I'm Kevin Biggar. And I'm Jamie Fitzgerald. And we're modern-day adventurers who have travelled all over NZ. In the past few years, we've traversed some of the most dangerous mountains,... LAUGHS: I left my ice axe! ...wildest rivers and rugged trails. Oh! Now we're stepping back in time, retracing the footsteps of early pioneers,... Whoa! ...bringing the past back to life with tales of heroic rescue attempts,... Just take it slow, Kev! ...shipwrecks,... Oh no! ...and deadly pursuits,... It's getting deep! ...where human endurance is pushed to the absolute limit. (YELLS) (YELLS) SPLASH! This week ` the isolated and unexplored Karamea River near Nelson. You all right? You all right? Yeah. (GRUNTS) Four keen young men from Takaka... One, two... ...buy two air force surplus rafts... Hey, it's looking good. ...and take on the wildest white water in the country. Mate, paddle! What they found was a landscape ravaged by an earthquake and a river totally different to what was mapped. Kevin, get the water out! So why would four men attempt to take it on in old air force rafts that were never designed for such extreme adventure, especially when they had no way of knowing what lay around the next bend? Here we go. For four young country boys, was this one trip too far? WATER GURGLES Copyright Able 2014 CURIOUS MUSIC We're headed for the upper reaches of the Karamea River, deep in the Kahurangi National Park. It's remote, virtually inaccessible, and the river is one of the wildest our country has to offer. In 1954, Frank Soper, Skeet Barnett, Brian Reilly and Eric Page attempted to make history by becoming the first white-water rafters in NZ, but choosing one of the most dangerous rivers in the country for their first go at rafting was an ambitious decision. No one had been down the gorges of the Karamea for 25 years since the massive Murchison earthquake had violently changed the landscape there. They had no idea that the earthquake had tumbled huge, jagged rocks into the waterway, creating a series of grade-five rapids that demand respect from rafters even today. One thing's for sure ` they were excited by the potential of their air force surplus inflatable rafts. They were built to withstand massive impact and were virtually unsinkable ` or so they thought. So was their trip a case of thoughtful exploration? Or was it just a wild leap into the unknown that was bound to end in disaster? We are heading to the Karamea to find out for ourselves. This is as far as the road goes, boys. This is as far as the road goes, boys. OK. Cheers, Chris. Thanks, Chris. Thanks, Chris. Good luck. No problem. Thanks, Chris. Good luck. No problem. See ya, Roy. Look at this. This is the last thing you expect to see up in the hills. I was gonna say the mountains here may have never seen a rafting boat like this, but actually, they have in 1954. (CHUCKLES) but actually, they have in 1954. (CHUCKLES) That was a few years ago. Far out. Far out. Hey, look at these dry bags. Well, that makes sense. They were thinking ahead, huh? Well, that makes sense. They were thinking ahead, huh? Yeah. I mean, it makes sense, but the modern-day dry bags that you can buy at the shops are pretty flash. These` These feel a bit flimsy. These` These feel a bit flimsy. (CHUCKLES) What've you got? Sleeping bag. Tent. Tent. Uh, yep. Tent. Uh, yep. Oh, something for you, Jamie. < Yeah? < Yeah? Plimsolls. Cos you see they have the boots as well for the bush, to get them down the river, and they get to the river and put on your shoes. and they get to the river and put on your shoes. They put them on. You don't have to swim in the boots. Cos we know how well that works. Oh jeepers. Well, we've got some rope. Maybe we can roll the boat up like a sausage or something and... It's gonna be a` It's gonna be a bit of a haul, isn't it? Yeah. All right, let's go. Yeah. All right, let's go. OK. 'A bit of a haul' is an understatement. Their journey started here, at the Flora Saddle in the Kahurangi National Park, and the river was more than 20km away. Geographically, the area is pretty complex, and the men would have to pass through craggy ranges, alpine meadows, valleys of beech forest and tropical palms. The region changed significantly when it was struck by a huge earthquake on the 17th of June 1929, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale. Local settlers described it as a series of huge cannons that came down the valley and got louder and louder until it become an overwhelming roar. (PANTS) Yeah, fold it in. It was the largest seismic upheaval since the great Wellington earthquake of 1855. And the greatest devastation happened right here in the top of the Karamea. Whole mountain peaks tumbled into the water. Huge house-sized boulders collapsed into the stream, creating this churning, writhing mass of violent rapids. The river was pretty much cut off, too fierce to travel down and also totally impassable to travel down the sides by foot. Uh, what do you think? Uh, what do you think? Yeah, just do the old Christmas roast. Yeah. Yeah. It's not gonna be easy, is it? It's gonna be awkward. Our raft weighs around 40 kilos, and they had two of them to carry. Add to that their packs, which contained tents, rifles and fishing gear and weighed another 20kg each. How's that? How's that? Should we be the same side? I think if we're on opposite sides, we sort of push it into each other, so we keep it straight. OK. (GRUNTS) How far to go? How far to go? Uh, about 30 miles. How far to go? Uh, about 30 miles. (CHUCKLES) The four men set off in good spirits for their adventure, heading through the tussock and beech forests towards the Leslie Valley. It was a place the four Takaka mates knew well, as they'd spent a lot of time here fishing and hunting. I'll be shaped like a question mark by the end of this. Even today, the upper reaches of the river are so remote that they are only accessible on foot or by helicopter. Thankfully for Frank, Skeet, Brian and Eric, they had four mates to help them lug the rafts ` at least for the first few hours of the journey. Oh man. Sadly for us, however, we're on our own. (PANTS) This is the Tableland. It's this beautiful, unique country. There's gold up here too, but it's so remote that even in the` the top of the gold-mining days in the 1870s, there was hardly more than a handful of miners scratching a living from the ground. It's easier going for us along here compared to back in the bush, but we still need to watch our step. Up around here, there are natural sinkholes as well as holes dug by prospectors. Oh, you found one, Murray! You all right? (CHUCKLES) Or the vegetation seems to catch up... (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS) ...every now and again. OMINOUS MUSIC After several gruelling hours, the four men and their helpers finally made it through the tussock country and reached the start of the track which would take them down to the river. From the edge of the Tablelands, it's all down hill, thankfully, but for the four adventurers, this was where their mates turned and headed back. From now on, they'd be on their own. The Leslie starts just down here. It's the first place we can get the boat in, and I'm really looking forward to getting there. (PANTS) But first we have to get down this hill. (GRUNTS) (EXHALES) You wanna drag your end, mate? Yeah, let's go. Yeah, let's go. Oh, far out. It was exhausting work. In his account of the journey, Brian Reilly tells of how Eric and himself hadn't reckoned on their physical condition deteriorating so quickly. Yeah. One, two. But if they thought this part of the journey was wearing, they must have really questioned their motives with what was to come. OMINOUS MUSIC We're on the trail of four young adventure seekers who were looking to become the first white-water rafters in NZ history. They were planning to traverse one of the most dangerous rivers in the country ` the Karamea ` which was mostly inaccessible by foot, and the lower reaches had never been explored before. (GRUNTS) After hauling their equipment for several hours through the rugged landscape, they finally arrived at the Leslie River, which fed into the Karamea 7km downstream. They were exhausted from their cross-country portage, and then it started drizzling and soaked them to the bone. Now, Frank, Skeet, Brian and Eric thought that things couldn't get any worse. They were wrong. (SNIFFS) The drizzle steadily turned into heavy rain, and it made them worry about what the water levels were gonna be doing downriver. If they got too high, it just wasn't gonna be a place they wanted to be. And they were being plagued by sandflies ` millions and millions of them. Luckily, though, they'd brought along their own magic recipe. Luckily, though, they'd brought along their own magic recipe. Yeah. It's pretty good, this stuff ` uh, home-made, and I think it's, what, 50% Dettol and 50% baby oil. (CHUCKLES) (CHUCKLES) I dunno, it's going on pretty smooth. It's like having a bath at the hos` in the hospital. It's like having a bath at the hos` in the hospital. (SNIFFS) Oh. FIRE CRACKLES CURIOUS MUSIC The next morning, the real adventure was to begin. It was time for their air force surplus rafts to be put to the test. Hey, it's looking good. Hey, it's looking good. Yeah, yeah. We're not there yet, though. You know, for the four adventurers, this is really the moment of truth for them, and we kinda know how they feel. This little bit of rubber and canvas was the only thing that was gonna protect the four guys from the dangers that lurked downstream ` not to mention under the water. Is there such a thing as repetitive strain injury in your knee? (LAUGHS) Hey, this is the last time you're using your legs for a long time. Now it's all arms. Don't worry about it. Although the area immediately around them was familiar, once they got in the water, they would quickly find themselves in uncharted territory. It was an unforgiving place for a mishap. The risks were huge. Drowning was the most obvious, but being smashed on the razor-sharp rocks would be just as deadly. They were miles from civilisation, and every moment on the water made them even more isolated. By taking on this adventure, they were truly gambling with their lives. As they launched their boats into the Leslie River, they had a little ceremony, and they named them Whio and Parera, naming the two boats their little blue and grey ducks, but as they travelled down the Leslie and got closer to the Karamea, they must have wondering what was awaiting them. But right here the only challenge was the river was too low to raft down, so they had to tow the raft for up to 7km. This rain's gonna change things too. This rain's gonna change things too. Yeah. The events of the last two days must have had them wondering if they would ever get to see any action on the river, but their hopes for higher water levels were about to turn into a curse. Yeah. (GRUNTS) Yeah. (GRUNTS) The four guys made camp where the Leslie reached the Karamea. It was raining hard ` so hard, in fact, they could just sit on the bank and watch the river rise up. It was clear they wouldn't have to worry about towing the raft any more. But in typical fashion, you know, these boys, they just love their hunting, and so if they river levels did get up too much, they'd simply head out here and try and catch some trout or into the hills for a few deer. And that's when things went wrong. They shot a deer, and Brian was butchering it when his hand slipped. He had a really sharp knife. He almost cut off two of his fingers. Challenge was they only had basic first-aid gear to treat it, and so it kind of set them up in a bit of a nasty position about whether to go forwards, further on, or turn back. The adventure now hung in the balance. If they turned back, they faced at least a day to get back to civilisation, but riding the river route was now a far riskier proposition with Brian's damaged hand. But they had come too far to turn back now. Brian was bandaged up as best as they could manage. However, it was the weather that was really putting the trip in jeopardy. A steady rain fell all of the next day, and the river rose over half a metre, and a flooded river is no place to be on a raft. Oh, this is good. It's so good. It's so good. It's nice to dry out a bit. It's so good. It's nice to dry out a bit. I reckon. This is a bit of a` a juncture for them right here, because, uh, they've finished towing. They knew the river was coming up. They knew they would have to start rafting the next day for real now. They must have been nervous, getting really outside their comfort zone. These are hunters. They're used to being out in the bush, but now to get on the water... Yeah, I just wonder if` You know, they must have` they must have crossed so many rivers as part of their hunting, you know, trips out in the wilderness, anyway. as part of their hunting, you know, trips out in the wilderness, anyway. Yup, that's a good start. So that's a good start. They must have believed in themselves, perhaps, that they understood how rapids work. But in all their hunting and trips in the backcountry here, they'd have seen the size of the rapids. They would've been a bit apprehensive about what they were getting into. It's not to be taken lightly, right? It's not to be taken lightly, right? No, no. Um, you know, you'd never starve on this trip. Never starve? Never starve? You could never starve on this trip. Never starve? You could never starve on this trip. How do you mean? Cause you're chewing on sandflies the whole time. Cause you're chewing on sandflies the whole time. (LAUGHS) I reckon I was catching sandflies in my eye` eyelashes. I've never seen anything like it. You know, we've done trips in the past where, you know, we've done these boats and wooden boats and things like that. you know, we've done these boats and wooden boats and things like that. Yeah. Um, I'm just, kind of, wondering how, now that we've got a rubber one... We know these are grade-five rapids coming up, Mm. Mm. and we know that there's a lot of white water coming up. I just hope that we don't end up being, you know, turned and tossed about, and,... Yeah, wrapped around. Yeah, wrapped around. ...you know, our boat` Yeah, wrapped around. And I hope our boat doesn't turn into a big W or a U shape, kind of, fold-over. Yeah. Yeah. It's gonna be a big few days. Yeah, I'm looking forward to getting into some water, though. (CHUCKLES) I'm looking forward to getting off my feet. I'll tell you why. Well, there's that, and I believe that once you move past, like, 5 K's or 6 K's an hour, the sandflies can't keep up with you. (CHUCKLES) I'm looking forward to that. Oh, we don't wanna get us, uh, some back-paddle. We don't wanna get too much in this eddy. Yep, sweet. The next morning the river levels had subsided a little, and their assault on the Karamea began. Feels very strange going sideways. Feels very strange going sideways. OK, forward. The early stages were fairly easy-going and gave the men a chance to learn how to control their rafts. Fortunately for Brian, he found that he was able to manage with his injured hand quite comfortably. The 1929 Murchison earthquake really transformed the landscape around here. Large slips came down, blocked the river, created a` whole new lakes but also a graveyard for trees, which is murder to try and raft through. Yeah, we'll move over to that right-hand side. This side? This side? Yep. This side? Yep. Yep. (EXHALES) We've got it. We've got it. Yeah, sweet. So far, the paddling's been pretty good. I think we've got a lot worse to come. Oh! DRAMATIC DRUM MUSIC Just around the next bend, we get to see why the Karamea is one of the most challenging rivers in the country. River rapids are generated by water flowing over rocks and obstacles on the riverbed and are rated on a scale of one to six. OK, we'll just go to the left of this big sticking-out rock. Forward. A grade one is classified as easy, but a grade six is effectively impossible to navigate safely. LOW THUDDING The Karamea is famous for its grade four and five rapids, which are classed as extremely long, violent rapids with unavoidable hazards and not to be attempted without extensive rafting experience. Ah, here we go. This section is challenging enough, but it's classed as a grade three at best. And paddle. Yep. Yay. Whoo! Wow, that was amazing. (LAUGHS) > (LAUGHS) > That was a pretty good test of where we're at. Some big drops there. FOREBODING MUSIC Further along the river, the landscape completely changes again,... (SQUAWKS) ...but the tranquil surroundings were about to give way to something more violent and ferocious. As they neared the end of the lake, they started to hear a deep roar. The river was about to get very interesting. WATER ROARS TENSE MUSIC What was in front of them probably made them question whether the rafting trip was a good idea after all. Just after the outlet of the lake, the river drops away very sharply into this nightmarish boulder garden, and they decided that it was gonna be way too much for their little raft to handle. Their only option, they believed, was to lower the boats down the edges. So that's what they did, but less than 20m into it, the first raft was sliced open by a sharp rock and instantly deflated. TENSE MUSIC OK. Fortunately, they were prepared for such a disaster, and Eric made a good job of the repair, but it gave the men a stark warning about how quickly things could go wrong and gave them a new-found respect for the river. One,... two... (GRUNTS) Good work! Portaging the raft through this section is hard and dangerous work. It's right underneath us. It's right underneath us. You ready? It's right underneath us. You ready? Yup. The torrent of water makes manoeuvring in such tight quarters really difficult, and we're constantly guided onto rocks. Here we go. (GRUNTS) Which way? That side? Let it out. There you go! There you go! (CLEARS THROAT) > I think the wind is pushing it back upstream! In the surging water, the raft is really awkward to move, and we can't risk it becoming submerged, or we may not be able to get out. Kev, get the water out! Oh! Kevs, can you jump in and get the bow around? TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES Yeah, that's it! > (GRUNTS) How much water's in there? A lot. A lot. Heaps? A lot. Heaps? A lot of water. BOTH GRUNT All right, we can get the water out now. It just keeps on going. That's tough. We've done about 100yd ` you look down, you can see how much further there is. It's just... It's just soul-destroying, really, and the weather's not helping at all. It feels like the` the rain's blowing in our faces, and the wind is coming up the valley, wanting to send us back to the lake. I'm really appreciating what they went through now. Gosh, they must have really wondered what they got themselves into here. So at last, Frank, Skeet, Brian and Eric had got a taste of what the Karamea had to offer, but exploring unchartered waters means you have no idea of what lies just around the corner. TENSE MUSIC You might only drive short distances to work each day. You might not drive your car to work at all. You might park securely at work. Or these days, everybody travels to you. Maybe you only do school runs. Or you work from home, so drive mostly on the weekend. At Youi, we get that everyone's not the same, so we tailor your insurance premium to how you use or don't use your car. Call: Or go to youi.co.nz today. CURIOUS MUSIC It's 1954, and we're retracing the journey of four adventure seekers who had purchased a World War II air force surplus raft. You all right? They intended to be the first people to raft 50km down the highly dangerous and changeable rapids of the Karamea River. I'm really appreciating what they went through now. Well, it's been a long day, but we've finally got the end of the rapids there ` you can just see them ` and it's been, uh, incredibly hard work. It's been raining the whole time as well. I think today's been the worst weather we've ever filmed in. I think today's been the worst weather we've ever filmed in. Yeah. (CHUCKLES) And now the river is in flood. If you see the colour of it, it's really brown. There have been landslides, and the side streams coming down off the hills have been bringing down a whole heap of rubbish, and it's just been getting bigger and bigger. In fact, we've been watching some blades of grass and rocks on the side here, and it's just moving up. You can see it. It's not the blades of grass. It's all the logs coming down and the boulders coming down. Yeah, in a strange way, though, it's like history is repeating itself. When Frank, Skeet, Brian and Eric came down here, well, exactly the same thing happened on this rapid. You know, modern-day rafters and kayakers, they call this section of the Karamea the Roaring Lion. And it would take about a roaring lion for me to want to get back into it. But there's no turning back from here. The only way out is on the river, and the dangers are abundantly clear. TENSE MUSIC These rafts are pretty stable, but the water surging around submerged obstacles can quickly throw you out. Once in the water, you're at the mercy of the current, which can pin you against dangers like rocks, trees and ledges,... Go. ...and sometimes those hazards are impossible to spot. So, the Karamea's rapids are very hard to read. The first time you see the trouble is when you're in it. It can be very exciting ` sometimes very exciting. TENSE MUSIC Oh, there's a big hole here. Oh, there's a big hole here. OK, paddle. MUSIC CONTINUES Did you get that angle on? Yep. Yep. That's it. Now we're on it. Yeah. That's it. Yeah! Ha ha! Yeah! Ha ha! Nice. (PANTS) Far out. (PANTS) Far out. Here? Oh, that feels good. That's the right sort of rock. Man, that was a real learning experience. There was heaps going on out there. There was heaps going on out there. It just keeps on going, eh? The water, the waves. As long as they get the waves on the front of the boat, it's fine. As soon as they come over the side, it's big trouble. It's taking a little while for us to grow a relationship with the old, yellow thing, but I think we're slowly getting there. Getting the calls right about... Cos it just wants to spin like a top. These early stretches were a good practise run for what was to come, but it wasn't all fun and games. Skeet had the misfortune of snapping one of his paddles. In true backcountry style, they'd been home-made out light pine so they weren't so cumbersome to carry. But it would take a lot more than a broken paddle to deter these lads. By now, they'd travelled 8km down the Karamea, and their only complaints were the weather and the sandflies. The lakes, formed by the earthquake slips, make a really nice change from all the franticness of being out in the rapids. The lake also, though, provided their own set of challenges for Frank, Skeet, Brian and Eric. You know, they had headwinds and lack of current as they came through the lake here. They had to paddle their guts out just to make any headway at all. And it's great being on a light and buoyant boat when you're coming down the white water, but it` (CHUCKLES) it's not very helpful when you're trying to make distance on the flat stuff. OK. And forward. It's an exhausting way to warm up after being soaked by the river, but it must have been a relief when they finally hit the rapids again. OK, can you see the wave? OK, can you see the wave? Yep. DRAMATIC MUSIC Paddle! This section is starting to get quite rough, and it's hard to keep the boat going in a straight line. Let me come round. Can you bring it around? To make matters worse, there are a couple of holes coming up caused by underwater ledges. Yeah, nice. That's our line. They recirculate the water violently back upstream, creating a type of whirlpool, and you definitely don't wanna get sucked into one of these. DRAMATIC MUSIC But sometimes there was simply no chance of avoiding them. (YELLS INDISTINCTLY) Duck! WATER GURGLES FOREBODING MUSIC Four mates from Takaka ` Frank Soper, Skeet Barnett, Brian Reilly and Eric Page ` are attempting NZ's first ever white-water rafting expedition. The river they have chosen is the Karamea, one of the most dangerous in the country. Kevin, get the water out! Oh! Their time on the water had provided them with plenty of heart-stopping action so far,... Mate, paddle! ...and it's kept Jamie and I on our toes as well. OK, we'll spin around. Spin around. (GRUNTS) OK, we'll spin around. Spin around. (GRUNTS) Go, go! WATER GURGLES Suddenly, the dangers of the trip are very real, and our cameraman, Muz, is almost swept downriver. You all right, Muz? You all right, Muz? MUZ GRUNTS You all right, Muz? MUZ GRUNTS Hold on, mate. Hey. Oh, we knocked... it over. Getting out of the water becomes our number one priority. Head over to the right side. Head over to the right side. Over here? I really wasn't expecting that. (PANTS) I was under the... I was under the boat. Oh, I did too. Oh, I did too. I was breathing. Really? I took a breath under there, and I didn't like it. Hey, there's the paddle! There's the paddle. Hey, there's the paddle! There's the paddle. Oh. The last thing you want is to go over another rapid like this. Nearly. I can see the rocks. Nearly. I can see the rocks. Yup. Can you get your feet down? Yeah, but... (SIGHS) Yeah, but... (SIGHS) Grab an oar. Yup. Yup. (GRUNTS) Yup. (GRUNTS) Far out. It's a timely reminder about how quickly things can go wrong. ATMOSPHERIC MUSIC By late afternoon, the four men were exhausted from their assault of the river, but after the bumps and bruises they'd received, Reilly wrote that it was actually the river that had assaulted them. Eric was washing his face by the side of the river one night when he came face to face with two monstrous eels who seemed to want his soap. He poked at them with a stick, but then he must have go the fright of his life when one of them leapt out of the water and was snapping at him like a dog. It just doesn't seem right. It just doesn't seem right. No way. I've seen eels, kinda, crawl out of the` the river a little bit but not` but not, kind of, attack you or anything like that. But it had been 25 years since the earthquake. They'd dammed these lakes. Maybe there were some trapped eels in here growing to huge sizes like the Loch Ness monster. I mean, he certainly would've been the first human they'd seen. That's right. And maybe they made soap out of, like, old steak back in those days. BOTH LAUGH It's certainly another reason to make sure we don't fall out of the raft again. The next morning the men awoke to calmer weather, which must have been a relief after the headwinds they'd battled the day before. As the early-morning sun broke through the mist and reflected on the bluffs that towered over them, it made for some spectacular scenery. Eric spent a good part of the morning mending paddles before the men set off to see what surprised the river was going to throw at them today. Paddle. Yep, paddle. Yep, paddle. Oh, that's good. And the river didn't disappoint. The part we're navigating now has the biggest waves and holes we've seen yet. RAPID DRUMMING To the left. Go to the left. It's a pretty gnarly section for us to run, and it's definitely got my adrenalin pumping. In the flooded river 60 years ago, the men described how the boat at times seemed to stand on end and almost somersault. It must have been exhilarating but petrifying at the same time. Whoo! (LAUGHS) Look at that. DRAMATIC MUSIC By now the men had been on their journey for five days and covered quite a lot of ground, but the physical exertion of portaging the raft, navigating the rapids and paddling into headwinds must have left them drained. Oh! Oh! Here we go. Forward! The home stretch was in sight, but there was still a lot of fierce white water between them and the township of Karamea. They'd just come down one of these rapids, and, uh` congratulating themselves, when they looked out the front and saw another big drop; the river just disappeared. They had no idea what was in front of them, but without any way of stopping or going to the banks, well, their only option was to point forwards and, well, I guess, took what was given to them. Suddenly, the river made a sharp right-hand turn. They used all their strength to stay in the middle of the current and trying to avoid this fast-approaching rock that was threatening to split their boat. Miraculously, they all escaped, but when they turned at the bottom to see what was behind them, they saw that the rapid had dropped 15m in less than 35m. I dunno, that's a waterfall in my book. I dunno, that's a waterfall in my book. (LAUGHS) The scary thing is we haven't met that one yet. It's got to be out there. I reckon. OMINOUS MUSIC But the most frightening part of the journey was yet to come ` a bit further downstream was a particularly violent section of the river. DRAMATIC MUSIC Yep. There's our line paddle. Brian felt the back of the raft swing sideways, and he turned to find Skeet was missing. In the blink of an eye, the men's worst nightmare had come true. FOREBODING MUSIC CURIOUS MUSIC Five days have passed since four keen young men ` Frank Soper, Skeet Barnett, Brian Reilly and Eric Page ` set off to become the first people to raft down the dangerous and uncharted Karamea River. (GRUNTS) After hauling their heavy rafts through dense bush,... One, two... ...battling severe headwinds... Like a barge. ...and negotiating huge boulder gardens filled with sharp rocks and seething white water, they were exhausted, and their bodies were battered, and then the worst possible thing happened. WATER ROARS Skeet was flung overboard and was nowhere to be seen. You all right, Muz? You all right, Muz? MUZ: Yeah. In white water like this, it can take only seconds before you find yourself in grave danger. Brian quickly steered the boat out of the rapids, and his eyes desperately searched the river for his friend. As the seconds ticked by, Brian could feel his heart thudding in his chest. Then finally Skeet bobbed to the surface about 30m downstream. Brian put the foot down, managed to catch up with him. Skeet had just enough strength to grab on to the side of the boat, and Brian towed him on to the shore. Apparently, Skeet had done a somersault off the back of the boat and had done five somersaults underneath the water. That's how powerful it was. What's our plan if that happens to us? What's our plan if that happens to us? I don't know. I don't know how long I can hold my breath for to do five somersaults. I don't know how long I can hold my breath for to do five somersaults. (CHUCKLES) The incident had shaken the adventurers but hadn't dampened their spirits. They made their final camp near the confluence of the Kakapo Stream, buoyed by the fact that their exhausting journey would soon be over. By their final morning, the thought of getting back on the water again made them wince. Without modern equipment such as wetsuits and thermal gear, they were constantly drenched, battered and cold. Maintaining concentration became critical, because as they'd seen, one little mistake can quickly turn into tragedy. OK, here we go. DRAMATIC MUSIC Here we go. We're gonna go round the back. Round the back. Here we go. We'll spin around. But there ways to eliminate some of the risk. Well,... you know, the thing with this river ` it can start playing mind games on ya. You feel like you're going pretty well, and then it just throws up another obstacle right in front of you. We've managed to park our boat upstream. We've come down here to take a recce of the rapids. Normally, that's a good idea. This time I'm not so sure. It starts up there near a few of those rocks. I'm just looking at that one over there, Kev. That's the big hole. We don't wanna get sucked into that. There's a real risk you can just stay at the bottom of the wave there and just surf it and get dumped on and dumped on with more and more water. I think` How about we` we try and come down on the left of the main channel? And then down below, it looks like it's` it's pretty good going. We'll just try and meander a bit. If we can get through this, I think we'll be all right. We've had a good look and plotted what we think is the safest course the boat can handle. Oh, oh. Oh, oh. Paddle. But it's one thing to plan where you want to go and another to make it happen. You have to really work together. And paddle. Here's a big one. DRAMATIC MUSIC Oh! Oh! Paddle. Yeah. There we go. That's it. By now they were getting pretty good at reading the water, but just a bit further downstream, they would find that they river had one final sting in its tail. Wow. Wow, it's a completely different river down here. You got some pretty big features. This huge rock creates a wave you could surf in all day, and if you survive that, you can easily get chewed up by those logs just here. About 60-odd years ago, the four guys stood in exactly this spot and decided that this` this part of the river was way too hard for them to try and raft down. They'd have to deflate the boat again and take it up around the logs and over the huge boulders there, and I guess we're gonna have to do the same. and I guess we're gonna have to do the same. Yeah. AIR HISSES So sad, isn't it? I know. I know. After all the work it takes to get these things blown up. It must have been a tough call to choose the wearying task of portaging the raft over the rocks instead of gambling on riding it through the rapids. Oh man. I don't know whether it's gotten waterlogged or something, but it's heavy. I guess it tells us that the men weren't as gung-ho as perhaps they were when they started the trip six days before. The close calls that they'd had showed them that the river demanded their respect. It's about now you're asking yourself, 'Were the rapids really as bad as what I was thinking?' 'Were the rapids really as bad as what I was thinking?' (CHUCKLES) We could take that, couldn't we? We could take that, couldn't we? (CHUCKLES) While they were heaving the first raft over the slippery rocks, behind them, the final twist in their journey was unfolding. BOTH: One, two... A group of kea had come to investigate the large, strange object they'd left behind and began gnawing on it. When the men returned to collect their second raft, the birds had almost chewed through the seams. Just stick it in cruise control. After all they'd been through on the river so far, it would've been ironic to be undone by a few cheeky birds. (GROANS) I think we've officially proved that taking the air out doesn't make it lighter. (PANTS) We're not down at the river yet ` we're quite high up on the bank ` but we've figured that we don't need to. We can inflate the boat here and push it off. TENSE MUSIC You just get one chance to do this right. Wouldn't wanna lose the boat this late in the game. You ready? You ready? Yeah, you good? How's the angle? Needs to go a little bit more that way ` the bow that way. OK. TENSE MUSIC CONTINUES Let go. More! > There it goes. > Let's go. MOMENTOUS MUSIC With the lower gorge of the Karamea safely behind them, the river opened out, and Frank, Skeet, Brian and Eric could finally take a breath and reflect on what they'd achieved. In just a week, they'd travelled 50km down one of the wildest rivers in the country. They'd also introduced a new sport into NZ. White-water rafting was born, and the wild rivers of NZ would never be the same again. They floated past the locals on the riverbank, and then the four adventurers, they paddled straight into Karamea on the West Coast. And like all good Kiwi blokes, they went to the pub for a beer to celebrate. CHUCKLES: Let's do that, eh? CHUCKLES: Let's do that, eh? Sounds like a great idea. The men's exploits paved the way for white-water rafting adventures up and down the country, but even today, with modern equipment, rafting here on the Karamea is still extremely dangerous and can only be undertaken with experienced guides. The funny thing is I don't think they were trying to pioneer a new sport. That's not what they'd set out to achieve. I think they were sick and tired of bashing their way through the bush. They just thought floating down might be a simpler way to do it, and it might be simpler, but it's not easier. Oh, no way. Even just when you look at what they went through... You know, they had to drag those boats over` through the scrub over the Tablelands. And all the dragging they did when there was no water in the stream at the start. And the portaging over the boulders. And the portaging over the boulders. Oh yeah. Yeah. (GRUNTS) But we asked ourselves at the start, you know, were these guys foolhardy, or were they lucky? I don't think they were foolhardy, but they certainly had some luck. But now we've been down there, I think modern-day rafters need some luck too. We've done some rafting too. They had to teach themselves. They had no idea what was around the next bend. They showed a huge amount of judgment in the way they approached this. Now, what I love about these guys is I don't think they were necessarily unique adventurers. There's many people like them. They had four mates to help get the boats to the river in the first place. I mean, nowadays, we` we know of plenty of weekend warriors that just get out into the wilderness and try and find mini adventures for themselves, and I think that's what these guys were doing. and I think that's what these guys were doing. Yeah, definitely. Definitely. And to toast all those people, I think we should have a drink... just as soon as the pub opens. Yeah. (CHUCKLES) Think we might just have to wait a little while. Suppose we were a little bit too fast in the old rubber ducky. Suppose we were a little bit too fast in the old rubber ducky. BOTH CHUCKLE MOMENTOUS MUSIC SOFT PIANO MUSIC Captions by Sarah Maiava. Edited by Tom Wilson. www.able.co.nz Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2014