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Canterbury, 2 Day, Out and back.
A beautiful walk in through a densely forested valley with scattered grassy clearings and high open tussock ridges, backed by rocky summits. To top it off, the river is visually stunning, an easy class I/II with an exciting class III section through a small gorge. The river is mostly navigable year-round, but is more reliable…
Canterbury, 2 Day, Out and back.
Hits the sweet spot for a beginner’s overnighter One of the tributaries of Canterbury’s mighty Rakaia River, the Avoca hits an interesting sweet spot for packrafters. It’s a medium-sized east-coast river, which is narrow enough to keep the water a paddleable depth, without gorging up at all. The gradient is fairly consistent, which altogether means…
Manawatū-Wanganui, Loop trip, Out and back, Through trip.
The Manawatū Gorge is a classic introductory packrafting journey through one of the lower North Island’s most well known river corridors. With the old highway closed to vehicles, the gorge now lends itself well to combined walking or cycling and paddling. The Manawatū is a large, low‑gradient river that can be paddled at almost any…
West Coast, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
Overnight trip or long day for advanced boaters. Steep, sievey, schisty and scenic. One day (III) option from lower put in.
20GP, West Coast, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
Big water II+ for solid beginners and intermediates. A classic day or overnight trip on the west coast.
Otago, 1 Day, Out and back.
A pleasant 4-hour, semi-urban adventure near Arrowtown. Watch out for trees and debris in the river.
20GP, West Coast, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back, Through trip.
The Mokihinui is a brilliant packraft trip. You can walk in from the west, stay a night and paddle out. You can head in from the Buller end by bike or foot on the Old Ghost Road, then hop on the river where your skills dictate.
Canterbury, 1 Day, 2 Day, Loop trip, Out and back.
A fast, continuous alpine rain run. Out and back with a lovely hut to spend the night.
Tasman, 2 Day, Bikeraft, Out and back.
Out & back overnighter. An old 4WD track to the hut makes this especially suited for bikerafting
Southland, 2 Day, Bikeraft, Out and back.
A fast and continuous run, with multiple approach options. Needs rain to get in condition.
Southland, 1 Day, Out and back.
Short, steep and needs a bit of rain (but not too much!) A half day from SH94
Southland, Out and back.
With enough water, this is a technical side trip to the Hollyford/Pyke loop, for suitably skilled and equipped groups.
Canterbury, 1 Day, Out and back.
An adventure with something for just about everyone The lower Edwards River in Arthur’s Pass National Park is a great option for a short but adventurous trip. This trip has a great mix of ‘something for everyone’ with an optional harder upper section, great variety and scenery, and a wilderness feel to it despite all…
West Coast, 2 Day, 3 Day, Out and back.
Two to three days round trip to a classic hard west coast creek run.
Canterbury, 1 Day, Out and back.
With good access, continuous whitewater, grade III gorges plus an optional grade IV upper section with a chockstone, this is bound to become an East Coast classic day trip for intermediate to advanced packrafters. “The run feels similar to the classic narrows section on the Upper Waiau. The tight gorge where you float beneath a…
Southland, 4 Day, Out and back.
Remote side trip to a Lake Te Anau exploration
West Coast, 2 Day, Out and back.
A spectacular half to full day side-trip from Mikonui Hut on the West Coast.
Canterbury, 1 Day, Out and back.
With a bit of rain, the Cameron has fast, continuous paddling. There are slightly easier (II+) options from a lower start point.
West Coast, 1 Day, Out and back.
Advanced day-trip, boulder gardens, bedrock gorge and challenging whitewater on the West Coast
West Coast, 1 Day, Out and back.
Gets harder as you walk in so start where you like! Something for everyone in a scenic valley.
West Coast, 1 Day, 2 Day, Loop trip, Out and back, Through trip.
Challenging approaches to Intermediate paddling on a remote an scenic Westland River
Tasman, 1 Day, Out and back, Roadside.
Farm track and bush road access, two stunning gorges and varied whitewater all within a compact and walkable river trip.
Canterbury, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
A great rain or snowmelt run, suitable for mixed groups of intermediate level paddlers
West Coast, 1 Day, Out and back, Roadside.
Something for everyone on this small west coast creek. An amazing day trip near Greymouth
West Coast, 2 Day, Out and back.
Another overnighter on a wild west coast valley and river. Rough tracks, a great hut and magnificent scenery that backs on to the Adams Wilderness Area.
Manawatū-Wanganui, 1 Day, Out and back.
Short day trip to a scenic gorge. Near Levin in the Tararua Ranges
Southland, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
Long day or overnighter: good approach routes to a fun grade III gorge and grade II lower section.
Northern Southland.
West Coast, 1 Day, Out and back.
Half day trip for strong intermediate paddlers, with an option to check out a bedrock gorge.
20GP, Southland, 3 Day, 4 Day, 5 Day, Loop trip, Out and back, Through trip.
2-5 day options | Fiordland
A classic moderate packrafting trip.
Otago, 2 Day, Out and back.
Overnight out and return trip for advanced paddlers. In Otago, near Lake Wakatipu. Permission required
Otago, 1 Day, Out and back.
A great day trip for strong packrafters, in Mt Aspiring National Park.
Otago, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back, Roadside.
Roadside grade III in Otago Highcountry, with two day’s worth of paddling, hiking and biking on offer.
Needs rain to be runnable.
Southland, 1 Day, Out and back.
Day trip to quality III paddling with two IV drops.
Fiordland National Park
Canterbury, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
Overnighter or day trip, out and back. Needs spring flows or rain.
Lake Pukaki/MacKenzie/Canterbury
West Coast, 2 Day, Out and back.
Overnight out and return with route finding and a great hut. Put in where it suits your skills and the flows.
South Westland
West Coast, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
Day or overnight out and return, through spectacular limestone canyons, with mellow paddling.
Paparoa National Park, Westland
20GP, Otago, 1 Day, 2 Day, 4 Day, 5 Day, Out and back, Roadside, Through trip.
A classic Otago run, with options for road, foot and heli access, and trips from 1 to 5 days in length.
20GP, West Coast, 1 Day, 2 Day, 3 Day, Loop trip, Out and back, Roadside.
One of the most sought after and enjoyed runs in New Zealand: high quality, high difficulty paddling, Near Lake Kaniere, on the West Coast.
Waikato, 1 Day, Hot pools, Out and back.
Hot Waterfall, Akatarewa Stream, Lake Ohakuri, Waikato River,(I)Overview A fabulous beginner grade one packrafting trip on Lake Ohakuri (created by the damming of the Waikato River). With the excitement of wading up a hot water stream to bathe under a hot waterfall, or soak in hotwater rockpools. Getting there On Te Kopia Road, 200 m…
West Coast, 2 Day, 3 Day, Out and back, Through trip.
Haast area, West Coast
3 day through trip with good huts, tops, bush bashing and challenging paddling.
West Coast, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
Short and scenic, with easy access and option to make it into an overnight trip with a stay at Lake Daniell.
20GP, Otago, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
Epic scenery, challenging whitewater and huge potential for creative approaches: a long day trip, an overnighter or as part of a larger mission.
Otago, 1 Day, Car to car, Out and back.
Rain run in a forested valley, with small waterfalls over papa shelfs.
4hrs walk about 3-4hrs paddle.
Otago, 1 Day, Car to car, Out and back.
A short, sweet run with some technical paddling. Easy portages
Wellington, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back, Through trip.
5hrs to 2 Days
Rain run
Options for through trips or out and back
Wairarapa, North Island
West Coast, 1 Day, Out and back.
It’s not everyday you get to raft the Nile! A trip to do when all rivers in the area in high as the Nile need a bit more flow. Another amazing limestone gorge, full bush, running clear, even when high. Nice limestone rock formations. Thanks to Martin Wilson for the info. If you have any…
Otago, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
A stunning paddle with magnificent views of the Humboldt and Ailsa Mountain ranges along with beautiful sections of exquisite South Island crystal clear pools in majestic gorges with beech lined forest. There’s plenty of straightforward paddling, plus a few very serious and completely committing gorges. The gorges are either impassable (due to log jams)…
Wellington, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back, Through trip.
Gorgeous gorges, which need a little rain The Tauwharenīkau River flows from Mount Hector in the Taruara ranges to Lake Wairarapa. It drains the area of the Tararua ranges between the Waiohine River and the Hutt River. As the Tauwharenīkau exits the range, it flows through a stunning gorge. It is the smallest of the three…
Southland, 1 Day, Out and back.
This is a scenic trip only 20 minutes from Dunedin, taking in the final part of the Lower Taieri run in the Whitewater New Zealand Guide. The run described here misses the grade III section above Lee Stream, and is a good trip for Dunedinites wanting to practice on some grade II rapids. Could be…
West Coast, 2 Day, Out and back.
A relatively straight-forward out and back weekend trip to a beautiful braided river beneath Mt Hooker. Best after rain, or during the spring melt. View Larger Topographic Map Logistics and (potential) shuttle There are a couple of ways to start and end the trip. No shuttle: Park your vehicles on the southern side of Clarke…
Canterbury, 1 Day, Out and back.
A half day explore on a glacially fed lake with an incredible view of NZ’s tallest peak. View Larger Topographic Map Hooker Valley Track The Hooker Valley Track is one of the most popular short walks in the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, and its not hard to see why. On a very easy, gravelled and…
20GP, Hawke's Bay, 3 Day, Hot pools, Out and back.
Mohaka River (II+/III) “Upper run” This is a fantastic weekend packrafting trip… Walking access only, beautiful clear river through native bush clad mountains. Trout, great camping options, easy hitchhiking options, and oh yeah… 2 amazing HOT-SPRINGS! The river is 90% grade II, but Sphincter rapid (portagable) is a grade III. Thank you to Chris Coutts…
Canterbury, 2 Day, Loop trip, Out and back.
Another lovely river in the Lewis Pass region. An extended but beautiful and straightforward walk in through beech forest and river flats to the comfortable, quaint St Jacob’s hut. The paddle out down the Hope river is an enjoyable mixture of open river flats with a fun gravel races and some interesting class II+ boulder…
West Coast, 1 Day, Out and back.
Something for everyone on the Whataroa The mighty Whataroa is a classic west coast paddling adventure: big flows, spectacular scenery and challenging whitewater, especially in the upper reaches. Progressively getting steeper as you go further from the highway, there are three distinct sections that range from an arduous overnight adventure at the very top end…
Tasman, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
An out and back day mission to a challenging river in Kahurangi National Park. Thanks to Aaron Reimer for permission to use his trip report as a basis for this trip page. Aaron thinks there are options to extend the trip upstream (with harder rapids than this section) and downstream (more mellow rapids) of this…
West Coast, 1 Day, Out and back.
View Larger Topographic Map From Boyle Village to put in via St James Walkway The St James Walkway is a major Tramping track, and starts at the back of Boyle Village. Follow the track for about 3.5km to where it leaves the Beech forest, then find a way down to the river. The St James…
Canterbury, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
There are 3 rivers that run parallel on the western side of the Lewis River. The Doubtful River is not the most scenic, or the most exciting, but it does have whio and potential in higher water. Thanks to Colin Kinnison for the information and photos for this trip page. View Larger Topographic Map SH7…
Tasman, 2 Day, 3 Day, Out and back.
Thanks to Michael Batchelor for the information and photos to make up this trip page. View Larger Topographic Map D’Urville Hut to Morgan’s HutThe quickest option is to arrange a boat transfer in advance with Lake Rotoroa Water Taxi . They run on demand trips from Rotoroa Village to the head of the lake. There…
Otago, 2 Day, Out and back.
Out and back with a neat hut. Needs rain to bring this continuous run into condition.
Southland, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
Needs a fair bit of rain to make this paddleable, but this is Fiordland so you shouldn’t need to wait long… Options of a stay in a Rock Bivvy, or the North Borland Hut could turn this into an overnighter. Thanks to Jesse Friedlander for the information. View Larger Topographic Map Borland Tracks to the…
Otago, 1 Day, Out and back.
A relaxed float down one of NZ’s largest rivers, with impressive rocky cliffs and heritage sites on the return journey. We began our day trip from Alexandra, and returned by hiking up the Roxborough Gorge Trail, though there are other ways to incorporate a packraft into a trip in this area. You could hike or…
Canterbury, 1 Day, Out and back, Roadside.
The upper section needs a bit of rain to be worth a trip, but it’s a beautiful valley and a very mellow paddle. There’s also the Ahurirri Drop (II) which is a car to car run lower in the valley. Depending on your enthusiasm, time and objectives, you could visit the Ahuriri for a day…
Southland, 1 Day, Out and back.
A well known Southland kayaking run, with options to hike the shuttle, paddle the lakes or go all the way to the sea if you’re keen! Thanks to Gerard Hill and Andy Magness for the information. View Larger Topographic Map Mavora Lakes Walkway: Kiwi Burn swingbridge to South Mavora Lake Although a mountain bike or…
Canterbury, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
Needs a bit of rain for this classic, entry-level overnighter in Arthur’s Pass National Park
Otago, 1 Day, Out and back.
A simple, short day trip in a beautiful valley. The Middle flats run is a great trip for beginning packrafters, even after rain. But, there are still hazards to be avoided, and the river still needs to be treated with respect: we’re observing more folks in the valley who don’t seem to have enough basic…
Otago, 1 Day, 2 Day, Be aware of Jetboats, Out and back.
A classic moderate day trip in the Aspiring National Park This delightful trip has straightforward access, amazing views and just enough rapids to keep intermediate packrafters entertained but not terrified. Glaciers in the headwaters mean the water can be chilly, but also that there’s usually enough water for paddling, even if other runs are a…
Canterbury, 2 Day, Out and back.
An off-trail adventure up the seldom visited Murchison Valley, among NZ’s highest peaks and glacial valleys. This trip involves considerable route finding skill, especially amongst the moraine features of the valley. As the Glaciers continue to recede, this trip may become more difficult, or even impossible. This trip is suitable for parties with experience around…
Canterbury, 2 Day, Out and back.
A large beautiful valley with a plethora of huts and lots of tramping, climbing and hunting opportunities. The river is a classic ‘east of the divide’ large braided river. In normal flows, the difficulties are wave trains and places where the river might hit a bluff on one side. Wave trains can feel intimidating for…
Otago, 2 Day, Out and back.
A mellow out and back trip to a neat hut, with options for side trips or as a starting point for bigger adventures. There’s some good fishing up around the Hut. There’s a little bit of class II further up the Wilkin Valley, but it quickly gets very steep with huge boulder gardens (class IV-V)….
Otago, 1 Day, Out and back, Park and play, Roadside.
The Hawea is a marvellous backyard run near Wānaka that you can enjoy in many different ways. With road access at three main points, a hiking/biking track along its length, a park&play wave plus a slalom course, you’re spoilt for choice! Although the river is ‘only grade II’, the banks are lined with strainers. This…
Otago, 1 Day, 2 Day, Be aware of Jetboats, Out and back.
Out and back trip with a chill middle section and challenging upper/lower sections for the keen ones.
West Coast, 2 Day, Hot pools, Out and back.
Classic west coast packrafting, with the option of a side trip to the hot pools.
Otago, 2 Day, Be aware of Jetboats, Out and back.
WARNING! As of late 2026, the track around Sandy Bluff has been destroyed by a large slip. There’s no easy alternate walking route. This makes the lower Dart more suited to a day trip from Slip stream than an overnight. From the southern end of the Slip Stream flat, motivated packrafters could probably ferry accross…