Queenstown: Kawarau River Jet Boat & Rafting Adventure

4.92

(147 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Gripping the cold metal rail, I caught my own reflection in the river just before our jet boat spun—hard—spraying us with icy droplets. Our guide, Sam, grinned like he’d done this a thousand times (probably had), shouting something about “hold on!” over the roar of the engine. The Kawarau River zipped past in flashes of green and slate-grey rock. I remember thinking I’d never seen water look that clear—or felt wind that sharp on my cheeks. My friend tried to film but mostly got her own laughter.

We skidded to a stop by a rocky bank where another crew was waiting with bright yellow rafts. The switch from engine thunder to river silence was weirdly calming—just the slap of paddles and someone’s nervous giggle. Our new guide, Li, handed out wetsuits (“don’t worry, everyone looks ridiculous in these”) and ran through safety stuff with a patience I wish my old swim coach had. The first rapid looked tame until we actually hit it—suddenly we were all shouting instructions at each other, splashed by waves that tasted faintly of minerals and something wild.

I hesitated at the cliff jump section—Li laughed when I tried to say “I’ll go first” in Mandarin (definitely butchered it). Some local teens showed us how it’s done; they made it look easy. After that rush, paddling through the Dog Leg rapid felt like flying sideways—my arms still ache a bit thinking about it. We finished soaked and buzzing, dragging ourselves back up to base for hot showers and swapping stories with folks from Auckland and Melbourne. Still can’t decide if I liked the jet boat or rafting more—you sort of need both to get what Queenstown is about.