A Rowing Rally on the Waikato River

The Waikato is New Zealand’s longest river and runs north from Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island to the sea.  Hoea Kaha, which is held under the auspices of the St Georges Rowing Club, travels approximately 160kms down the river over four days.  The inaugural rally was held over the Easter weekend of 2013.  Photographs of this event can be seen in the gallery.  The second Hoea Kaha rally was held at Easter 2015. 

The fourth Hoea Kaha rally will be held in 2019. Hoea Kaha will commence on Thursday, April 4 (travel day) and finish on Monday April 8. (this date has changed from that originally advertised - apologies for any inconvenience but the dates clashed with a major rowing event for NZ Secondary Schools (Maadi Cup). The event has evolved since the inaugural event, with an emphasis on the cultural importance of the Waikato area, and we now spend one morning session in waka ama hosted by Te Ohaaki Marae, and finish that day with an amazing meal and cultural experience at the marae.

As the Waikato River is constantly changing due to flow control at the hydro dams, the courses may be adapted for safety reasons.