Canterbury, 1 Day, 2 Day, Out and back.
Overnighter or day trip, out and back. Needs spring flows or rain.
Lake Pukaki/MacKenzie/Canterbury
Tag: 2 Day
Broken River (II/III) with portages
Canterbury, 1 Day, 2 Day, 3 Day, Through trip.
Curious geology is the highlight of this run: that and the caves, gorges and fence hazards. Information on the Porter River (II with mandatory portage) is included at the end of this page as it looks like an enticing ‘no walk’ option. However, there are fences, nasty sieves and a mandatory portage. View Larger Topographic…
Paringa River (II/III+)
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
Fox River (II)
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
Shotover River, upstream of Arthurs Point II+ to IV (P)
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.
Raukokore River (II)
Bay of Plenty, 1 Day, 2 Day, Bikeraft, Through trip.
The Raukokore from Te Kumi Station is a pleasant Grade I-II trip in the East Cape Raukumara Ranges with a wilderness feel. It can be done in a long day or split over two. Description and photos Stu Bilby. View Larger Topographic Map Put in Put in on the Waikura River on Te Kumi Road….
Taruarau (IV)
Hawkes Bay, 2 Day, Roadside, Through trip.
The Taruarau River is a tributary of the Ngaruroro River it has a very steep and tricky gorge below the Napier Taihape Road. It is only runnable through winter and early spring or after rain. It has a great Class III+ – IV section known as the Hot Springs gorge, The run is very highly…
Arahura River (sections from V to II)
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.
Thomas River (III & IV/V P) via Mataketake tops
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.
Cape Brett and the Bay of Islands
Northland, 2 Day, Sea paddling.
Northland. Sea paddling. 2-4 days.
Using a packraft to explore the coast around these classic Bay of Islands destinations
Windley River (III)
Southland, 2 Day, Through trip.
A classic packrafting trip; an excellent approach over the tops, followed by clean, challenging paddling through bedrock gorges.
Alfred Stream (II)
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.
Dingle Burn (III+)
Otago, 2 Day, Through trip.
2 day through trip with a crux gorge in the middle.
Long car shuttle, and tricky to get the right flow.
Greenstone River (III+/IV)
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.
Waiau River (I/II) Te Anau Control Gates to Lake Manapouri
Southland, 1 Day, 2 Day, Loop trip, Through trip.
This section provides lots of options for trips; half day trips using shuttles or walking, full day paddles, overnight options including paddling on Manapouri itself. Despite being bordered by the Kepler track on the true right and roads on the true left, it has quite a wilderness feel, with lots of options. View Larger Topographic…
Wairau (II / III) (- IV in high flow)
Marlborough, 1 Day, 2 Day, Roadside.
A real gem of a river that only Blenheim paddlers seem to know about. The Wairau River is the largest river in Marlborough. It drains an area that is in a rain shadow, so it’s best in spring with snow melt. In higher flows the Wairau could be run as one continuous paddle from Hell’s…
Ruamahanga River (II+) Cleft Creek to Mt Bruce
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
Waingawa River from Mitre Flats (II+/III)
Wellington, 2 Day.
The Waingawa is one of the smallest of the runnable Eastern Tararua rivers. It takes a crystal ball to get the timing right for this run. It rises very fast and then falls just as quickly to residual flows that except in mid winter are barely paddle-able. Catch the right weather combo and it’s another…
Mangahao (III+ / IV)
Manawatu-Wanganui, 2 Day.
This has always been regarded as the premier Tararua river for kayaking but it is dammed. On scheduled release days it was pretty popular and has some heavy Class IV features unsuitable for Packrafts. It was once a popular tubing river in low flows but residual flows are insufficient for it to receive much paddler…
Manganui-a-te-ao II+ (IIIp) from Ruatiti
Manawatu-Wanganui, 2 Day.
A shorter and more exciting alternative to the Wanganui multi day. The Manganui-a-te-ao is tucked away between Raetahi and the Wanganui River. It’s a better option than the Wanganui in a packraft as it has some decent rapids over the first two thirds of the trip. Trout and Whio abound and the scenery ranges from…