Sleek and streamlined, it was a perfect kayak made to shoot through the water at blistering pace. Red like an ember from a burning fire. It was paired with a yellow and blue paddle. The whole thing was covered in bumps and grooves each with its own purpose. There was a waterproof compartment for electronic valuables. I couldn’t wait to get it into the water.

The weather was hot and humid; a perfect day for water activities. My brother and I decided to tackle the Hutt River on our new kayaks. We drove up to the start of the river eager to get going. We double checked we had everything we needed for the adventure ahead. I slid the kayak into the water and climbed in carefully. It felt unstable but this meant it would be faster (hopefully).

We began paddling down the river at a peaceful pace. After 5 minutes I was getting restless and as we came around the corner, as if on cue, a frightening set of rapid stood before me. I hesitated, and then eagerly paddled towards them. Suddenly they were pulling me onwards. My brother and I began zooming down the rapids simultaneously. I was being thrown from side to side on the brink of capsizing and just when I thought I could take no more the rapids came to an end and spat me out into smooth waters. I had survived my first set of rapids. There were a lot more rapids that day but none were as exciting and scary as my first rapids.