Jet Boating

Scenic, exciting - a great adrenaline rush for all ages!

Jet boating in New Zealand is one of the popular tourist activities. The jet boat, another great New Zealand invention, was designed by a New Zealand farmer, Bill Hamilton. The design means the boats can travel at great speeds in very shallow waters. And so this exciting adventure activity of our fantastic scenic rivers was born.

You will have an exhilarating experience and see views of the landscape you could not otherwise access, with the boat’s ability to go in shallow water, through narrow gorges, accelerate and turn quickly.

Both islands offer several experiences. Here are some ideas to ponder.

SOUTH ISLAND TOURS

Queenstown has several companies all offering different options. Decide which suits you as there are many combination packages and destinations on offer. The Shotover River is the most popular. You can do the Dart River Safari, or a Lord of the Rings trip to several film sites.

The Whataroa on the West Coast of the South Island has a jetboat ride to see the Kotuku– New Zealand white herons.(October to March) This is a beautiful trip with glorious bush walks, seeing these rare birds in their natural habitat, and the boat trip down the beautiful Waitangitaona River through rainforest.

I recommend this lesser known trip to every tourist I meet!

Shotover Jet Boat – (Queenstown ) – Shotover River

Shooting through canyons, with cliffs towering above you the Big Red Jet boat rides are the most popular in New Zealand. The experienced drivers will give you an amazing adrenaline rush .

Dart River Jet Boat Safaris( Queenstown) take 3 hours up the Dart river. Magnificent views of Mt Aspiring National Park make this a popular choice.For Lord of the Rings fans take the tour combining the jetboat trip with seeing Lord of the Rings Film sites.

Luxmore Jet operates tours on the Upper Waiau River between Lake Te Anau and beautiful Lake Manapouri in the Fiordland National Park.

Hump Ridge Jet has trips on Lake Hauroko and Wairaurahiri River.

Based at Otautau in Southland. This is a great choice for seeing the remote untouched beauty of Southern Fiordland.

You can check out jet boats and jet skiing down the Buller River at Westport , or the Waimakariri River near Christchurch.

NORTH ISLAND LOCATIONS

Huka Falls Jet – Taupo – This is another very popular jet boat ride with a 30 minute trip past thermal areas, and beautiful scenery to the base of the Huka Falls.

12 kilometres north of Taupo the Rapids Jet Boat gives you and exciting ride taking you up and down the Aratiatia Rapids, on the Waikato River.

New Zealand River boat in Rotorua offers a different experience as you jet boat through thermal areas, trout fishing spots and with great opportunities to see some of our many native birds. You will also have a cultural experience learning something of the Maori culture and history.

Kiwi jet offers a scenic ride up the Rangitaikei River from Lake Matahina, in the central North Island(Taihape).

The Whanganui River has several options. Very popular for kayaking trips. This is a lovely wilderness and Maori cultural trip.

The Mack Attack from Paihia in the Bay of Island goes out to the Hole in the Rock, Cape Brett and Cathedral Cove. This is a popular activity in the Bay of Islands.

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