefore, we made the hard decision to do something else.

The disappointment the team felt at this decision was unquantifiable. We had trained hard all year to attempt a circumnavigation of Stewart Island and now, due to circumstances out of our control, the “dream paddle” was being taken away. However, disappointment had to be put to one side and the planning group were determined to do an equally challenging expedition and make our hard work worthwhile.

After much deliberation, we hatched a plan with the potential to not only be a very challenging expedition, but also one probably attempted by fewer people than have paddled Stewart Island.

The team decided to paddle Milford Sound, Lake Te Anau, Lake Manapouri, Lake Wakatipu, Lake Wanaka, Lake Pukaki and Lake Tekapo – over 300km in 10 days! Logistically, this expedition presented us with several issues, as the driving involved was extensive. The support crew we had brought for our Stewart Island expedition now had a chance to really earn their spurs!

With a new sense of purpose, the team traveled back to Bluff in near mill pond sea conditions. As it turned out, the decision to leave was a good move as Stewart Island was repeatedly pounded by southerly storms and some of the most unseasonable weather the island has ever experienced. A sea kayak expedition would have been impossible.

Due to circumstances out of our control, the team could not even attempt Stewart Island but instead gamely attempted to paddle the major lakes of the South Island. In less than 10 days the team paddled over 300km and shared experiences that will live with them throughout their careers. On a personal note, this experience has been one of the highlights of my time with the men of “Takatu” and I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to lead such an auspicious event.

As with all expeditions, the team would not have been able to complete it without the assistance of several key groups and individuals. The team would like to thank Major Boggs (former BC 163 Bty) for his input and enthusiasm. The Singapore Fund for its generous donation. And AATC, perhaps the most important partner in this expedition. Major Rob Hoult and his team have been behind this expedition from conception to fruition and we owe them a great debt. In terms of equipment and expertise, they have been exceptional.

Lastly, our guides and friends JJ Pihema and Arab. As AATC members, their professionalism was without question and, importantly, they brought enthusiasm that was infectious and ensured the expedition was both challenging and enjoyable. Without them, this expedition simply would not have happened and for that we are truly grateful.

Milford Sound
The first stop on our new adventure was Milford Sound. With Fiordland on our doorstep, it seemed unthinkable not to paddle perhaps New Zealand’s most famous waterway. On a beautiful day we paddled out onto a pristine sea. The scenery was breathtaking. Sheer rock faces and mammoth waterfalls, made bigger by the heavy rains of the previous month, made one feel particularly small in a kayak.

The paddle itself was a relatively easy 36km round trip. A strong southerly whipped the seas up on our return journey, giving the team the rare opportunity to unfurl our sail. Sailing a sea kayak is something we had practiced. It involves rafting the boats, the outer pairs then hold the sail and the “raft” then sails along rather than using arm propulsion. Indeed, the strong winds really did propel us along and at times the raft began to resemble a submarine as the winds tried to drag us under. But the team returned unscathed. Next stop: Lake Te Anau.

Lake Te Anau
On day two we planned to put the boats in at the north of the lake and paddle 38km west, up the southern arm and into a sheltered, uninhabited, inlet. Again in near perfect conditions, we set out on our paddle and made the long crossing across the lake.

As our first lake paddle, it was interesting to notice how different fresh water paddling is. Not only is the boat less buoyant, but the density of the water makes paddling far more difficult, resulting in less speed for more effort. Whilst not an issue on a day paddle, it becomes very much an issue on a 10-day continuous paddle and the team began to realise that this expedition was not going to be an easy task.

The morning paddle passed uneventfully but the afternoon was a very different affair. A strong southwesterly began to blow with some ferocity along the southern arm and we again noticed another difference in fresh water paddling. Unlike the sea, which swells in wind and has regular waves, fresh water is just whipped up. Big waves hit the boat from every direction, making stability and paddling particularly difficult.

Our progress slowed as we hit a head-on wind and it soon became clear that we just weren't going to get where we wanted to go. It also became clear that the weather was worsening and we needed to find land before we got caught in a storm. We were forced to turn southeast and head back down the southern arm. We found a camping spot and within minutes were engulfed by a storm that lasted over 24 hours.

Day three was a 48km paddle from our camp location to Te Anau township. We set out in torrential rain and encountered the third difference when lake paddling. Because the swells have nowhere to go in a lake, they continue to bounce off the land with decreasing ferocity until they eventually run out of energy. It was quite surreal to be in a torrential downpour and smashed by waves, on a perfectly still day! Lake paddling was beginning to look and feel really hard.

The day’s paddle was long but it was good to be on the water and finally on our expedition. The highlight of the day was stopping at the glow-worm caves and sweet-talking the Department of Conservation staff into giving us a guided tour. After a well-earned shower, the team was shuffled slightly to allow members to have a rest and was augmented by the very able and keen support crew.

Lake Manapouri
The team moved up to the Lake Te Anau dam for day four. The plan was to paddle the Waiau River, from Lake Te Anau to Lake Manapouri. The river is a fast-flowing 18km waterway and a very different experience to what we had ever paddled before. The river then ended in Lake Manapouri and we paddled a final 12km to the pick-up point. The morning paddle on the Waiau River was excellent as the shelter from wind and flowing tide allowed us some respite from the previous day.

However, Lake Manapouri was very different. A head wind smashed into us as we exited, whipping the lake up and making paddling very difficult. With no exit points accessible, the team was forced to paddle the 12km into gusting winds. A bedraggled team finally made land, having been unable to enjoy one of New Zealand’s most picturesque lakes! But we felt a sense of achievement at having completed a very difficult paddle.

Lake Wakatipu
We planned day five to be a paddle from the southern end of Lake Wakatipu to Queenstown, but the paddle was cancelled due to gale force winds and inclement weather. Once again, the weather had dealt us an unfavourable hand.

The following day the weather turned and allowed us to make the paddle from Queenstown to Glenorchy. The 36km paddle, with The Remarkables as a backdrop, was spectacular. Our rotation policy began to take effect with the AATC guides acting as ground crew, allowing our support team to paddle once again. The paddle was not a particularly long day but the previous days were really having an effect and going was tough. In glorious sunshine, the team eventually reached Glenorchy and made the trip to Wanaka.

Lake Wanaka
A night spent in the Army Leave Centre was a welcome break from sleeping in a tent, and left us relatively refreshed for Lake Wanaka. The plan was to spend two days paddling the lake from north to south, a paddle of approximately 65km in total.

We planned to spend the night on an island in the middle of Lake Wanaka. With minimal stores, we set out on the paddle and with favourable conditions we easily made the night location and explored the island. Bizarrely, the island raises some 400ft above Lake Wanaka and at its summit it has another lake. Nobody could fathom how an earth this sizeable amount of water got on top of this tiny island – that was until night time, when in yet another torrential downpour it became painfully obvious how the water probably got there! Another gale force wind whipped up in the early hours of the morning, making the lake untenable. We were going to have to sit it out. No problem we thought, except we were running out of food. Nothing is quite as bad as a gunner without a fresh meal so some of the team heard cries of “…no food!” and improvised with hu hu grubs! As edible as they may be, I was glad when the weather abated long enough for us to make a run for shore and complete a memorable paddle.

Lake Pukaki
The following day the team traveled to Lake Pukaki and planned to paddle one of the small glacial lakes in the Mount Cook National Park. However, after a spectacular drive into the mountains, it became obvious that this was unachievable with the equipment we had. It would have taken over an hour to manhandle our fully laden kayaks up over a mountain pass, and on arrival icebergs littered the lake. Fibreglass kayaks would have been damaged if not destroyed attempting to paddle. Once again improvisation was required and the team spent the day tramping in the national park, an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Lake Tekapo
The final day was a short 20km paddle on Lake Tekapo. In perfect conditions, the team paddled our final stage.

It was with some elation that the team completed the paddle. A year of planning and hard work had made possible something that will, quite rightly, enter the history of 163 Battery. At the start of 2006, 16 soldiers and officers completed a course in basic sea kayaking. Of those 16, a team of eight was selected, with a two-man support team. This team completed practice paddles around d’Urville Island and Banks Peninsula (Army News #364).

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