Our Rafting Locations

The Upper Grey / Māwheranui runs some 120 kilometres from the mountains near Reefton to the Tasman Sea at Greymouth, through native beech forest, steep gorges and open farmland. The stretches we raft - the gorges and forest reaches, including the breathtaking Gentle Annie Gorge - are difficult or impossible to reach from anywhere but the river. What you see out there, most people never do.

Getting There

We travel in the Inland Adventures van, so the drive in is part of the day. For the multi-day trips it's about an hour from Reefton heading toward Springs Junction to reach the put-in. For the day trip, it's about an hour south, dropping inland from Ikamatua. Pick-ups are relaxed - tell us what suits and we'll sort a meeting point.

• Base townReefton
• Pick-up pointsReefton · Ikamatua · Springs Junction · or by arrangement
• Drive to riverAbout 1 hour
• TransportInland Adventures van

Specific pick-up points for our Grey trips:

• Grey 1 Day - Reefton 9:00am, outside the Reefton i-SITE (67–69 Broadway, Reefton 7830) · Ikamatua 9:20am, outside the Ikamatua Hotel (218 State Highway 7, Ikamatua 7846)
• Grey 2 Day - Reefton 9:00am, outside the Reefton i-SITE (67–69 Broadway, Reefton 7830)

Trips From Here

• Grey Wilderness Raft 1 Day Tour
• Grey Wilderness Raft 2 Day Adventure
• Grey Wilderness Raft 3 Day Adventure

The Arnold River drains out of Lake Bunner and enters the lower part of the Grey River near Stillwater. The river water is seldom discoloured, with sections of the river bank covered with native forest and willow trees over hanging into the water in other areas. 

A short drive from Greymouth, having friendly Grade 2 rapids and less than 90 minutes on the water makes the Arnold River trip an entertaining experience for the whole family.

Getting There

• Base townGreymouth
• Pick-up pointsStillwater 9:15am · or by arrangement
• Drive to riverAbout 20 minutes
• TransportInland Adventures van

Your Base - Greymouth

Greymouth is the staging town for this trip - a rugged West Coast hub with plenty of accommodation, places to eat and an easy base for exploring the rivers and surrounding ranges. It is a good place to arrive the night before, and an even better place to come back to after several days on the river.

Trips From Here

• Arnold Family Raft ½ Day Tour

Waiau-uha begins in the Spenser Mountains. This mountain range forms a natural border between the East and West Coast of the South Island

Located near Hanmer Springs and the Lewis Pass the Waiau-uha river flows through the St James Conservation Area and the Glen Hope Station out to the Lewis Pass road where it is joined by the Hope River.

It takes just under 2 hours in the four wheel drives to reach the starting point of the 3 day adventure up towards Lake Tennyson. To reach the starting point for the one day and 2 day tours again it takes just under 2 hours from Hanmer to reach the river driving towards the Lewis Pass and through Glen Hope Station.

The Waiau-uha is stunning, with rough East Coast landscapes of towering mountains, narrow gorges, tussock valleys and pure clean water.

Getting There

• Base townHanmer Springs
• Pick-up pointsHanmer · Boyle Village · or by arrangement
• Drive to riverAbout 2 hours by 4WD
• TransportFour-wheel drive

Your Base - Hanmer Springs

Hanmer Springs is the staging town for this trip as well as for our Upper Waiau adventures - an alpine village with thermal pools, plenty of accommodation and an easy drive up from Christchurch. It is a good place to arrive the night before, and a very good place to come back to after five days on the river.

Trips From Here

• Waiau Wilderness Raft 1 Day Tour
• Waiau Raft 2 Day Adventure
• Waiau Raft 3 Day Adventure

The Waiau-Toa / Clarence rises at Lake Tennyson in the St James high country and runs more than 200 kilometres to the Pacific, making it the longest river in Canterbury and one of the least known in the country. Its name means river of the brave warriors. For most of its length it threads a long straight valley between the Inland and Seaward Kaikōura ranges, through Molesworth Station country, before rounding the end of the Seaward Kaikōuras and meeting the sea north of Kaikōura. There is no road down it. Five days on the water is the only way to see the middle of this valley, and once you push off there is nothing to do but travel with the river.

Getting There

We start behind Hanmer Springs and finish at the coast, so this is a point-to-point journey rather than an out-and-back.

• Base townHanmer Springs
• Pick-up pointsHanmer · or by arrangement
• TransportInland Adventures van

Your Base - Hanmer Springs

Hanmer Springs is the staging town for this trip as well as for our Upper Waiau adventures - an alpine village with thermal pools, plenty of accommodation and an easy drive up from Christchurch. It is a good place to arrive the night before, and a very good place to come back to after five days on the river.

Trips From Here

• Waiau-Toa / Clarence River 5 Day Journey

The Waimakariri - the Waimak, to everyone in Canterbury - comes off the Southern Alps near Arthur's Pass and spreads out across a wide braided bed before the foothills squeeze it into the Waimakariri Gorge. That gorge is the part we raft. The walls close in, the cliffs rise several hundred metres, and the river swings from one bend to the next past old huts and shingle beaches that you would never know were there from the road. The rapids are gentle enough for children, which makes this the trip we point families toward when they want two days out rather than an afternoon.

Getting There

We meet at Springfield, about forty-five minutes west of Christchurch on the road to Arthur's Pass, and head up from there.

• Base townSpringfield
• Pick-up pointsSpringfield · or by arrangement
• TransportInland Adventures van

Your Base - Springfield

Springfield sits at the foot of the hills where the Canterbury plains run out, the last village before the climb to Arthur's Pass. It is an easy drive from Christchurch, which makes this the most accessible of our multi-day trips for anyone flying into the South Island.

Trips From Here

• Waimakariri Raft 2 Day Journey