Is it worth the trip?
78Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: Wind 6 kn gusting 13, Air 25 °C
Mon 2 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 18 kn
- Gusts
- 31kntoo gusty
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Tue 3 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 25kntoo gusty
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 17kntoo gusty
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 89 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 0.5 mm
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 16 kn
- Gusts
- 28kntoo gusty
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Sat 7 · 98 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 2.7 mm
Sun 8 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 25°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 10, poor
- Mon 20, poor
- Tue 378, good
- Wed 485, good
- Thu 589, good
- Fri 60, poor
- Sat 798, good
- Sun 8100, good
- Mon 995, good
- Tue 1092, good
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 0, poor | 19 kn | 34kntoo gusty | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 0, poor | 18 kn | 31kntoo gusty | 20°C | 0.3 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 78, good | 11 kn | 25kntoo gusty | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 85, good | 9 kn | 17kntoo gusty | 23°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 89, good | 9 kn | 17kn | 23°C | 0.5 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, poor | 16 kn | 28kntoo gusty | 21°C | 0.3 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 98, good | 6 kn | 15kn | 22°C | 2.7 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 100, good | 6 kn | 13kn | 25°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 95, good | 6 kn | 20kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 92, good | 6 kn | 11kn | 21°C | 1.2 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 73, good | 8 kn | 18kn | 14°C | 5.4 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov7of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
Wairau Rowing Club on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Wairau Rowing Club
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. The town to stay in is Spring Creek.
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,690–US$3,260 each
about US$1,690–US$3,260 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to BHE, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW and AKL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$844–US$1,760 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$27–US$40 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$342–US$569 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$301–US$563 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$181–US$328 |
| Total | about US$1,690–US$3,260 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Spring Creek
3 min by car · 5 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Spring Creek its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$127 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 29h 15m
About 29h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → BHE, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland International Airport (AKL), then 30 min by road
Flights MDW → BHE on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Spring Creek · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Spring Creek · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits