Clutha "Terminator" Expedition, 1992
In February of 1992, I set out with fellow rafters Chris: Riley, Noel: Williams, Mark: Samways and Domo: Stevenson - to undertake the last full-length navigation of the Clutha River prior to the flooding of the Cromwell Gorge behind the Clyde Dam. On this 338km expedition, from Lake Wanaka to the Pacific Ocean, the river unfolded its diverse and spectacular riverscapes. But we also discovered pre-dam devastation, including a treeless wasteland at Lowburn, and a desecrated Cromwell "Gap", after which we faced the ultimate challenge - a man-made Grade-6 rapid that we nick-named the "Terminator". In a matter of months, another kind of terminator consisting of a million cubic metres of concrete - the Clyde dam, would silence the rushing waters of the famous Cromwell Gorge.
