Backpacking Down a River via Canoe in New Zealand
What if you want to explore nature but you aren’t a big fan of hiking? How else can you go on an adventure? Fear not, there is a way. You can canoe or kayak down a river or through a lake. You will see a whole different part of nature than if you were just hiking. And lucky for you, there are plenty of places to paddle your way through nature.
I love New Zealand!
One of those places is New Zealand and I love New Zealand! It has such beautiful and diverse wildlife. The landscapes, plants, and animals I could explore for years. Sadly, I don’t have years, but I was able to go for three weeks in 2024 with one of my friends. We booked a backpacking trip on one of New Zealand’s Great Walks. One of the two Great Walks we choose was the Whanganui Journey which is their only Great Walk where you paddle instead of walk.
I have written another blog post about a small portion of this story in my Don’t Hit the Giant Rock With your Canoe post. I would check that out at some point if you haven’t already.
Preparing for our Journey
My friend and I got to the canoe rental place the day before we were scheduled to start our three-day journey. Before we could use their canoes and gear, we had to watch an informational video about the journey and go through the packing tubs and bags that we were able to use.
The video was helpful and talked about the journey, what to expect, how to paddle through rapids, and plenty of other safety tips and tricks. The one thing that almost threw a wrench into our plan was that the weather forecast was calling for very high wind the next day and a half. If the winds blew at the forecast speed they would be blowing against us at over 25 mph for 23 miles.
The rental company said that we were welcome to start our journey the day after we planned, and wait out the wind. But we had to make a decision in the next few hours.
Do we Continue With our Original Plans?
After some deliberation my friend and I decided to go ahead with leaving tomorrow, as originally planned. If we got to the river and the winds were too strong, we would come back and not do this Great Walk. We ran into a couple who was also scheduled to leave tomorrow, and they made the same decision as us.
My friend and I had booked our trip so tight that we didn’t have any room to move things around by a day or two. We wanted to maximize our trip and get as much backpacking, hiking, and outdoor activities in as we could. When making these plans, we forgot that weather can put a halt to some plans.
Packing Everything in Waterproof Containers
That night we packed up our provided waterproof tubs and bags. We were warned that sometimes waterproof gear doesn’t always work properly. If that does happen, it’s usually due to improper closing of the tubs and bags (user error). I was worried about my fingerstick, insulin, glucose tablets, and phone (CGM app is on there). Those cannot get wet! When I raised these concerns, the rental company allowed me to use one of their small black pelican cases. These were their most waterproof cases, and I was grateful for being allowed to use one.
Now that we had our waterproof containers, and proper instructions, we just had to pack up everything we would need for three days and two nights. Packing up was the most difficult part, but we managed. We had more than enough of everything we needed. Just to make sure we went into town that night to get more glucose tablets and snacks.
To securely pack my remaining diabetes supplies, those that I didn’t need easy access to I had to pack those in the safest coolest place possible. That meant packing it in the middle of the bag surrounded by clothes (that if needed would soak up the water). We were told it stays fairly cool in the tubs, so my insulin wouldn’t get too hot, and it didn’t.
Extra Safety on the River
One other thing that we packed was a Garmin InReach, a GPS satellite device that tracks you and that you can use to signal an SOS. It’s something I would personally recommend to anyone who is backpacking and going off the grid. It’s a good safety feature to have, even if you don’t have diabetes.
Will the Weather Forecast be Accurate?
The next morning, we got into the van and drove about an hour to the river. Before we unpacked the van with our gear, we tentatively walked down to the river to gauge the wind… The sun was out and there was only a light breeze! Seems like the weather forecast was wrong, and it was safe for us to paddle.
Thank you, wind, or lack thereof! We unpacked and brought everything to the canoes. Once our gear was secured, we were ready to start paddling. But before we can head off, I checked my blood sugar number and made sure I had easy access to glucose tablets. My number was good but I still took a few tablets to be sure. I don’t want to go low while paddling.
Figuring out What Paddling Does to my Sugar Levels
Over the course of the three days, I realized that my number doesn’t drop while paddling. My sugar levels don’t react the same way as they do when I’m walking and hiking. When I realized this, I no longer intentionally made my blood sugar number a little high before paddling. My number would only go down if I injected myself with insulin.
There were plenty of slow parts of the river so it was easy enough for me to stop and check my phone to see what my number was. My friend and I were very careful as we paddled to make sure I was always in a good range. Because my number didn’t drop while paddling, it made it easier to keep it within a good range. Good job us!
There were a couple times my blood sugar did go low. But that usually happened once we stopped for the day and were actually walking around the campsite and setting up our bunks. My friend was always aware and patient with me and my diabetes, which I cannot tell you how much I appreciated.
Always Be Prepared
Thanks to being prepared and cautious my friend and I were able to successfully paddle our way through this trek. We loved our trip so much that we vowed to come back again to do more backpacking. I’ll make sure to be just as prepared and cautious when we come back.
