As a minimum, you need a basic level of skills, fitness and equipment to be able to look after yourself in an aquatic canyon all-day. Walk-ins to start your day can be from 10 minutes to 3 hours.

Check out the article on Kiwi Canyons about the equipment and skills you need.

Here is what gear you need to bring:

There is a range of levels of canyon trips you can choose to join. 

The festival is designed around people having the skills to look after themselves in the canyon and bring the right gear. If you are just starting out looking to learn how to go canyoning the festival is not the place to start.

You do not have to be confident leading canyon trips but be sure to be honest about your abilities to your group when deciding to go on a trip.

All participants of the NZ 2022 Canyoning Festival must come prepared to CHECK, CLEAN and DRY their gear between canyoning trips.

Visit the Didymo page on KiwiCanyons.org to learn more.

The same rules apply to Kauri Dieback so if you do not want the forests closed, clean your gear. 

The Coromadel may not have the vast number of canyons that some areas of the South Island have but they are top quality. The best place to find information about them and plan your limited days in the Coromandel is at Kiwi Canyons For days of fun check out all the orange markers

The main two locations to start canyons in the area is 

The Kauaeranga Road end: about 1 hour 10 from Tairua

The Rangihau Road end: about 45 mins from Tairua

Held in the  Tairua community hall, we will host an evening function on Friday, and Saturday from 6 pm.

We will have some light snacks and tea coffee etc. available at all times. There will be a BBQ on Saturday night with plenty of food for everyone. Unfortunately we don’t have a liquor licence so can’t provide any alcohol, but you are more than welcome to bring your own. All other evenings, we have other social events going on at the HQ, so either eat beforehand or bring takeaways and we will see you there.

There will be $5 raffle tickets available, with some awesome prize up for grabs so make sure you get amongst it. All money goes towards the canyon fund.

Many of our festival partners will be present at the evening functions, not selling anything, just walking around chatting so go have a talk with them and see what they are about, These are great people and companies, as they make these events possible, and support upgrades of our canyons throughout NZ

Medical

Tairua has a small medical centre but it closes at 5 so for any incidents after hours call 111

All participants must be willing to disclose any medical conditions and injuries before activities away from town. If any of these cannot be effectively self-managed, you will not be able to participate in those activities.

Safety and Rescue

There is a volunteer Search and Rescue Team and with some canyon SAR capability for our contingent. Even with a personal locator beacon, helicopter rescue may be many hours away or even the following day. All participants need to be prepared to spend the night in the canyon if there were an accident.

Groups need to carry: a suitable means of communication usually a PLB or Inreach, survival shelters, extra thermal layers, headlamps, food, medical supplies (appropriate to the canyon they are descending). 

If you have a personal locator beacon/Inreach, bring it, and make sure the person who gets called if you push the button knows that you’ll be at the festival and that they should call the event manager Brad: 0273179547

A detailed Safety Management Plan, including an Incident Response Plan, has been prepared for the festival. All participants need to read and follow the instructions in these plans.

• If you’re unsure about anything during a trip, make sure you ask for assistance. Don’t be afraid to question someone’s anchor, check their rigging, or ask for them to explain again they have done, or why they have done it. Canyoning is a team activity.

Your emergency contact person: Please pass on the link for the Incident Response Plan to your loved ones/emergency contact person.

• Safety Management Plan: NZCA SMP V1.2 2018
• Incident Response Plan: 

Phone coverage

There is limited coverage through most canyoning areas but normally none withing the canyons, Teams need to be self-sufficient with rescue and survival gear and carry emergency communication devices.

Team check-in and check out

A designated person in each group will be responsible for communicating to Festival HQ the list of canyoners in their group for the days trip (using the Official NZCA Activity Sheet) and reporting back into HQ immediately when their group has safely exited the canyon. 

Each group must carry the Official NZCA Activity Sheet at all times detailing SOP and emergency procedures with numbers and contact details for check-in and check out.

Official NZCA Activity Sheet V1.2

To make this event a success, we need considerable support from volunteers.

If you would like to volunteer your time, please contact us.

We need volunteers for:

• Technical workshop facilitators
• Set up and clean up at the Festival HQ BBQ attendance etc 
• General assistance with things that may crop up during the event

NOTE: Any volunteers for technical roles must have a current first aid certificate and be competent to facilitate and operate in the canyon environment.

Get in touch if you want to volunteer: festival@nzcanyoningassociation.org