Remarkable river surfers

It won’t come as a surprise to find hardcore outdoor enthusiasts amid Central Otago’s rugged mountain landscape. But surfers? A short drive from Wanaka, on the Hawea River, kayakers, surfers and boogie boarders take to two man-made standing waves in droves. 

The waves are the playful effect of two underwater concrete weirs at the Hawea Whitewater Park. Funded by Contact Energy under a mitigation agreement with Central Otago Whitewater and Whitewater New Zealand, the park went some way to make up for the devastating effect the hydro generation dams had on the region’s natural whitewater features, says Central Otago Whitewater’s Gordy Rayner. “Lake Dunstan, behind the Clyde Dam, drowned the rapids in the lower Kawarau Gorge and also in the Cromwell Gorge. They were world class,” he recalls.

The standing waves are popular with kayakers from throughout New Zealand and overseas, who are happy to share with land-locked surfies. “Even in winter, there are diehards out there,“ Gordy says. “But whatever the season, you’ve got to know what you’re doing.”