Queenstown Shotover River White Water Rafting
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Location: Queenstown, New Zealand
Duration: 4 hours 30 minutes
Product code: 3342P27
We were lucky enough to be the last boat of the season! Our guide was brilliant, super knowledgeable and made the trip much more enjoyable. The river was quite low, so the rapids weren't as challenging as we expected so we will definitely be back when the river is higher and flowing faster! Apparently spring time is best, once the snow is melting - more water equals better rapids! Not gonna lie, the water is freezing but you're protected from the cold with all the layers of wetsuits. And you can drink the water straight out of the river! Do the cliff jumping if you get a chance. Lots of laughs with a great bunch of people.
Absolutely mint time. Had the *most* handsome instructor too. If you’re not reasonably confident in water I would recommend avoiding, time moves very slowly if you go underwater so if you’re gonna panic you won’t have a good time. Got my adrenaline going more than skydiving.
Our rafting experience was amazing - drifting on the Shotover through the stunning Skippers Canyon and flying through the rapids (grade 3 and 4) with each kilometer providing a natural step up in progression. For those who are nervous: you don’t go down a Grade 4 straight away - it’s a gentle progression with lots of practice on Grade 2s and 3s first. The final sections see you drifting through a 170 metre miner-built tunnel straight on to a fantastic Grade 4 rapid - a fabulous way to finish! Our guides (Kennan, Harry, Will and Percy) put our minds immediately at ease. They had so much rafting experience, were incredibly friendly and professional and made for a very exciting yet safe experience. The whole operation ran so smoothly, from the transfers (including the expertly navigated Skippers Canyon Drive), to safety briefings and getting us home safely after an exhilarating morning. All the gear (wetsuits etc) is washed well immediately after use and there are hot showers availa
Most adventurous part of the trip was the way to the river through narrow unsolid rocky way. Also river basin in valley is really wonderful. Regarding the rafting experience, boring for most of the time just flowing on the river, my adrenaline went up exactly 6 times when we reach the rapids lasting each time for approximatelly minute. Guide was overly safety oriented repeatedly mentioning what could happen when we get out of the raft. Overall I was pretty disappointed comparing this experience to my previous ones from different continents.
We took the white water rafting and it was THE BEST experience ever! Our guide was humorous and entertaining, guided us and we manoeuvred through the rapids without capsizing, so he told us to jump into the water to enjoy the white water that's cold but refreshing. Definitely recommend this amazing experience to the adventurous!