Jackson River (I/II)

A beautiful and relatively easy West Coast River. Great for a cruisey day’s paddling, between hitting the Arawhata and Waiatoto. 😉 The Jackson would make a great and easy bike raft trip or of course you can hike, hitch (if you’re lucky!) or car to car paddle. It has a great side trip up to…

Okarito River (II/III)

West coast.

A car to car trip with a variety of paddling, from lake, to easy river to class III rapids to esturary!

Very scenic paddle.

Rangitikei River Utiku to Mangaweka (II)

This is a scenic Class II run in a river that always has enough flow for a paddle. It is a great learners trip with eddies and play waves and an excellent camp ground at the take out. It feels more remote than it is due to the nature of the gorge. It’s best to…

Eglinton River (I/II) along SH94

There is a long section of easy and scenic packrafting to be enjoyed in this valley, using State Highway 94 to access the river at many points. You can pick and choose which sections you do, as half-day, long day or overnight trips using one of the many car-accessible DOC campgrounds along the highway. Below…

Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River gorge (low flow III, high flow IV)

The gorge of Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River is a spectacular trip through native forest with a real wilderness feel.  It is well known by local paddlers, as it is the closest class III water to Wellington (one hour) and has road access with a short shuttle.  Te Awakairangi / Hutt River supplies Wellington with much…

Lower Waiohine Gorge (II+) From Totara Flats Hut to Gorge Road

As it descends through the Tararua Ranges, the Waiohine River has a number of sections of interest to Packrafters. The Upper Gorge (above Mid Waiohine Hut),  Middle Gorge (Mid Waiohine Hut to Totara Flats Hut)  and the Lower Gorge (Totara Flats Hut to Gorge Road). The lower Gorge of the Waiohine is a typical scenic…

Waimakarirri River Gorge (II) from Mt White to Sheffield

The Waimakariri Gorge is a great Grade 2 overnight trip or long day-trip covering 50 to 60 kms or river, accessible by car at both ends. Being so close to the outdoor recreation focussed population centre of Christchurch, this section of river will probably become one of the most commonly pack-rafted trips in New Zealand….