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Experience

Jet Boat & Wilderness Walk

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Jet Boat & Wilderness Walk

 

Come with us on the most exciting half day Jet Boating adventure in New Zealand beneath the spectacular scenery of Glaciers & Lord of the Rings film locations, into Mount Aspiring National Park, part of Te Wahipounamu World Heritage area.

Location: The Matukituki River. Beyond stunning, the Matukituki is the most spectacular jet boating river in New Zealand.

Flowing from Glaciers, the pristine waters of the Matukituki River are perfect to experience the skills of our experienced drivers as they travel at speed over shallow braids, drift into turns and yes… those jet spins will sometimes get you wet, stopping in deep pools to breathe in the magic of the landscape & hear stories of our land from your local guides

And there is MORE…

Deep in the mountains & off the beaten track, enjoy a 50-minute remote walk through a moss covered forest and glacier fed stream into McGills Creek. Hear stories from your guide of our people and our land and enjoy photo opportunities of this unique ice carved landscape not to be missed. The only jet boat company to see Mount Aspiring and Glaciers- make Wanaka River Journeys number one on your list of things to do while visiting Wanaka and Queenstown.

This is an ADVENTURE ACTIVITY suitable for most, see our FITNESS requirements and other information by clicking the button below:

VIDEO

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Schedule

Departures (winter):

11am from outside the Wanaka i-SITE

 

Departures (From 1 October):

9:45am & 12:45pm from outside the Wanaka i-SITE 

 


Allow 4 hours 15 minutes            

 

 

 

Experience

Packraft Wanaka

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Packraft Wanaka

 

Join us on the adventure of a lifetime, paddling one of New Zealand’s most spectacular mountain rivers in our fun, inflatable packrafts

Location: Matukituki River, Mount Aspiring National Park

Start your action packed day with a scenic shuttle drive beneath the towering mountains, glaciers and waterfalls of the Matukituki Valley. 

En route, enjoy views of Avalanche Glacier, hear stories from your guide of how these giants of ice carved this unique landscape and  take in the vista of beautiful valley waterfalls.

After refreshments its gear-on, safety brief and paddle tuition before heading down-river on our stable and strong packrafts. Ride the wave trains, paddle into calm eddies and float with the river flow. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the river bank and play in turquoise swimming holes as you continue paddling down river. By the time the day is done your guide will have you paddling like a pro.  

This really is the perfect mix of fun, excitement and adventure in the most beautiful landscape there is.

This is an Adventure Activity and you MUST BE ABLE TO SWIM. See our fitness and other information by clicking the 'FIND OUT MORE' button below:

VIDEO

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Schedule

Departures:
08:15 am from outside of the iSITE 
3:30 pm return (time can vary up to 30 minutes with river conditions)

Our groups are small so make sure you book in advance.

Minimum numbers required for this tour, so if you are on your own email us or give us a call.

We use Alpacka Rafts which are lots of fun, extremely stable and easy to paddle however you MUST be able to swim. Check out our video for a taste of this INCREDIBLE activity:

Experience

Glacier Jet

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Glacier Jet

 

Join us on the most unique of all jet boating experiences; a Glacier helicopter flight from the Jet Boat on the Matukituki River.

This is an incredible opportunity to fly by helicopter direct from the jet boat located deep in the mountains, on a thrilling up-close look at the glaciers. On this scenic helicopter flight see hanging valleys where glaciers once lay and waterfalls that cascade from under giants of ice into the streams and rivers that feed into the Matukituki River. When conditions permit land on the spectacular Isobel Glacier and disembark the helicopter for photos before flying back to join the guided wilderness walk and return leg of the Jet Boat Journey. Flight time with Aspiring Helicopters approx. 25 minutes includes a Glacier or snow landing.

This is the most exciting and unique jet boat + wilderness walk + glacier helicopter flight adventure activity in New Zealand. 

This is an ADVENTURE ACTIVITY suitable for most, see our FITNESS requirements and other information by clicking the button below:

Find out more

Schedule

Departures

9:45am & 12:45pm from outside of the i-SITE  

Allow 4 hours 15 minutes

Jet Boat & Wildernes...

 
Come with us on the most exciting half day Jet Boa...

Packraft Wanaka

 
Join us on the adventure of a lifetime, paddling o...

Glacier Jet

 
Join us on the most unique of all jet boating expe...

Reviews

Must do activity- River Journey Packraft

It was so fun. Our family had an awesome time. Brent was super friendly and helpful. Highly recommend and a must do activity if you visit Wanaka. Our family lov...

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A Tripadvisor Reviewer, Jan 2023

1 week ago

Amazing experience

Sue and Brent were the best hosts anyone could wish for on this unforgettable pack raft trip down the mighty Matukituki River. Such a thrill - and we felt compl...

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A Tripadvisor Reviewer, Jan 2022

1 week ago

Best in New Zealand

Thrilling, spectacular scenery, off the beaten path! River Journeys takes you places you can only get with these jet boats as the river gets very shallow and th...

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MinnesotaLaurie

1 week ago

The absolute best!

Wow what an experience. Such an exciting way to enjoy raw nature at its best. This is a must do experience while visiting wanaka. From the thrilling ride to the...

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vipspa2016

1 week ago

A thrilling experience

Excellent jet boat journey with stunning scenery and informative guide. Enjoyed the exciting ride and the wilderness walk. We learnt so much about the local geo...

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Elaine0505

1 week ago

Highlight of Visit to New Zealand

The guide was fantastic and the views exceptional. Yes it was a sassy jet boat ride with 360 degree turns and such ...but it was much much more! The walk throug...

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Marianne G

1 week ago

Absolute bliss

One of the best organised days out I've had so far in New Zealand. I've never been on a jet boat and absolutely loved it. It was so much fun and on top we recei...

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Stefflin

1 week ago