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Hawkes Bay, 1 Day, Through trip.
Tataraakina Bridge to Mohaka Confluence & Bridgets Clearing Overview The Waipunga River is a short, scenic tributary of the Mohaka River, accessed off the Napier–Taupō Road (SH5). This trip offers a mix of mellow floating and full-on technical paddling through a dramatic greywacke gorge, making it a great half-day adventure for intermediate packrafters. Seek recent…
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, Roadside.
A classic run, great for packrafts at low flows From its catchment in the Lees Valley, the Ashley River / Rakahuri cuts a wandering meander through the Canterbury foothills. Rakahuri means “entangled and turning” in Te Reo Māori – and that’s exactly what it does. For a very long time, The Ashley has been paddled…
West Coast, 6 Day, Through trip.
A multi-day trip packed with exciting whitewater, dramatic landscapes and strenuous tramping, the Landsborough provides an unforgettable South Westland wilderness adventure for advanced packrafters.
Waikato, 1 Day, Car to car, Through trip.
The Waihohonu has been paddled from well above the road, but this short section between roads provides a good flavour of the river. Waihohonu between the SH1 (Desert Rd) is a short and sharp gorge trip through to Rangipo Road . There are two sections that are portages for most paddlers – be well acquainted…
Canterbury, 1 Day, Roadside.
Just behind Tekapo town, is a fantastic artificial whitewater course. Normally dry, the river flows only at scheduled releases (keep an eye on the official Tekapo WW facebook page for timings) Releases are usually timed for a weekend: come camp under the pine trees by the put in and join in the good times! The…
Bay of Plenty, 1 Day, Car to car, Through trip.
The lower Kaituna gorge is an exciting run in a scenic gorge through jointed ignimbrite which is deeply incised to form a narrow chasm. It is a lower grade than the upstream gorges (none of those are Packraft friendly). This run is pushy and relentless! It is for experienced groups where everyone is capable of…
Bay of Plenty, 1 Day, Through trip.
The Waiari stream is a hidden gem in the Bay of Plenty. It is a must-do run with numerous boofs and crystal clear water. As a bonus it’s a spring fed creek that has a consistent flow year round. It is a typical Taupo Volcanic Zone ignimbrite gorge. The approach crosses private land, and there…
Manawatu-Wanganui, 1 Day, Roadside, Through trip.
The lower Whakapapa is an underrated gem, overshadowed by the awesomeness of the upstream reach. It is well worth a look. Below Owhango 42 Traverse Bridge there are a few hours of II+ to Kakahi and then a few more hours Class II on the Whanganui down to Pariaka. Shuttle Put-in The Put-in is at…
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…
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
Hawkes Bay, 2 Day.
Scenic wilderness overnighter, with some challenging paddling. The Ngaruroro Lower Gorge, from Kuripapango to Whanawhana, has a long history as an overnight kayaking run. (See the Riverguide.co.nz kayaking writeup) This 39km section includes a rocky gorge containing more challenging whitewater than in the upper river. The gorge provides just enough excitement for advanced paddlers at…
Southland, 1 Day, Roadside, Through trip.
Something for everyone on this scenic and fairly remote roadside run in central Fiordland
West Coast, 2 Day, Out and back.
A spectacular half to full day side-trip from Mikonui Hut on the West Coast.
Marlborough, 1 Day, 2 Day, Roadside.
Running parallel to the mighty Waiau-Toa / Clarence River, the Awatere River gives you some of same classic feel of big views, dry country and moderate whitewater in a smaller package The Awatere drains the western side of the Inland Kaikoura Range and a variety of smaller ranges on the north side of the river….
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.
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.
Tasman, 1 Day, Loop trip.
A gorgeous day trip for advanced packrafters, in Kahurangi National Park, Golden Bay
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.
Wellington, 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.
Otago, 2 Day, 3 Day, Through trip.
Steep creeking in the Shotover River headwaters. 2-3 days, Otago.
Manawatu-Wanganui, 1 Day, 2 Day, Through trip.
This section of the Whakapapa is renowned with kayakers for its annual releases. Release flows allow a kayak day trip. It is a gem of a packraft trip at much lower flows but is much slower and is best done as an overnighter. There are options to enjoy more good paddling past Owhango, down as…
West Coast, 1 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.
Otago, 1 Day, Out and back.
A great day trip for strong packrafters, in Mt Aspiring National Park.
West Coast, 6 Day, 7 day, Loop trip.
6-8 days of remote and very advanced whitewater. Great approach & great huts. West coast, Kahurangi National Park.
Tasman, 1 Day, Roadside.
This is a roadside run, which is dam controlled and very popular with all paddlers. Access Leave a car (or bikes) at the new road bridge on the Cobb valley road and drive up to the power station. Easiest to get in on the left fork assuming the turbines are all running. View Larger Topographic…
Southland, 8 Day, 9 Day, Loop trip.
3-4 days side trip to the Hollyford Pyke, to explore a seldom visited valley.
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.
Tasman, 1 Day, Loop trip.
A low-flow daytrip to a steep and beautiful gorge
Golden Bay, Tasman
West Coast, 5 Day, Through trip.
5 Days | Camping | Wilderness Area
Challenging through trip into the Olivine Wilderness Area
Otago, 3 Day, 4 Day, 5 Day, Loop trip.
Aspiring NP, Otago
3-5 day options
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, 7 day, Loop trip.
7 day loop in South Westland
Gorgeous gorges, up to IV
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…
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
Bay of Plenty, 4 Day, 5 Day, Through trip.
This wild and remote epic through East Cape country is one of the top multi-day Packrafting trips in the North Island. It flows through spectacular dense forest and gorgy scenery. It is a popular rafting trip particularly with hunters who also utilise jet boats for access. The Motu River is the premier whitewater wilderness trip in…
Canterbury, 1 Day, Roadside.
Hurunui River overview The Hurunui is the most important River in Canterbury for paddlers. It has navigable flows all year round and offers a good variety of whitewater runs. From Lake Sumner down, there are a variety of runs, catering for all types of paddlers. Upper Hurunui (described as one run) Lake to Sisters (I/II)…
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.
Hawkes Bay, 1 Day, Car to car, Through trip.
Mohaka River (III) “Te Hoe” The Mohaka “Te Hoe” section from Bridget’s Clearing to the bridge just above the Te Hoe River confluence is 19km. Allow about 5 hours on the water, more if you are going to portage the bigger rapids or run laps on them. This run is through a scenic gorge, can…
West Coast, 1 Day, Car to car, Through trip.
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.
Southland, 2 Day, Through trip.
A classic packrafting trip; an excellent approach over the tops, followed by clean, challenging paddling through bedrock gorges.
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.
Canterbury, 5 Day, 6 Day, 7 day.
The Waiau Toa / Clarence is one of the best long river trips in New Zealand, more so because it’s not overly challenging whitewater.
3-7 days of grade II/III paddling, great camping, huts and beautiful scenery
Manawatu-Wanganui, 5 Day, Through trip.
This hard to get to and hard-to-time remote experience is one of the North Islands best-kept secrets. From tussock covered desert plateau to beech forest, to scrub and high country sheep station it has so much scenery packed in. It is also one of our premier trout fisheries and is protected by a Water Conservation…
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.
Southland, 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.
Tasman, 1 Day, Roadside.
The Matiri is known as an epic kayak run when it’s in flood. More than any other river in the Murchison area, the Matiri’s character varies with flow. For packrafting, it’s a nice run at lower flows. From the end of the road you can walk several kilometres up the track towards the lake and determine…
Tasman, 1 Day, Roadside.
The Buller river is one of New Zealand’s mightiest rivers. From it’s source in the Nelson Lakes to the wild West Coast at Westport it’s a spectacular beast. From the Lake it has a lovely short bouldery run across the terminal moraine that retains the Lake. It then becomes a slightly braided river for some…
Tasman, 1 Day, Park and play, Roadside.
This is a delightful run that exits lake Rotoiti for a short placid reach and then takes off through a series of boulder garden rapids amidst beech forest and manuka. The “Source of the Buller” run begins at Lake Rotoiti’s outlet on West Bay Road and continues past the main road bridge on SH63 all…
Otago, 1 Day, Car to car, Out and back.
A short, sweet run with some technical paddling. Easy portages
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…
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
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…
Manawatu-Wanganui, 2 Day.
! WARNING ! Unfortunately, there have been issues recently with an adjacent landowner confronting paddlers. There have been allegations of threatening behaviour involving a firearm. Whitewater New Zealand and Federated Mountain Clubs are working on a resolution – meanwhile, paddlers are encouraged to find other rivers to paddle. If you experience any confrontation when packrafting,…
Manawatu-Wanganui, 1 Day, Car to car.
The Whangaehu is a great river with the unique feature of draining the Crater Lake on Mt Ruapehu. It’s not one to take a swim in as the water is acidic! But take some fresh drinking water and enjoy the continuous rapids. There are two sections described on this site: View Larger Topographic Map It’s…
Manawatu-Wanganui, 1 Day, Park and play.
The Mangahao Slalom Course is a short stretch of artificial Class III water that can be run over and over all day. It’s Parkrafting at its best; just park and play. The catch is they only run the powerhouse and spill water into the Mangaore Stream during times of high electricity demand or excess rainfall….
Waikato, 1 Day, Roadside.
Trip Overview Access 13, or the Pillars of Hercules Run, is a very scenic run that can be scratched through at residual flows in a packraft. It is generally only kayaked on scheduled release days. The tracks in and out are tricky. Warning! Above this run is Tree Trunk Gorge (V+) and below it Waikato…
Waikato, 1 Day, Roadside.
Trip Overview Access 10 is one of the premier roadside runs in the North Island. It has a reliable year-round flow of about 16m3 and a number of schedule release days where it is allowed to flow at what would be its normal flow of 30m3 or more. Link it up with the upstream Access…
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…
Manawatu-Wanganui, 2 Day, Through trip.
This trip explores 36km of the seldom-paddled upper reaches of the mighty Whanganui River, which stretches from its beginnings on the flanks of Mt Tongariro, to the mouth near Whanganui, 290km away. Most people have floated down the spectacular sections below Taumarunui, but we were interested in exploring the upstream section where it flows through…
Wellington, 1 Day, Car to car, Loop trip.
A classic run on Wellington’s doorstep 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 /…
West Coast, 3 Day, Loop trip.
A fun loop trip in Lewis Pass, with a walk up beech forest valley and over a pass, a quick paddle across Lake Christabel and through grade 2 to 3 rapids (with some portaging). Thank you to Carey Lintott, Nicole Symon and Martin Peat for the information and photos. This keen group did the trip…
Bay of Plenty, 2 Day, Loop trip.
The Whirinaki River is a one of the main rivers draining Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Forest Park around 1 hour east of Rotorua. It is fed by a watershed the extends south and east from the Galatea plains past Minginui and into the forest park. With amazing bush, easy access at a number of points and…
Otago, 1 Day, Roadside.
A great little roadside run in a beautiful beech lined valley. There’s a few pool drop Class III rapids at the beginning, followed by a fun and bouncy trip on pretty continuous class II. The initial rapids can be easily portaged. Thanks to Huw Miles for the information. Photo credits to Huw Miles www.packraftingqueenstown.com: Julian…
West Coast, 4 Day, 5 Day, Through trip.
A long distance through trip that crosses the main divide from east to west. Most people would probably want to allow 4 or 5 days for the trip which is evenly split with 50km of trekking and 50km of paddling. Some off-track navigation is required and the class III Gentle Annie gorge has no easy…
West Coast, 3 Day, Through trip.
3 days including a challenging approach or a cruisy overnighter using heli-access
South Westland
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.
West Coast, 3 Day, Through trip.
The Taipo below Julia Hut is already well known as a heli-kayaking run, with some detailed paddling information in the Whitewater NZ river guide book. Taipo means ”devil” or evil spirit in Maori. It is interesting because Maori used it thinking it was English and the early English settlers used it thinking it was Maori….
Wellington, 2 Day, Loop trip.
Historically, a classic Wellington region kayak run, it doesn’t get done very often due to the tricky flows needed and tough access. At the right flow, it’s a much more accessible packrafting trip, through a very scenic and wild gorge in the heart of the Tararuas. The trip is normally done over two days, by…
Wellington, 3 Day, Through trip.
With fickle flows and long gorges, the Mid Waiohine Gorge has a fearsome reputation, with as many successful trips as aborted ones. It is the classic Tararua Gorging trip, and with the right flows a brilliant pack raft. It’s definitely not one to underestimate…. Updated 2020 by Martin Robertson View Larger Topographic Map The river…
West Coast, 1 Day, Through trip.
Fantastic beginner run with a wilderness feel
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, Through trip.
One of a series of ‘teaser’ trip pages inspired by Hugh Canard, prior to the 2017 Boyle Outdoor Centre PRANZ Meetup. Treat the information with healthy scepticism – if you’ve done the run, then please contact us with more info and a few photos to expand this page. View Larger Topographic Map St James Walkway…
Canterbury, 1 Day, Roadside.
One of a series of ‘teaser’ trip pages inspired by Hugh Canard, prior to the 2017 Boyle Outdoor Centre PRANZ Meetup. Treat the information with healthy scepticism – if you’ve done the run, then please contact us with more info and a few photos to expand this page. View Larger Topographic Map Lewis River (III)…
West Coast, 1 Day, Out and back.
One of a series of ‘teaser’ trip pages for those heading to the 2017 NZ Packrafting Meetup. Thanks to Hugh Canard for the information. I’m hopeful that the Meetup will result in a little more info plus a few photos so we can expand these pages. Featured image is By Michal Klajban (Hikingisgood.com) (Own work)…
Otago, 2 Day, Out and back.
An out and back overnight (or long day) trip to a beautiful valley. This trip benefits from a 4WD and bit of rain, in normal flows you’d probably be scraping or walking rather than floating. Beautiful backdrop to an interesting paddle. Thanks to Dan Clearwater for the information and photos. View Larger Topographic Map Walk…
Marlborough, 1 Day, 2 Day, Roadside, Through trip.
A classic intermediate overnighter, with decent tracks, huts and gorgeous gorges. There’s heaps of ways to enjoy the Pelorus, from grade I day trips to weekend grade III through trips. With a little imagination, the choice is yours! Thanks to Bryan Moore for the trip updates. Feature image is credit to Dulkara Martig Collection. View…
Canterbury, 3 Day, 4 Day, Through trip.
The Upper Waiau has long been regarded by the NZ Paddling community as a classic multi-day intermediate trip. Access was usually by Helicopter or walking in over Mailings pass, an expensive or exhausting option with hardshell kayaks. The below information is from a packraft trip by Chris Coutts and Thomas Land in January 2015. Chris…
Canterbury, 1 Day, 2 Day, Loop trip, Out and back.
A beautiful, continuous alpine rain-run The South Temple is normally a small stream, but when there’s enough water, it provides a fast, technical packrafting trip along most of its length. The out-and-return trip style means you can easily choose your trip length, depending on your motivation, flow and paddling ability. This river requires spring melt…
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, 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. This trip page is adapted with permission from a trip…
Otago, 1 Day, 2 Day, Be aware of Jetboats, Out and back.
A classic day trip, with straightforward access, amazing views and just enough rapids to keep intermediate packrafters entertained but not terrified. Can be run even at summer flows, but a bit of rain brings out the best in it. Thanks to Dan Clearwater for the images and words. View Larger Topographic Map Planning Jetboats: Be…
Southland, 1 Day, Roadside.
Great roadside run in Fiordland, but watch for strainers! Solid grade III skills needed.
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…
West Coast, 2 Day, Hot pools, Out and back.
Classic west coast packrafting, with the option of a side trip to the hot pools.