what morning enjoyed by our family...the children continually talk about the jet boat ride along the river as "awesome" & the scenery is magnificent. With John's passion & knowledge of the fauna and animals it all adds up to a highly recommended trip & one from what we all learnt so much from. Thank you very much John. More

stunning river, wilderness scenery and a very knowledgable and skilful pilot and guide - loved the west coast rivers and this trip was the best. More

When we were planning our trip to New Zealand we fancied including a jet boat trip into our itinerary, having looked at several pure thrill rides on the internet we found Waiatoto River Safari which sounded a bit more interesting than the normal thrill only ride. We were not disappointed! John who operates the boat is obviously very passionate and... More

John showed us a great time. We really enjoyed his enthusiasm and his extensive knowledge of the local flora and fauna. The views on the tour were amazing. More

If you want something different from a boring trip up a river get onto this safari. The boat pilot is passionate about the river and all the fauna and flora associated with it. Keep your eyes and ears open and see plenty of birds and forest that hasn't changed much over thousands of years. Find out what "Waiatoto" means when... More

The 2 or so hours we spent with John where both extremely fun and very interesting. John's knowlage of New Zealand's ecology is amazing and inspiring, we probably learnt more about NZ in the 2 hours with John than the whole of the 4 weeks we spent in NZ. Indeed it was worth the price just as a guided tour,... More

Captain John is madly and equally passionate about nature and noisy engines - what a winning combination. He wraps up bird watching, local history and thrill seeking into the one incredible package, while demonstrating consummate jet boat skills. Good quality waterproof gear is provided, with super warm jackets also available, plus the odd towel to soak up any water which... More

This safari combined the excitment of a jet bot ride with an experience of the beautiful temperate rainforest of the Waiatoto river. The guide/driver was very knowledgeable of the local flora and fauna, he explained the history of the area and how the plants (and animals) had evolved in this remote part of the world. We even got to see... More

We arrived at the hut where the tour started and were introduced to the people on the previous tour and generally overwhelmed by their glowing praise and John's freindliness and passion for his job. John provided an amazing insight into the history, geology, geography and biology of the area and was truly the best guide I have ever had for... More