Story: Canoeing and rafting

Exploring the Waikato River

Members of the New Zealand Canoe Association, formed in 1950, encounter the spectacular Whakaheke rapids on the Waikato River while exploring in rubber dinghies in 1957. During the late 1940s and the 1950s, surplus air force inflatable dinghies were used in waters that were inaccessible for canoes.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga
Reference: New Zealand Mirror 16. National Film Unit, 1957

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How to cite this page:

Nancy Swarbrick, 'Canoeing and rafting - Canoe clubs and competitions, 1920s–1960s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/13081/exploring-the-waikato-river (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 24 Sep 2007, updated 18 Jul 2016