“Ever rafted through a liquid avalanche?” I ask. Prepare yourselves for a story about Lower Shotover and its wild Shotover River. This isn’t just any river. It’s a place where daring souls first risked life and limb to conquer grade-five rapids.
Lower Shotover. It is more than just a suburb of Queenstown. It’s a gateway to adrenaline-pumping adventures. Our story begins in the early days of Queenstown tourism when pioneers like Dale Gardiner saw the river’s potential.
In 1974, Dale and his wife Anne started taking people on 4WD trips. Soon they founded The Original White Water Rafting Company. They braved the Upper Skippers Canyon first. Then they advanced to the Lower Skippers Canyon.
Imagine the scene. No helmets. No wetsuits. Just a simple raft and a whole lot of courage. Gardiner and his mates, deer cullers from the Forest Service, were his guinea pigs. Their first trip almost wrecked the boat. They were too busy trying not to hit rocks.
Safety was basic back then. Anchors, bells and sand buckets were standard. Gardiner needed throw bags and knives. He introduced crotch straps to keep life jackets on.
Tragedy struck twice in Gardiner’s 12 years. One client suffered a heart attack. Another drowned after hitting his head. This led Gardiner to organise his own rescue helicopters.
The risks paid off. Gardiner employed Mark Pickering. Pickering was a professional river guide from the United States. Pickering trained Gardiner. Soon Kiwis trained Kiwis.
Gardiner named some of the rapids himself. Names like Cascade Rapids and the Mother Rapids. The Mother Rapids contain Pinball, Toilet, Squeeze and Jaws. Jaws earned its name when a bus driver lost his false teeth there.
Lower Shotover’s landscape shaped these adventures. New rapids formed due to rockfalls and earthquakes. Dog Leg and Do Little Do Nothing rapids appeared on the Kawarau River.
Guides navigated up to 12 rafts down the river. They first used oars. Paddles came later. Solid-floor rafts evolved into self-baling ones.
The Shotover River became Gardiner’s personal heaven. He sold his rafting company in 1987. He pursued photography afterwards.
Now, as you stand here on the banks of Lower Shotover, remember those early adventurers. They carved a path for thrill-seekers everywhere. They transformed a wild river into an iconic destination. Their spirit lives on in every rapid. It roars in every splash.