GO WITH THE FLOW
Riding white water is an undeniably exhilarating experience and NZ is a great place to enjoy it, writes Steve Dickinson
To the uninitiated, river rafting looks a little like you are just playing in giant bumper boats. But anyone who has tried it knows it is so much more. The excitement lies in the entire process — getting ready, pulling on wetsuits and thermals, driving to the river, understanding instructions, practising in the calm water and then finally getting into it.
New Zealand is renowned for its adventure industry, and rafting has been at the top of the list since the beginning. Because our country is long and narrow, our rivers have a great fall line creating high impact, fast-flowing water in stunning settings.
Commercially rafted rivers are graded from 1 (close to being a pond) to 5 (for ultimate thrills). Anything over that is considered too dangerous to raft.
Rivers are unforgiving, and one cubic metre of water weighs a tonne, so if you get hooked up or pressed into a small space, that one tonne of water will be unrelentingly holding you there. That’s why you should always go with a commercial rafting company. Luckily, we have some of the best in the world.
Kaituna River
New Zealand boasts the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world — the Tutea Falls, just 20 mins outside of Rotorua on the Kaituna river. Operators like River Rats and Kaituna Cascades will take you on a high-adrenalin aquatic roller coaster, with experiences lasting around 50 minutes, conquering 14 rapids and finally plummeting over the 7m waterfall. It’s not for the faint-hearted — this is a solid grade 5 river. You don’t need to be an expert, but you do need to have the courage to do it. Both companies can arrange for photos to be taken, so no matter how you feel dropping the seven metres, remember to smile.
Anticipation builds over a range of rapids and smaller waterfalls, before facing up to the big one — rafting over Tutea Falls. It’s all over pretty quick (if all goes well) and then you’ll find your raft floating in a large calm pool where you can look back and be wowed at what you just survived.
My tip: Volunteer to go first if there is more than one raft on your guided trip. It’s huge fun watching others’ terror as they tumble over the waterfall you just conquered. kaitunacascades.co.nz riverrats.co.nz
Tongariro River
Tongariro River Rafting’s most popular package is a half-day experience which sees you navigate 60 rapids in a 13km stretch — the highest concentration of commercial rafted rapids in New Zealand. The trip gives you access to some stunning local scenery only accessible by river, and also some of the best trout fishing in the country (you can buy fly fishing rafting trips as well).
It’s an easy grade 2-3 river, easily accessible and great for families and children, and is an excellent alternative day if you’ve gone skiing and the mountain is closed. Tongariro River Rafting is based in Tūrangi. trr.co.nz
The Mohaka River
One of NZ’s most renowned rivers for rafting, the Mohaka flows through Hawke’s Bay. Mohaka means “place for dancing”, but I’m not sure how that applies to rafting the river — it goes from a grade 2 to a grade 5, and the 5 is less about dancing and more about holding on for dear life.
Mohaka Rafting offers several different whitewater rafting experiences from day trips to multiday expeditions lasting up to a week, ranging from grades 2 to 5. The grade 4/5 trips are available only for those 16 and over, and the oneday trips can last for up to 8-9 hours. There is no expertise required but even on grade 4/5, you will surprise yourself at how well you can hang on. mohakarafting.com
Rangitı¯kei River
At Taihape’s River Valley Lodge on the Rangitikei River, you can stay for a few days and add in horse riding and trout fishing along with your rafting adventures which take in grade 3 to 5 rapids. River Valley also runs raft tours on the Ngaruroro and Whanganui rivers, and can cater for families looking for more gentle floats to multi-day rafting experiences packaged specifically for you. The lodge is a family operation, having first opened in 1982. As well as the rafting adventures on offer, there’s a cafe and bar, meeting rooms, saunas and spa, and e-bikes. rivervalley.co.nz
These are just a selection of the experiences on offer around New Zealand. Whatever trip you decide to take, you will meet great people, see hidden parts of the country and have an adrenalin rush that you will remember for a lifetime. Don’t be tempted to grab a tube and go it alone — invest in a qualified river guiding company who will give you a great experience and bring you home safely.
A good place to start your rafting adventure is here:
newzealand.com/nz/rafting
For more travel inspiration, go to newzealand.com/nz Check traffic light settings and Ministry of Health advice before travel at covid19.govt.nz