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.
Tag: Out and back
The Lochy River (IV & Portages)
Overnight out and return trip for advanced paddlers. In Otago, near Lake Wakatipu. Permission required
Young River (III/IV)
A great day trip for strong packrafters, in Mt Aspiring National Park.
Upper Nevis River (I/III)
Roadside grade III in Otago Highcountry, with two day’s worth of paddling, hiking and biking on offer.
Needs rain to be runnable.
Lower Harrison (III/IV) via Milford Sound
Day trip to quality III paddling with two IV drops.
Fiordland National Park
Jollie River (II+/III) from above Littles Hut
Overnighter or day trip, out and back. Needs spring flows or rain.
Lake Pukaki/MacKenzie/Canterbury
Paringa River (II/III+)
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)
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)
A classic Otago run, with options for road, foot and heli access, and trips from 1 to 5 days in length.
Arahura River (sections from V to II)
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
Haast area, West Coast
3 day through trip with good huts, tops, bush bashing and challenging paddling.
Alfred Stream (II)
Short and scenic, with easy access and option to make it into an overnight trip with a stay at Lake Daniell.
Catlins River (III) middle section
Rain run in a forested valley, with small waterfalls over papa shelfs.
4hrs walk about 3-4hrs paddle.
Ruamahanga River (II+) Cleft Creek to Mt Bruce
5hrs to 2 Days
Rain run
Options for through trips or out and back
Wairarapa, North Island
Lower Nile (I+)
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…
Caples River (II+ & portages) or (IV+)
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)…
Lower Taieri River, Lee Stream to Outram (I/II)
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…
Clarke River (I/II) from Rough Creek
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…
Hooker Lake from Mt Cook Village
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…
Hope River (II+) St Jacobs Hut to the highway
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…