Maggi Maggi (Ernst Brook)

General Description

Ernst Brook which is known to the locals as The Maggi Maggi, is a small brook that drains from Blockhouse into the Mahone Bay harbour. There is only one known rapid which is located 500 meters up from the harbour, where the brook drops into a small gorge. When there is enough water the many ledges turn into one continuous raging slide-like run that is approximately 50-75 meters long. A creekers dream. As the brook exits the gorge an old mill site creates a river wide feature that, at runnable levels becomes a surfable wave. Continuing down to the harbour is possible but the entire run would need to be scouted and cleared of any trees.

Hazards

As this is a very small brook, any trees that fall in the river are bound to get stuck and cause major problems. Before running, the entire section needs to be scouted. Removal of trees is rather easy as the brook is so narrow, except for in the gorge where the vertical rock walls make it impossible during high flows. Some locals often check to make sure trees are not in the gorge before major rain events. When there is enough water for the rapids to be runnable, the sides of the brook will overflow in some places, eliminating most of the eddies. When scouting make sure to have a plan where to exit after the gorge after running the rapid.

Access

Park here and walk south on the Bay to Bay trail. After about 100 meters you will come across a bridge that crosses Ernst Brook. A few large rocks next to the bridge mark the entrance to a wide walking trail that can be followed along the brook all the way to the main rapid.

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Park along the the road

Gauge

There is no gauge for Ernst Brook. There will only be enough water after major rain events where large amounts of rain (50mm+) fall in a short amount of time. It is only a 2 minute walk from the road, so checking it on the way to other rivers is not hard.

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