Thread: Mathias/wilberforce

Gday lads

Been a lot of places around Canterbury but have yet to venture up the wilberforce or Mathias.

Rivers pending, I'm thinking of going up this or next weekend as a pre hard antler mission to scout for when the stags are stripping.

Wilberforce first, is access across glenthorne station the best bet and is it viable? I have a 4wd but not one that I'm willing to river crawl in but do have a xr200 I'm fairly capable on, will this be of use to get closer to doc hunting land and avoid what appears to be a very boring looking walk?

Feel free to PM, it would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Given the fact that there have been some shitty big floods, I'd say any tracks at the beginning of the Wilber will be washed out. Both the Wilber & more so the Mathias require a fair bit of 4wd driving. Mathias requires you to cross the main Rakaia and get around the bottom of Manuka Point.

I have been up as far as Gifford stream which is pretty much as far as you can get in a truck, but definitely needed a pretty serious 4wd to do it, back when I had my kzj78,
I also wouldn't attempt that trip alone, we did it in a convoy of 3.
The Wilberforce riverbed can be quite bumpy with lots of boulders certainly want a bit of clearance and crossing the main flow would be near impossible on a trail bike most of the time.

Unless something miraculous happens, I doubt you will get up either this weekend. Both the Rakaia and the Wilberforce are still high and filthy, with another lot of rain predicted this weekend.

Yeah the Rakaia was at 590 cumecs earlier... crossable at Manuka point at maybe 150 and less in a decent truck. Taken my LN106 up to Unknown Hut up the Wilberforce and to (and beyond) Mathias hut. Big rivers big rocks big country lots of scrub. Big piles of gut bags up the Mathias last time

Yep well aware of canterbury rivers so obviously all caution taken. So I dont have a 4wd I'm willing to risk any damage or river work (new landcruiser that work owns) so am I limited to walking from glenthorne for the wilberforce? If so, will probably give it a miss

Depending on where the channels are you might be able to get up to Bristed stream or so without any bigger water crossings, if the side streams are low. It's still pretty rough even down there though, I don't think it would be a lot of fun on a bike

They also 1080ed the wilberforce last year. As gimp said, vehicle access is very dependent on where the river braids are if you dont want to cross (which is smart, it’s a big river), after the rain all bets are off...

Originally Posted by gimp

Depending on where the channels are you might be able to get up to Bristed stream or so without any bigger water crossings, if the side streams are low. It's still pretty rough even down there though, I don't think it would be a lot of fun on a bike

The gravel fan at Boundary Stream was the roughest last time we were up there. Long way to walk from there to anywhere really

access thru glenthorne not allowed. Had to drive round the top of the canal on to riverbed and follow what tracks there were on True left, until boundary stream then up through that on to farm track heading up river as far as you can.

After that you're on your own.

But as has been said most of the river will have changed a lot now and big risks getting stuck, drowned or washed away.

I paid to stay on Glenthorne and they still wouldn't let us use their farm track to access doc land. Very disappointing attitude.

Originally Posted by Strummer

I paid to stay on Glenthorne and they still wouldn't let us use their farm track to access doc land. Very disappointing attitude.

Glenthorne is owned by a foreigner, they don't know how the back country used to be to us kiwis. There is the issue of liability if you use their access ways and often this is the reason for refusal.

Originally Posted by Strummer

I paid to stay on Glenthorne and they still wouldn't let us use their farm track to access doc land. Very disappointing attitude.

If that was Fang Hill hut it's an absolute dump, I wouldn't pay to stay there

This is me crossing the main flow below britstead stream that truck had 4" of lift and 33" tires doesn't look that deep but it's fast and deep enough in places also you can see how nuggety the boulders are on the river bed and that area wasn't the worst either

https://youtu.be/LIJLDcU3AY8

Originally Posted by dannyb

If that was Fang Hill hut it's an absolute dump, I wouldn't pay to stay there

Nah this was an actual house for rent on the farm