Rangitāiki River from Lake Aniwaniwa
Keen for action? For white water paddlers and experienced multi-sporters, the Rangitāiki’s Aniwaniwa run is a real buzz, with some powerful grade 2 water. With a large catchment, the river has a good flow all year round.
Just a couple of minutes after the put-in at the power station below the billowing Aniwaniwa falls, the river squeezes into a narrow chasm. Mossy cliffs rise sharply overhead. You’re faced with a thumping grade 2 rapid; misjudge things here, and you’ll be swimming.
After that, things settle down a little. However, there are still several tricky rapids and eddies. The riverside scenery is superb, with lush bush and sparking waterfalls.
The take-out is where the main Galatea road returns to the river, 7 km from the Aniwaniwa power station turnoff.
Trip time
For whitewater kayakers, there’s hours of playing in the rapids. Experienced multi-sporters take about 30 minutes to the main take-out.
Refreshment/car parking
There’s a pretty picnic spot with toilets at Lake Aniwaniwa, just above the dam. You can camp here. To get to the paddle start, drive across the dam, turn right and go to the road end. You can park here.
There’s a real scramble down to the water; it’s far easier to lower the boats down by rope, so bring a 25-metre length. The put-in itself is tricky, thanks to the water movement from the Aniwaniwa falls and power station outflow.
Other paddles
A good add-on to the main Aniwaniwa run is to continue paddling on downriver to the point the main road crosses the river, north of Waiohau. This takes an experienced multi-sporter about another 1-1.5 hours. From there, you can even carry on all the way to the Matahina dam, for another 1-1.5 hours.
Lake Aniwaniwa is a neat place for a family paddle, though it’s pretty weedy. Further up near Murupara, there’s expert-level kayaking.
Safety/environment
The Rangitāiki is not always close to the road, and much of the Aniwaniwa run is down a steep gorge. Once you’ve begun, you’re committed to the full trip. Experience is mandatory – this is not a paddle to be taken lightly. There are several places where you need to be very alert to the danger of willows. Please be respectful of people fishing for trout - stay on the other side of the river if possible.
