Powered by PRANZ
Manawatu-Wanganui, rain run.
A rarely run gem The Tokomaru River is tucked into the northern end of the Tararua Range. It is a small, steep catchment that only becomes viable a few times a year after significant rain. It rewards good timing with an engaging run that builds from easy water into consistent pool‑drop whitewater. While the river…
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.
Manawatu-Wanganui, 1 Day, Car to car.
Access 14 is the Rangipō Dam to Tree Trunk Gorge section of the Tongariro River — a steep, continuous Class IV run with powerful features, sparse eddies, It should only be attempted by strong teams of competent paddlers. Warning! Below this run is Tree Trunk Gorge (V+) which has been partially paddled by seal launching…
West Coast, 3 Day, 4 Day, Loop trip.
Challenging tracks, cozy huts, steep continuous boulder gardens in the North Branch, followed by a classic III/IV down the main Mōkihinui
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.
Southland, 2 Day, Bikeraft, Out and back.
A fast and continuous run, with multiple approach options. Needs rain to get in condition.
20GP, 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…
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…
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…
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.
West Coast, 1 Day, Out and back.
Advanced day-trip, boulder gardens, bedrock gorge and challenging whitewater on the West Coast
Tasman, 1 Day, Loop trip.
A gorgeous day trip for advanced packrafters, in Kahurangi National Park, Golden Bay
West Coast, 1 Day, Out and back, Roadside.
Something for everyone on this small west coast creek. An amazing day trip near Greymouth
Otago, 2 Day, 3 Day, Through trip.
Steep creeking in the Shotover River headwaters. 2-3 days, Otago.
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.
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, 2 Day, Loop trip.
Steep boulder gardens and spectacular gorges in this grade IV packrafting day trip in Kahurangi National Park.
Southland, 8 Day, 9 Day, Loop trip.
3-4 days side trip to the Hollyford Pyke, to explore a seldom visited valley.
Tasman, 1 Day, Roadside, Through trip.
The Glenroy is a technical, short sharp introduction to Class 4 creeking. It can be packrafted at flows lower than recommended for kayaks. It has lots of rocks and pin /wrap hazards at low flow so be wary. Once you are in the gorge there is only one way out! The put in is the…
Tasman, 1 Day, Loop trip.
A low-flow daytrip to a steep and beautiful gorge
Golden Bay, Tasman
20GP, West Coast, 5 Day, Through trip.
5 Days | Camping | Wilderness Area
Challenging through trip into the Olivine Wilderness Area
20GP, Tasman, 2 Day, Through trip.
The Waingaro in Golden bay has been run mostly as a heli- kayak trip from the forks hut but it’s probably only been run 10-15 times in total, it is definitely an exploratory type adventure run. For advanced packrafters, I’d suggest that it is bucket list material: incredibly spectacular country, prolific Whio numbers and over…
Southland, 1 Day, Out and back.
Day trip to quality III paddling with two IV drops.
Fiordland National Park
West Coast, 7 day, Loop trip.
7 day loop in South Westland
Gorgeous gorges, up to IV
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, 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…
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…
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.
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.
20GP, 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…
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.
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…
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…
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…
20GP, Canterbury, 3 Day, 4 Day, Through trip.
A classic multi-day wilderness trip, with challenging whitewater, alpine scenery and stunning gorges.
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.