Secrets of the Waihou revealed
The secrets of the Waihou River which flows through the Te Aroha township are about to be revealed.
Unlocking the history and the secrets of the river is local entrepreneur Kelvin Forsman as he gets ready to open his kayak business, Adventure Te Aroha during Labour Weekend this year.
Having a strong connection with Te Aroha, Forsman admits to being drawn back to the region after travelling the world.
The idea of opening his tourism venture came from the concept of giving people another experience in Te Aroha to complement the assets already available.
‘‘Historically Te Aroha was a tourist town,’’ said Forsman.
’’When the railway was here people would come for the Hot Springs or continue to travel up the river.
‘‘Now we have cyclists using the rail corridor and we have a heap of history here and a great mountain they can view from a kayak as the paddle down the river.’’
Forsman sees the secrets contained along the Waihou River banks as an opportunity to get up close and personal with the avian wildlife.
The history of Te Aroha is important to Forsman and he shares information on the town’s rich culture and wild geology in a guided tour.
Then it’s onto Waiorongomai where an old gold mining settlement used to thrive.
From there, his clients are taken to the river where equipment and expert instruction is given on how to navigate the kayak down the river safely.
The section of the river which Forsman describes as the safest stretch flows mainly through the rural land with many winds and bends, taking in the majestic views of the mountain range.
‘‘There are parts of the 90-minute trip which gives you very dramatic views when the river comes close to Mount Te Aroha.’’
To get the operation underway Forsman described it as a long journey from when he first con- sidered it.
‘‘There was so much certification to go through,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s about keeping everyone safe from the time they enter our office to the time they finish their adventure with us.
‘‘We have all the accreditation and safety procedures in place, so now we are all set to go.’’
Adventure Te Aroha is based at 1 Honi Street, Te Aroha.