Rangitaiki River Festival

Hold on to your hats this festival will be uniquely Bay of Plenty. Plenty of sunshine, local food and friendly hospitality.

The Rangitaiki River will play host to a festival to celebrate life on the river. Humans have lived on its edges for centuries, it has been a source of food and transport which will be the focus of the festival.  In the inaugural 2010 event, empahasis will go on foods of the land, river and sea and of course paddling. Thornton will play host to a food festival, a location where river meets sea. Imagine Kai Moana (seafood), wild venison and pork, cool relaxing music, kids activities and you have the ideal day out. Add to the day hundreds of Waka Ama and Kayaks some of them racing from Matahina some of them from Te Teko or Edgcumbe.

The North Island Kayak Marathon Championships (42 kilometres) will start on the edge of the Matahina lake and paddle upstream to the Island where compititors will turn around and head back to the dam. Once at the dam the kayakers will have to portage (carry) their kayaks 1.2 kilometres to the bottom of the dam where they will kayak 33 kilometres to the coast. No doubt they will hear the festival at Thornton way before they get there. Some will be extremely hungry and the smell of food cooking may be an incentive to push harder to the finish line.

PRIZE POOL

PRIZE POOL KAYAK MARATHON
Open men and women  1st $700 2nd 400 3rd 200
Junior U19 boy & girl  1st $100
Relay Male/Female/Mixed  1st $400
Masters Male/Female  1st $100

The Waka Ama marathon (33 kilometres) starts at the Matahina Dam at Te Mahoe. Paddlers have the option of completing the journey in W1 or W2 (single or double waka), a relay option is available with transition points at te Teko and Edgecumbe.

Prizes will be confirmed closer to the day and depend on number of entries

Conditions of entry click here- must be read before signing the waiver on the entry form

Race Information Sheet 

Fun Waka Ama Regatta including a 10km for W6, 6km for W1 and a 3km race for all craft (bring your stand up paddle board or your wave ski) and a W6 1500m race for under 12's. This event is based at the Thornton Domain and is hosted by Waka Ama o Rangitaiki.

Prizes   W6 -10km $240, W1-6km $50, 3km $50, Under 12 W6 $60

VENUE: For a google map click here - Thornton the site of the festival is only 15 kilometres from Whakatane. The start of the Kayak and Waka Ama Marathon is about an hour from Rotorua and tauranga, or 3 1/2 hours from Auckland.

Mark the 27th of March in your dairy, it's going to be a cracker of a day. Post this page on your favourites to keep up to date with this event.

For more information contact:

Mike van der Boom 07 3072050