For 21 days, we were fully self-supported in some of the least inhabited countries in the world. We went in search of first descents of the Moran and Mitchell rivers. Check out this short video preview from the trip.

The rough trip outline started with a group of charter flights into the remote Doogan station followed by 4 days of hiking where we met up with the Moran river tributaries. We then followed the Moran River down through its 3 gorges; one was reminiscent of the Grand Canyon, just greener. We took out just before the last gorge as we were getting closer to the salt water and could feel the presence of salty crocs. We walked over for 3 days with our kayaks to the Mitchell river catchments and one of its tributaries. These were 3 of the hardest days of my life so far. We ran the tributary until we reached the Mitchell and then continued down until we finally reached the Mitchell river falls. From there we hiked out to the Mitchell Plato airstrip to meet our charter flight out. Tropical storms meant that as we flew out we were weaving in and out of storm columns. Have to admit even after such a crazy journey it did cross my mind while we were up there that it’d be the flight back that got us. While on our hikes and river travels we found numerous rock art sites. The most fascinating was the Bradshaw style paintings. These are said to start at 30,000 years old, with some having been carbon-dated and said to have been 50,000 years or more. It’s hard to describe the feeling of discovering something tens of thousands of years older then the pyramids or Aztec ruins. We fished everyday until the floods came and made the water murky. We were always foraging for bush food, too. We found lots of bush grapes, bush passion fruit, and I even tracked down one potato! Salty crocs were a concern, we all carried croc knives on us; honestly I think that was to just make us feel better about the fact that there were reptiles in the water said to grow up to 22ft long and over a hundred years old.
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My summer (in New Zealand summer covers the December-March range) has been full of slalom training.  Kayaking five days a week on the Kaituna river, policing the scene, flashing my smile at all the locals and the visiting boaters.  Slalom has been a welcome challenge for me, an inspiration for my kayaking after 17 years dedicated to this sport.  There have been plenty of days that I question what am i thinking, like 'wake up and smell the coffee there Nikki',  why put in so much effort.   Well, that effort has just been rewarded - I have made the New Zealand Slalom team to tour Europe and do the world series.  Four races, top three woman make the team, and I tore it up, improving with each race and just loving it.  Unfortunately there is no money  to pay for the tour so i dealt that I will go. Touring the United States seems way more achievable with an 18 month year old boy.  Reno festival onto Teva Vail Games looks like the go for this family.
 
All this kayaking has got me fit for Extreme races.  I took out the Andy Duff Memorial race on the 10th January - Down river race on the Kaituna mass start female males all together, actually there were 63 kayaks jammed together all facing upstream ready set go absolute Chaos.  I got tool bagged and had four chicks in front by the time i and everyone else got to the chute (first rapid).  I pegged one girl on that rapid, rode the wake of boats with two girls in site, but about 10 boats between us.  First major rapid there is the easy safe line or the hard radical fast line, i took the later, both girls took the safe and i ended up right on the tail of the leading girl, thank you very much.  Got a little mongrel, past her on a corner leading towards the big water fall.  I had an ok line but she had a wicked one, another little tussle and she took the lead.  In my experience never say die, i stayed on her tail and pushed her out of the way with a tight inside corner line only two rapids before the finish line.   One of my more memorable extreme races.  There were many stories for all participants in that race - its brutal and wonderful.  Ive attached some photos

 

Also, the National Raft Championships last weekend, our Teva woman's team ripped it up, we are now bound for Bosnia World Championships mid May.  The girls are always stocked as they get the benefits from Nikki kelly generous sponsors.   Still making up my mind if I want to drag Sam across the world for the worlds.  So many opportunities to travel - love it.  

 

Buller Festival in two weeks,  that involves an extreme race, kayak slalom raft slalom a big air competition and a lot of fun time with the majority of river people in New Zealand.  
 
My focus for Slalom is now turned to the National Championships - I have two months to get faster!!!!!
 
Wicked - that's Nikki Kelly and Sam’s life.

 
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TMG was a life force for me this year.  The games inspired me to get back into mental and physical shape so soon after giving birth to my son – Sam Kiritopa Kelly Wall.  With the support of my sponsors, becoming a mother has only strengthened me as an athlete, and the games is the ultimate playing field.  After winning a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place medals, I could fly home proud of my achievements and thankful that I have kayaking in my life.

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Team Teva paddler Anthony Yap leads a return trip to the Kimberley region of Australia.  With this trip, on the King Edward River, Anthony Yap looks to build on his world-renown reputation as a premiere big wave freestyler.  Full details below.
In March of 2009, a self-supported, raft-based team of paddlers will once again return to the King Edward River on a world first extended expedition to search out and uncover the rivers many world class features, the most sought after being the infamous giant river wave.
The giant river wave is a hydraulic marvel much like a surfable ocean wave but is found standing stationary within rare river systems around the globe. Not only would discovering these river features within Australian rivers be a first, but this will also be the first time an expedition of this length and intensity has ever embarked on a search for these rare waves.
explore more at the trip website
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I have been bound by the USCIS (US Citizenships and Immigration Services) to Canada until they release my verdict. I am waiting on what is called a 0-1 Visa. It is a 3 year Visa for athletes and artist of extraordinary ability. A 4 week process turned into a 9week process.  I have become very accustomed to Vancouver’s rain, and drink copious amounts of coffee… think my stomach is black…but it TASTES so good!  Some pictures from my winter in Vancouver are included below too. 

 

Any one that has been in my shoes understands when I say FLOATING. The waiting process creates all things in you life to start floating around you. Never quit shore when everything is going to land…But I am making the most of my situation and having quite the adventure. Except this time it is not on a river it is in a city.

 

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I organized a trip through many unchartered waters in the Kimberley last year. I recruited 3 great people and friends (Fellow Team Teva athlete Anthony Yap, Craig Chivers and Caleb Feasby) to join this 18-day adventure and bring publicity to this wonderful land that is being threatened. This video below is my winning entry to be the 2008 Austrailian Adventure of the Year awarded by Outer Edge Magazine and Roving Eye. My lingering Kimberley sentiments: As I wandered though the Kimberley and paddled her rivers, I will be for ever changed….The quest to explore the Kimberley will always course though my blood, as will the drive to save her from the many threats she faces. The Kimberley has stood the test of time, and is still relatively unspoilt by man’s greed. The diversity of the Kimberley’s web of life is so complex it is yet to be fully understood. Profound creatures such as the Humpback Whale, Dugong and Gouldian Finch make thier home to the Kimberley. All of this may come to an end! Proposals for a liquid gas processing plant, alumina smelters, bauxite mines as well as uncontrolled wildfires, feral animals and weeds are all threatening the Kimberley. To be honest with you it make’s me mad to think how short sighted governments can be! So NO the continual bombardment of wilderness area’s around the world! Encourage and force governments to develop renewable energy resources!



www.wildernesssocity.org.au/kimberley

www.savethekimberley.com
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