Following our new found passion in exploring New Zealand Canyons, we scoured the maps looking for a potential creek that may offer some form of adventure close by. I found a creek at 'The Neck' of Lake Hawea/Wanaka, which we later found out is called 'Neck Creek'. After playing around with Google maps and assessing the creek from Google earth we decided that it may hold some potential.

We had limited gear so this was going to be a scope, hopefully ascend up the creek see whats involved. As we drove along towards The Neck we saw our canyon and as we suspected the creek ended with a rather large waterfall. We decided an accent from the base would be awkward so we climbed the ridge line through the recently scorched bush to try and drop down into the creek from higher up.

Lower Fall

We eventually came to a saddle which enabled us to drop down back towards the creek where we met with the water. By this point it was raining so we figured we may aswell put our wetsuits on and stash the bags and head down. We knew we would have to return as a descent down the main falls would require a longer rope than what we had.

Start of Canyon

The canyon began with a few small pools and a gentle flow of water from which the walls began to raise and steepen up. It was evident that there was no access or escape from here on in. So we only descended obstacles which we could retreat up. We arrived at a large boulder choke, Sam managed to pass under it whilst I pass over it.

Boulder choke

Abit further on we hit a small 3m fall jammed up with logs, we careful dropped down balancing along the logs, being careful not to dislodge any of them. Just beyond the fall the creek dropped 8m over a large boulders, to the right there was a sloping wall where a large trunk had lodged itself in. We put a short rope around a stump and Sam lowered himself down the drop.

mmmm

Lower off

Vegetation

Before lowering we could see that we wouldn't get much further than this point, so I stayed put whilst he passed through a maze of vegetation until he reached the point that we spotted early on our walk up, a series of drops and pools above the main waterfall. This was to be the end of our scope.

End point (for now)

We both retreated form the canyon and trekked back down the to car. Satisfied that we had covered enough ground to say a full descent is possible on our next return with a bigger rope.

Hagraven Staff of Skyrim