Canterbury Packrafting Group River Rescue Workshop

DRAFT PAGE with content copied from the Hurinui Hooley just to get things started, I've started to updated/chage afew bits. Just an idea but it might be good to stop in at a pub on the way home or have a BBQ or something, Please get in touch with pranz committee Events@packrafting.org.nz if you need any help with this.

Canterbury Rescue Refresher - 7th and 8th December 2025 

Join the Canterbury Packrafting Group & PRANZ community for a weekend of skills development focussing on team paddling and rescue skills.

Meeting at 1000 Saturday at the Jollie Brook Carpark - Lake Sumner Road, at confluence with Seaward River, by the swing bridge. From there we will divide into groups. There will be a number of peer led rescue refresher workshops that will focus on sharing skills for self rescue and buddy rescue on Saturday for those that are keen. If not keen on the rescue refresher then all local river runs are available. 

For those who aren't local there is camping available further up the raod at Lake Taylor DOC Campground - YOU NEED TO BOOK YOUR SITE - Camping is on unpowered sites and costs $10/per night. All 15 site were available as at 1/9. If we get fully booked then we will need to double up on some of the sites - to avoid this if you are going with others then please book them onto your site where possible. PLEASE NOTE we are going to explore the possibility of camping at Jollie Brook to be closer to the site.

Sunday will be a day for putting into practice some of the rescue skills we refreshed the day before. We will divide into groups and run different sections of the Hurunui depending on skills and river flow. 

Packrafters might also not be aware that there is currently a proposal to put a weir at the outlet of Lake Sumner. The purpose of this would be to regulate flows for the irrigators. Let's have a discussion about the project and advocacy for the rivers. You can read the proposal here. 

Remember to bring the following:

All packrafting gear; including whitewater appropriate helmet, whitewater PFD and all of your paddling gear. Check it twice!

Camping gear and food - There are no facilities nearby so you'll need to be self sufficient.

Additional cash for shuttle drivers 

To give you an idea about what to expect, check out this quick video from last years meet! and read up on the runs at packraftingtrips.nz