About Us

Whitewater has rapidly gone from a recreation to addiction for me. Cutting my teeth at the Otago University Canoe Club, I spend every chance I get to paddle both here and overseas until more recently moving to Livingstone in Zambia for a season on the Zambezi. It was heartbreaking to be kayaking a world class river and know that destruction of that section is impending. As a Central Otago local I came home to a hub of stunning, and wild rivers, but where the damage has already been done. I am hugely passionate for river protection and am excited to funnel that into the great work Whitewater NZ does. My day job is something between law and data science, but I spend most of that time thinking about paddling!

I have been involved in paddle sport from a young age dabbling in many different disciplines from Canoe Polo, Sprint and Whitewater before being heavily involved with Canoe Slalom. I raced for Team Ireland in C1 at Senior, U23 and Junior level. Following my time as an athlete, I moved into the coaching realm working for British Canoeing on a regional talent programme in Northern Ireland before coming to New Zealand in 2017 to work as Lead Coach with Canoe Slalom Bay of Plenty. My role with the club is about introducing as many people to the sport of Canoe Slalom as possible through AIMS Games, have a go days and many other initiatives whilst also providing support to all coaches working in the Bay of Plenty. I have had the privilege to take New Zealand athletes to the Youth Olympic Games in 2018 and now also work as head coach for Canoe Slalom New Zealand Bronze Academy. I am passionate about paddle sport in general and my ambition is to see as many people on New Zealand Waterways as possible no matter the discipline.

I live in the Taranaki region and was brought up in New Plymouth. My home for more than 30 years is the small town of Inglewood located under the shade of Mt Taranaki. Happily married for 35 years to Kyran, we have one son who is now 34. My working career has always involved mechanical engineering, starting with an apprenticeship which later developed into my current role as a mechanical designer. I started whitewater kayaking in 2009 at the ripe age of 46 which was attributed to a mid-life crisis after attending a week long Outward Bound course. It is fair to say I quickly became addicted to this sport, then progressively developed through a very lengthy learning curve involving many years of swims and carnage while never giving up on myself. These days I feel increasingly more confident in my abilities and enjoy the challenges of grade 4. Apart from the physical act of kayaking the other thing I love is the river people you meet. In my experience whitewater people, young and old are the best, always friendly, willing to help and give advice. One of my favourite things to do is pack the car for a self-supported weekend away, meeting others at the river for some fun kayaking, camping and socialising. As a whitewater kayaker naturally I have always taken an interest in the good work Whitewater New Zealand does. I have been supporting WWNZ for a few years now, attending their AGMs and helping when asked, like being involved in communication meetings with Genesis regarding Tongariro & Whakapapa Releases and being on a steering committee to progress the Mangahao River release issues. I also took on the role within WWNZ as Regional Ambassador for Taranaki.

I came to whitewater through AUCC. Although I’m Auckland based now, I grew up in Christchurch so home is down south, on the better island. I rapidly switched from “Sorry I can’t kayak, I’ve got work” to “Sorry I can’t work, I’ve got kayaking” and haven’t looked back since. I’m keen to see more diversity in people on whitewater, particularly encouraging women to participate and grow within the sport. Outside of kayaking I work at AUT University encouraging students to find whatever the equivalent to kayaking for me, is for them. My strengths are in digital marketing and communications, so I am focused on continuing the work of WWNZ developing our digital presence and communities. Publicising the challenges, celebrating the wins, and most importantly encouraging people to get involved with whitewater!

I've always been a water person and grew up around the ocean swimming, diving, fishing, rock pooling and in the surf lifesaving scene. I found the rivers through Auckland University Canoe Club. I was hooked from my first trip on the Mohaka and knew I'd found my people. It didn't take long for me to be dragged onto the exec team where I served in various positions for 5 years, and ended up as President. Paddling is great but for me the best part has always been the community around it. Since moving to Wellington in 2018, my focus has definitely shifted to having chill fun times on easier rivers, introducing new friends to paddling and trying to keep our dog inside the ducky. My big passion is conservation and I currently work for Te Papa Atawhai (Department of Conservation). I am super keen to help advocate for our rivers and the environments that we are so privileged to experience.

He uri tēnei nō Te Whakatōhea, Te Arawa me Pare Hauraki hoki. I tipu ake au ki Ōkere, kei kōnei te papa kāinga. I was born and raised in Ōkere Falls. I am a proud wahine Māori. I completed a Ba in Geography and Māori Studies before finding a passion for the river. I have competed and commercially guided for a few seasons around the world. Recently I returned home with my husband to work for my iwi. I am the Health and Safety Officer at Te Arawa Lakes Trust and our main kaupapa is Biosecurity in our 14 lakes. Our most recent projects involve combining western science with Mātauranga Māori to provide innovative solutions to freshwater pests. I am excited to be surrounded by like minded people dedicated to preserving and playing in the outdoors."

I’ve been paddling since I was a teenager, and although I got stuck working in some non-paddling locations, I got back into paddling about 5 years ago. I wanted to show my two sons what I grew up with and what we have around us in NZ and have been enjoying catching up with old friends and rivers. I have a huge passion for the conservation of naturally flowing rivers, the environment in NZ, river access, and education. Professionally I work for Spark New Zealand, developing strategies and ensuring that as a business we are positioned to achieve these. I am excited to use this experience to contribute to Whitewater NZ’s, and grow the sport our sport.

I’ve spent the past 20+ years enjoying paddling around the world — River conservation, access and ensuring our rivers are clean and runnable for the next generation is hugely important to me. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel with my kayak a lot and seen the effects of major dam projects around the world, drowning the most amazing of rivers. I’m excited to be asked to jump on the WW Board. Outside of the river I sit on the Rotorua Athlete Development Trust, and the NZ Antarctic Heritage Trust board as a governance intern, do ambassador work for NZOC & Sport NZ, coach canoe slalom and shoot film and photography content for brands.

Ko Whare Papa tōku maunga, Ko Kawatere tōku awa, No Motueka ahua, Ko Pakeha tōku whanau, Ko Gabriel Tane tōku ingoa. Top of the south is home surrounded by forested mountains, clear rivers and stunning coastlines. Born into the natural world, toddler steps soon grew to tramping, tree climbing became mountaineering and tubing down the river became class 5 whitewater kayaking. I love kayaking, easy social paddles to challenging international expeditions, being physically and mentally challenged, allows me to really feel alive! I have pursued the life of an outdoors professional, working as an outdoor educator and guide, wilderness first responder and ski patrol. Now, I am on a path of conservation, learning about the harm humans have caused to our natural world. Working in conservation has become my purpose, if that's education, pest control, wildlife monitoring or planting natives. I am 25 years old with a Diploma in Outdoor Education and Guiding. Certificate in Environmental management and Sustainability, with a goal during the next three years to pursue a degree in Ecology. An important aspect of living the outdoorsy lifestyle is understanding the impact we as humans are having on our planet. I've naturally developed an understanding of Kaitiakitanga (guardianship of our wild environment) with a purpose to conserve and protect everything we can! I'm stoked to represent New Zealand's whitewater community as a passionate kayaker and conservationist to help protect our natural lifelines.

My name is Max and I am the Whitewater NZ ambassador for the Otago/Southland region. I am 24 years old and work as a civil engineer in Queenstown. I grew up in Alexandra where I learned to paddle with my family and the Central Otago whitewater club. I have since travelled overseas in pursuit of whitewater, forming close friendships and developing a passion for river conservation along the way. My priorities in this role are river protection, access, and supporting WWNZ members in the Otago/Southland region. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or issues regarding Otago/Southland.

RUDDERS “The man”. Simon is our Nelson/ Marlborough ambassador and it’s fair to say there is a lot of love for this guy. “I started kayaking when I realised I needed another pursuit that wasn't based around man on man contact (rugby). I can remember well struggling to negotiate the eddyline at one of the outflows into the estuary in Christchurch. That was more than 15 years ago now. Kayaking has taken me on a journey that has humbled and pushed me beyond my wildest imagination. It still continues to do so. From the community that it introduced me to, to the wild places it has taken me. I have now retired to the Marlborough region now, where Sauvignon blanc runs from the kitchen taps and the summer sunshine bakes the grass brown. Come find me I am always keen to paddle and tell lies.

I started paddling when I joined Auckland University Canoe Club back in 2013 and heavily involved in the organisation and operation of the club ever since. Auckland has a very large and active whitewater community with AUCC and also Manukau Canoe Club running events and trips throughout the year. I interact with most paddlers in Auckland through those trips helping out as an instructor, or at the Vector Wero whitewater park paddling with people from AUCC and MCC. I also go out paddling at every opportunity possible often down at the Kaituna and Wairoa with many people from Auckland and other regions.

Most people call me Rob, I have been kayaking almost non stop for the better part of a decade. I am originally from South Canterbury where I studied outdoor education at Aoraki. I became hooked on kayaking after some mates dragged me out for a three day kayak trip in my second year. Since then I moved to Okere Falls for the dream of consistent whitewater but here I also found a fantastic community that welcomed me in. I have been on whitewater journeys all over the world but I am always drawn back to the beautiful rivers and people of New Zealand. You will most likely find me flapping around upside down somewhere down the Kaituna.

Soph ‘Steezy Mum’ Mulder our Buller Regional Ambassador. “My background is mainly in white water kayak instruction with some dabbling in raft guiding, adventure boating and racing. I’ve been based at the NZ Kayak School in Murchison for the last 10 years and now call Murchison home. My favourite thing about living in Murchison is all the readily available runs you can do right on the doorstep, I also love how paddlers flock to Murchison at certain times of the year which makes catching up with friends for a paddle nice and easy!”

Barnaby ’The Blessing’ Young. @barnyyoung is our West Coast Ambassador. You usually hear this man before you see him but he is passionate about kayaking and protecting the beautiful rivers on the Best Coast where he resides. “I’m based in the spectacular town of Franz Josef on the West Coast of NZ. I have been lucky enough to paddle and explore many places around the world, but one thing that makes the West Coast stand out for me is how we are actually able to drink many of the rivers we paddle on. I love kayaking because it gives me the opportunity to explore untouched and spectacular places that very few others are able to reach”.

“Kia ora koutou. My name is Luke Kirner and I am the WWNZ representative for the winterless north. I grew up in Golden Bay and went on to study Whitewater (and did some outdoor degree thing) at CPIT (now ARA) in Christchurch. I have had stints of pushing my personal limits in a boat (highlights being the Upper Perth and Tutoko in big flood), instructing around Canterbury / Murch / Nelson and even safety kayaked on the Mae Taeng in Thailand and the Tulley in Australia. After teaching OED for a few years, I now teach an outdoor based wellbeing course at Huanui College in Whangarei. I also run Safe Outdoors NZ Ltd which focuses primarily on getting kids outdoors via school holiday programmes and a Nature School (called Nature’sCool). www.safeoutdoors.co.nz. The Northland Whitewater scene is a (very) slowly evolving machine. There are some super fun / classic and challenging (unrun) sections up here, as well as some quality park and hucks, but getting the combination of the right people and enough rain is nearly always tricky. There is a very small handful of paddlers up here of varying abilities and every so often a team will rally up from down the line to tick off what’s in the guide book. Our biggest concern up here is without a doubt water quality. With a huge amount of dairy farms bordering our waterways, it is inevitable that most rivers will have some level of contamination despite the best efforts of many conscientious farmers upstream. Other water quality concerns centre around the vast pine plantations and even runoff from quarries. An example of this is our local Ngunguru River, a classic grade 4 / 4+ that has all of these issues and a dying pipi bed in the estuary as a result. If you are coming up for a paddle, I welcome you to get in touch (best via Northland WW kayak facebook page) for my take on what’s hot”.

“I grew up in North Canterbury and learned to kayak on the Hurunui River. Paddling became life for me when I founded Canterbury Kayaking in 2012. I now spend the majority of my summers on the Hurunui & Waimakariri Rivers helping novice paddlers prepare for the Coast to Coast Race. I believe our Canterbury rivers have something really unique to offer, and it's an honour to introduce so many people to these special places”.

I remember talking to a guy in Hawaii about kayaking off Huka Falls, at the time that sounded like fun, I'd never been in a kayak before. This seeded a journey with the UCCC for a number of years learning in the cold rivers of Canterbury and later west coast/ Murchison. All this time I found a great connection and love for the environment and how valuable it is for our species to play and not exploit. I am currently working with a variety of organisations helping transition our Taranaki community and economy to a sustainable one in a fair and just way.