Queenstown Kawarau River Rafting and Jet Boat
5
Queenstown Kawarau River Rafting and Jet Boat
By RealNZ
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About
Combining two of Queenstown's most iconic activities, this trip is second to none! Starting on the Queenstown Jet Boat, you'll get to experience those famous 360 degree spins and speed. Discover the Kawarau River and its pristine wilderness as we race you down the river to your next mode of transport. Then jump straight into a raft to complete the last section of river, where the Jet Boats fear to go. Spend your morning or afternoon paddling through the historic Kawarau gorge, famous for its gold mining, wineries and it’s stint in The Lord of the Rings franchise.
Paddle and swim your way through grade 2-3 whitewater rapids with a brand new cliff jumping section added for the adventure junkies (optional). Complete your journey by tackling the famous 400m Dog Leg rapid – the longest commercially rafted rapid in New Zealand. Then head back to Rafting Base for a hot shower.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 13-99, max of 10 per group
Duration: 4h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Use of hot showers
- Wetsuit, rafting clothing and all other equipment provided
- Extensive safety instructions and paddling techniques
- Jet Boat ride to the rafting put-in point
What's not included- Food and drinks
- Start:
- RealNZ - Queenstown Visitor Centre, RealNZ Visitor Centre 88 Beach Street, CBD, Queenstown 9300, New ZealandCheck-in is required at least 20 minute prior to your departure time. Please verify your email address when checking in, so we can send your complimentary digital photos to post experience!.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3342P26- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for travellers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travellers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Must be able to swim
- Rafting while pregnant is prohibited
- Rafting with any heart condition is prohibited
- Minimum weight 40kg
- Maximum weight 120kg
- Minimum age is 13 years. Children aged between 13 and 15 years must be accompanied by a guardian
- All travellers between the age of 16 and 17 years require a waiver to be signed by a guardian if they are unaccompanied
- You must bring a swimsuit and towel
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3342P26
From
AU$275.75
per adult
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- hollyd7760 contributionsSuperb experience from a superb teamHad a great time white water rafting with Real NZ. The Real NZ team were great fun, professional and on top of everything. Felt in very safe hands throughout and enjoyed every moment. The Shotover River is beautiful. Benji was our guide and he was great. He was very good at giving directions and keeping our raft working together. He was friendly and really good company. Again, we felt very safe with him. We had great chats and banter as a little group, Benji probably had more relationship advice than he was planning for, as he had 2.5 married couples in his raft! Shout out also to Wade (I think it was Wade) who kept our minibus entertained during the bus trip to the start point. Very funny guy and a welcome distraction from the frankly terrifying drop into the gorge!Written 18 January 2025
- NorthStar588859996160 contributionsSUBLIME EXPERIENCE !!!!!On behalf of our family, I want to thank the entire Shotover White Water Rafting crew from the bottom of my heart for such a wonderful experience. They really put everything into you having a safe and memorable time from beginning to end. Exhilarating and a little scary at times but I saw smiles on everyone's faces. Gabe, our guide was absolutely sensational as were the others I heard. Gabe was friendly, knowledgeable and skillful and with his help and guidance we all stayed in the boat the entire time. Water is cold but the wetsuit and gear does its job. If you like adventure then just do it and enjoy the experience. You never know you might discover the adventurous side of yourself. Five star experience.Written 17 January 2025
- Meatryl0 contributionsVibes, Views and adVentureIt was our first time rafting and we loved it! Harry, Riley and Daniel were great and super positive! Vibes, views and adVenture make for an afternoon to be remembered. Can definitely recommend to go with these guys!Written 17 January 2025
- alanah9810 contributionsStunning and exhilarating, would highly recommend!Such a fun experience! Shared it with some awesome Swedes and a stellar guide (shoutout to Harry for bringing the Taylor Swift songs to the rapids). The whole experience was a blast. Also cheers to Matt for the entertaining bus trip, not to mention the kayak flips (You’re a true New Zealander in our eyes).Written 15 January 2025
- Climber562152294930 contributionsGreat rafting tripJess was the best guide ever!!! Beautiful and fun stretch of river and all the guides were incredible! Can’t wait to go again!Written 15 January 2025
- fletch_boy0 contributionsWorth itWe had a great time with Benji. Nothing too challenging but really fun. Would do again, and worth the money. Slightly disappointed that we didn’t flip the raft.Written 14 January 2025
- ajpcarlier0 contributionsExhilirating rafting experience!Great experience! Fully enjoyed it! Very professional staff. Our helmsman was Raju, he was superb, in addition very interesting.Written 13 January 2025
- chrisf9210 contributionsScary FunSuch scary fun for a first time white water rafters! Our tour guide, Libby, kept us safe without limiting the risk factor. From start to finish, a fantastic experience.Written 13 January 2025
- Marcus P0 contributionsGreat rafting with a great guide.Great rafting with spectacular views along the way. Will was a great guide with just the right amount of humour. Strongly recommend!Written 13 January 2025
- Sarah R0 contributionsAwesome family activity!Friendly, entertaining guides made the experience loads of fun for all the family. The whole family enjoyed the rafting, rapids, swimming sections and rock jump. Steep, rocky, walk to descend to the river came as a surprise!Written 12 January 2025
- R2148KEanne0 contributionsAmazing instructor and an all-round great first time experienceSuper fun for my first ever white water rafting experience! Can't wait for the next one! Jess, our guide was so sweet and skilled.Written 11 January 2025
- CammyD_920 contributionsGreat experience! It’s a must doReally enjoyable experience white water rafting with our guide Dan who was great and fun the whole way! I would definitely recommend and do it again! I would say try to do it in spring and early summer when there should be more rain so the river is much higher and faster (all dependent on rain). It would have been nice to spend a bit more time in the water and the final pictures were not in focus and could have been much better and varied from the 2+ hours on the water.Written 11 January 2025
- georgiakU4289CW0 contributionsGreat experience!!Guy was our guide and he was amazing and so much fun! We had a great time, would highly recommend! This is the second time I’ve done it and was just as enjoyable as the first. It’s not an overly difficult activity so it’s worth it at most ages and fitness levels.Written 11 January 2025
- joshuacX1762YE0 contributionsBest white water rafting.The experience was incredible and Guy, our tour guide, was incredible… some would say ‘the backbone of the organisation’. 10/10 would recommend.Written 10 January 2025
- Explore5560420 contributionsBest Day Ever - Highly Recommend!We had an absolutely amazing time white water rafting and couldn’t be more satisfied with the entire experience! From start to finish, everything was perfect. Our guide, Benji, truly made the day unforgettable. His energy, expertise, and sense of humor were top-notch, and he made sure we felt safe, yet excited the whole time. Big kudos to Benji for making this trip extra special! Team Sweden will be back!Written 9 January 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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5.0
86 reviews
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LCJ
Queenstown, New Zealand44 contributions
Nov 2020
We saw a locals deal for the whitewater rafting and jet boat and couldn't say no to the price but to be honest I'd pay full price for this activity any time!
The experience from start to finish was amazing, our guides were knowledgeable and fun while still ensuring we were safe and well looked after! The Kawarau river itself is stunning and the part where we got to get out and float down the river was so much fun. We also got to try cliff diving, honestly the whole experience was so varied and kept our whole group entertained.
A HUGE thank you to our guide, Tusk, who made us laugh and feel welcome straight away. All staff we met were excellent though.
If you're in Queenstown and want a thrill, I couldn't recommend this more!
The experience from start to finish was amazing, our guides were knowledgeable and fun while still ensuring we were safe and well looked after! The Kawarau river itself is stunning and the part where we got to get out and float down the river was so much fun. We also got to try cliff diving, honestly the whole experience was so varied and kept our whole group entertained.
A HUGE thank you to our guide, Tusk, who made us laugh and feel welcome straight away. All staff we met were excellent though.
If you're in Queenstown and want a thrill, I couldn't recommend this more!
Written 27 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dan
Hildenborough28 contributions
Feb 2023
A very well organised, friendly and fun trip. Started off with a quick dip to cool down in lake Wakatipu, then a thrilling jet boat ride down the Kawarau River, plenty of high speed turns and spins on the way, to meet up with the rafting team further down where the rapids start. The rafting team were brilliant, fun, friendly and safety conscious. Great fun with 2 other rafts going down-river, with some rafting tricks and games along the way. Thoroughly recommend.
Written 1 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your positive review! We're glad you had a fantastic time on our trip with the jet boat and rafting crew.
Thank you for recommending us, and we hope to welcome you back soon for another exciting adventure.
Written 4 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Charlie
7 contributions
We had an amazing time from start to finish on our trip. The guides gave us great information and the equipment was on point. Great fun in the speedboat with many 360 spins and the rafting adventure was great fun and the guides made the day memorable. I can fully recommend this activity it was great value for money and the rock jumping was great xciting too into the water.
Written 20 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are thrilled to hear that you had a great time and that our guides were informative and made your day memorable. We hope to see you again in the future!
Written 4 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Joe H
Queenstown, New Zealand3 contributions
Oct 2021
The jet boat driver was very informative about the area and the history of Queenstown and the gold rush. Our rafting guide Kenan (sorry if I spelt it wrong) was really good and had a lot of trust in us not flipping the raft. Absolutely awesome experience all round and I will definitely recommend it to friends. Looking forward to rafting the Shotover river with you guys next!
Written 2 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to post this review. We hope that the guides trust in you and clear instructions were enough to get you through the whitewater rapids without flipping! It sounds like you had an awesome day out on the Kawarau river and hope that you can join us on the Shotover one day. Go and test the trust levels on the grade 3-5 rapids. You won't regret it!
Written 28 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Gordon M
Stanwick, UK59 contributions
One of the best activity experiences we've ever done!
Everything was superbly organised from start to finish, and we felt safe and well looked after by the super friendly and entertaining staff.
All the safety equipment seemed clean and well maintained, and care was taken to make sure everything fitted as well as possible.
The jet boat ride was huge fun, but also incredibly scenic, racing down the Kawarau river, skimming along the water (the boat only needs 2 inches of water), swooping around the bends and doing 360deg spins.
We then swapped to the rafts, where we got excellent, clear instructions on what we needed to do. We set off gently to get us used to what to do, and had multiple opportunities to voluntarily get out of the rafts for a swim/float, either in the calmer sections or through one of the milder white water sections.
At one point we stopped at a small beach area for a swim, where we could also do a 2-3m jump off a rock (or multiple jumps if you wanted - I did it 4 times).
The final section was the biggest rapids, which was an exhilarating rollercoaster ride.
Even the bus ride sections of the experience were scenic, with the staff doing a great job of keeping everyone engaged and entertained.
By the end we were all tired but absolutely buzzing. This was utterly brilliant and I'd wholeheartedly recommend it!
Everything was superbly organised from start to finish, and we felt safe and well looked after by the super friendly and entertaining staff.
All the safety equipment seemed clean and well maintained, and care was taken to make sure everything fitted as well as possible.
The jet boat ride was huge fun, but also incredibly scenic, racing down the Kawarau river, skimming along the water (the boat only needs 2 inches of water), swooping around the bends and doing 360deg spins.
We then swapped to the rafts, where we got excellent, clear instructions on what we needed to do. We set off gently to get us used to what to do, and had multiple opportunities to voluntarily get out of the rafts for a swim/float, either in the calmer sections or through one of the milder white water sections.
At one point we stopped at a small beach area for a swim, where we could also do a 2-3m jump off a rock (or multiple jumps if you wanted - I did it 4 times).
The final section was the biggest rapids, which was an exhilarating rollercoaster ride.
Even the bus ride sections of the experience were scenic, with the staff doing a great job of keeping everyone engaged and entertained.
By the end we were all tired but absolutely buzzing. This was utterly brilliant and I'd wholeheartedly recommend it!
Written 12 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reading this review even gets us buzzing! Thanks so much for sharing your experience.
Written 1 February 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Anthony C
Warrington, United Kingdom3 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
Me and my partner booked on the night before the rafting trip. The whole experience was fantastic. I had never been rafting and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The staff from start to finish did such an amazing job making jokes being funny and putting in maximum effort to make everyone feel welcome. They made sure everyone was up to date with the safety rules and it was a very professional experience in that sense.
Onto the actual river! Guy was our rafting chief as we will call him. He was very fun taught us everything we needed to know got us all working as a team. And insured the safety of the older couple that joined us on the raft so this is suitable for all ages.
Guy let us know when we could jump out and swim for a bit we stopped at a little area to do a few jumps into the river. Very fun.
They captured some photos of the trip alright quality considering they were taken from a go pro on a kayak on the river. I think it would have been nice if we could have got a video going though the rapids but I'm certainly not complaining.
The picture got sent to us free after the rafting that was a bonus.
Definitely recommend for beginners I will be trying the shotover river next time for a bit more of a challenge.
Thank you for a great experience.
The staff from start to finish did such an amazing job making jokes being funny and putting in maximum effort to make everyone feel welcome. They made sure everyone was up to date with the safety rules and it was a very professional experience in that sense.
Onto the actual river! Guy was our rafting chief as we will call him. He was very fun taught us everything we needed to know got us all working as a team. And insured the safety of the older couple that joined us on the raft so this is suitable for all ages.
Guy let us know when we could jump out and swim for a bit we stopped at a little area to do a few jumps into the river. Very fun.
They captured some photos of the trip alright quality considering they were taken from a go pro on a kayak on the river. I think it would have been nice if we could have got a video going though the rapids but I'm certainly not complaining.
The picture got sent to us free after the rafting that was a bonus.
Definitely recommend for beginners I will be trying the shotover river next time for a bit more of a challenge.
Thank you for a great experience.
Written 17 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Abby28
Forresters Beach, Australia9 contributions
Nov 2022
I had the best day possible on this trip! The jet boat is such a fun way to get the trip started, the driver was incredibly skilled and full of information about Queenstown. Once you finish jetting around, spinning, and laughing, you get dropped off to the rafts where you meet your fabulous guides! Everyone in my raft had never been rafting before and our guides were incredibly reassuring and helpful. We had so much fun and even jumped in the swim in the icy water. Everyone who is a part of this trip is an absolute professional but also they are lots of fun and make the experience! This is a must do if you visit Queenstown.
Written 18 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Oh, Abby, this review made our day. You're group absolutely smashed it on the river! We hope you all made some epic memories. Catch ya next time.
Written 20 November 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Marion P
Guildford, UK27 contributions
Feb 2023
Great jet boat ride but white water rafting was a bit tame. Great time, but the rapids are not really challenging and softer than we had expected. Saying that we had a great time, staff were brilliant and the equipment supplied was well maintained and good choice of sizes etc for wetsuits etc. I was slightly concerned being a size 18 but they had no trouble finding things to fit! They took special care of one lady who was showing signs of being cold, very professional. Still waiting for the link for the photos, which is a bit disappointing as we’ve been home a couple of weeks. Hopefully they will come this week 🤞
Written 6 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for coming whitewater rafting with us! If you still haven't received your rafting photos, flick an email through to queenstown1@realnz.com. Someone from the team can track them down for you.
Written 4 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kyle L
1 contribution
Jan 2024 • Friends
Absolutely incredible experience! Beautiful scenery, extremely funny, knowledgeable and safe staff. I felt so at ease. I had Libby as my rafting guide and she was incredible. I am generally a fearful person but I felt so incredibly safe, and I would recommend this experience to anyone. Swimming/floating in the Kawarau river in between rafting through rapids was genuinely one of my favourite experiences of all time.
Written 7 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Derek S
Aberdeen, UK108 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
We did the jet boating and rafting combo as a family of 4, 2 of us in our 60s and two in 30s. Jet boating was such a thrill ride from the lake down river to our rafting point. Lots of thrilling spins etc. Rafting was great fun with 3-4 white water stretches and lots of opportunities for swimming, rock jumping and some fun on the boat. For the “oldies” no pressure to do anything we were uncomfortable with, for youngsters you can be as daring as you wish. We all had a great time… exhausted at the end!! The Real NZ team are caring, safety conscious and fun, special mention to Erin who led our boat and was so full of energy and fun while also looking out for us.
Written 25 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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