White Water Rafting on the Shotover River, Queenstown

Quick facts

Adult fares direct: Shotover NZ$299, Kawarau NZ$249, Jet2Raft NZ$329, Family Adventures NZ$329. A second Shotover listing, Shotover River Whitewater Rafting Trip (from US$169, 4.9/5 from 79 reviews), sells the same river; the one above has more than four times the reviews behind its rating.

Who runs rafting in Queenstown

Almost all grade 3–5 rafting in Queenstown is run by one company, RealNZ, sold under several brand names. Knowing this saves you from comparing “operators” that run the same trip.

• RealNZ used to be Real Journeys. It bought Queenstown Rafting in 2016, and Queenstown Rafting was folded into the Go Orange brand in 2017. RealNZ says Queenstown Rafting started in 1996 as a joint venture. Today RealNZ sells Shotover rafting, Kawarau rafting and the Kawarau Jet2Raft under its own name.
• Challenge Rafting has its own website, raft.co.nz, and its own Qualmark Gold accreditation. Its About page says: “Rafting operations are undertaken and managed by RealNZ.” It checks in at the same address, 88 Beach Street, uses the same raft base at Arthurs Point, and lists the same grades, age and weight rules.
• Family Adventures is a separate, independent company. It runs the gentle grade 1–2 upper Shotover and says it is “the only raft company in Queenstown allowed to carry children under 13 years.”

RealNZ and Challenge Rafting run the same rivers, from the same base, under the same management, so don’t agonise over the brand. Compare price, departure time and cancellation terms for the day you want, and book whichever suits.

Shotover vs Kawarau: which river to raft

Pick the Shotover if you want the full canyon trip and you’re a confident swimmer. Pick the Kawarau if it’s your first time, you’re unsure in water, or you want more swimming and fun and fewer white knuckles.

The Shotover costs NZ$299 and the Kawarau NZ$249, so the gentler river is also NZ$50 cheaper.

Our verdict: if you’ll only raft once in New Zealand and you can swim well, do the Shotover. The Skippers Canyon drive, the rapids and the tunnel finale add up to a trip no other river in the country quite matches. The Kawarau is the better day for groups where not everyone is keen. RealNZ’s own Kawarau guide says the Shotover “is not suited to younger teens or those who are uncertain in the water.”

The Shotover River rafting trip, step by step

A Shotover rafting trip takes about 4.5 hours door to door. Roughly 40 minutes of that is a coach ride on the Skippers Canyon Road, and 1.5–2.5 hours is on the water.

1. Check in, in town. You check in at RealNZ’s Queenstown visitor centre (88 Beach Street). The Challenge Rafting FAQ says it doesn’t pick up from accommodation, but you can drive yourself to the raft base at 1 Arthurs Point Road.
2. Shuttle to the rafting base at Arthurs Point, about 10 minutes away, where you get your gear.
3. Coach through Skippers Canyon. It’s about 40 minutes on the gold-rush-era Skippers Canyon Road to the put-in at Deep Creek. Plenty of reviewers say the road is half the thrill. Our Skippers Canyon guide covers the road itself.
4. Safety briefing and practice. The upper section is calmer, so your guide uses it to drill paddle commands before the canyon.
5. The “Mother.” This is the long, narrow grade 4–5 heart of the trip. Operator listings name rapids including Aftershock, Squeeze, Toilet, Oh Sh*t, Pinball and Jaws. RealNZ’s listing on the official Queenstown tourism site now calls this the “Moana-Roa (big water) Chief section”. GoRafting.com’s Shotover river guide places the “Chief Section” at km 9.33, “named for Moana Roa Chief Haare; a legendary Shotover guide whose memorial can be found in the beech forest above this section.”
6. The Oxenbridge Tunnel. You paddle 170 m through rock in near-darkness…
7. …then drop into Cascade Rapid, the finale, and float the last stretch back to the rafting base.
8. Hot showers, then the shuttle back to town. Canyon Food & Brew is at the base if you’re starving. Challenge Rafting points out it’ll be about 4 hours before you eat, so have breakfast first.

Can friends watch? Mostly no, because the canyon is remote. RealNZ and Challenge both say spectators can stand near the last rapid, where rafts come out of the Oxenbridge Tunnel, but timings depend on river flow.

The Oxenbridge Tunnel in 60 seconds

The tunnel was a failed get-rich scheme. Heritage New Zealand records that brothers Bert and Edmund Oxenbridge started it in 1906. The plan was to divert the Shotover through a bend so they could mine the gold-rich riverbed under rapids known as the “Jeweller’s Shop.” The tunnel was planned at about 550 ft (168 m), and Heritage NZ says there’s no evidence it was used for mining after 1912. It never made the brothers rich, but it is now one of the best-known sections of commercial rafting anywhere. The fuller gold-rush story is in our Shotover River guide.

The Kawarau River trip, step by step

The Kawarau trip also takes about 4.5 hours in total but only 1–1.5 hours on the water. It covers 8 km of grade 2–3 river and ends with the 400 m Dog Leg. Our pick on GetYourGuide is Kawarau River Whitewater Rafting, from US$141, 4.6/5 from 46 reviews; direct it is NZ$249.

• You drive about 25 minutes via Arrowtown to the put-in. RealNZ says the trip covers 8 km and finishes in the Gibbston Valley, about 30 minutes from base.
• Rapids: the four commercially rafted rapids are usually listed as Smiths Falls, Twin Bridges, Do Little Do Nothing and the (Chinese) Dog Leg. RealNZ calls the Dog Leg a “400 meter long, grade 3/4 rapid” and “the longest commercially rafted rapid in New Zealand.”
• Extras: there are flat stretches between rapids, and RealNZ says you can swim a rapid and do an optional cliff jump, “dependent on water levels.”
• Challenge Rafting calls the Kawarau “New Zealand’s largest volume commercially rafted river.”

Kawarau River Jet2Raft (jet boat and raft combo)

The Jet2Raft costs from NZ$329 direct. It adds a jet boat ride of about 25–30 minutes, with 360° spins, across Lake Whakatipu to the river, followed by the standard Kawarau raft trip. On GetYourGuide it is the Kawarau River Rafting and Jet Boat Ride, from US$186, 4.8/5 from 149 reviews. You check in at 88 Beach Street. RealNZ’s listing describes “a thrilling 30min Jet Boat across Lake Whakatipu to meet your raft”, while its inclusions list says “25 minute Jet Boat ride”, so expect around 25–30 minutes.

Who drives the boat? Resellers describe the jet leg as the Thunder Jet: Bookme cites “twin V8 engines, and an impressive 820 horsepower”, and GetYourGuide quotes “speeds of up to 95 km/h”, although newzealand.com’s listing says up to 90 km/h. GetYourGuide names the Thunder Jet activity provider as Watersports LTD, which suggests the jet section is subcontracted. RealNZ still sells and runs the combo. Treat it as a detail to confirm when you book, not a concern.

Value check: the Jet2Raft is NZ$329 against NZ$249 for the raft alone, so you pay NZ$80 extra for the jet boat. Thunder Jet’s own 30-minute ride is NZ$119 an adult, so if you were going to do both anyway, the combo saves you about NZ$39.

All Queenstown rafting options compared

The fares, in the same order: NZ$299, NZ$249, NZ$329 and NZ$329 an adult direct. On GetYourGuide the first three show from US$169, US$141 and US$186. Family Adventures isn’t on GetYourGuide; on Viator it shows 4.9/5 from 344 reviews, with a lower child fare.

A note on prices: RealNZ’s site shows Kawarau rafting “from NZD $249”, and older RealNZ and Challenge pages have shown NZ$239, so check the live price. RealNZ has run a NZ$50-off code for adult Shotover trips (RAFT50) in past seasons; look for a repeat on its specials page. Booking sites like Bookme sometimes discount off-peak departures.

Is there a Shotover Jet and rafting combo?

Not directly from Shotover Jet. Its combos page (October 2026) lists Swing + Jet, Milford + Jet, Essential Queenstown and a Remarkables helicopter combo, and no rafting. Bigger jet, helicopter and raft bundles are sold by a few Queenstown resellers, none of them on GetYourGuide or Viator. The simpler plan is to book Shotover rafting at 8am and the Shotover Jet (from US$113, 4.9/5 from 1,759 reviews) in the late afternoon. Both are based at Arthurs Point. Our Shotover Jet review covers the ride, and the combos page covers the bundles you can book as one ticket.

White water rafting age limits, weight and fitness rules

In Queenstown, the minimum age for white water rafting is 13 on both the Shotover and the Kawarau, and 3 on Family Adventures’ grade 1–2 trip. There’s no upper age limit.

What “confident swimmer” means: RealNZ puts it like this: “imagine yourself swimming in the sea with medium waves around you, if you can handle that then you should be able to handle our rivers.” If that sounds scary, do the Kawarau.

Why 13? On grade 3 and above, a swimmer has to help with their own rescue: “you will still need to be able to help the guides by moving towards the raft or the safety kayaker,” as RealNZ puts it. That takes strength and composure, which is why the gentle grade 1–2 section is the only option for younger children. The Shotover Jet’s own height and age rules are on our age limits page.

River grades explained, and why your trip might feel different

River grades run from 1 (easy, moving water) to 6 (unraftable), and grade 5 is the highest grade run commercially. In practice:

• Grade 1–2: small waves, simple channels. Splashy fun with very little risk of falling out (Family Adventures).
• Grade 3: bigger irregular waves that need real manoeuvring. Swimming is possible (the Kawarau’s Dog Leg; the easier Shotover rapids).
• Grade 4: powerful and technical, with must-make moves. Falling out is likely at times (parts of the Shotover’s Mother).
• Grade 5: long, violent, complex rapids with serious consequences, run commercially only with expert guides (the top end of the Shotover).

Water level changes everything. The same rapid can feel very different depending on flow. One TripAdvisor reviewer (January 2025) noted that in summer “the low water level keeps them to the lower end of the spectrum,” and a GetYourGuide reviewer judged their Shotover run as “class 2-3 rapids.” High water after rain or snowmelt pushes the Kawarau up towards grade 4. RealNZ reserves the right to “substitute another river or section of river for safety reasons,” and says “portages may be required based on changes to the water level and flow.” Don’t be surprised if a guide walks you around a rapid on a big-water day.

Will it run in the rain? Yes. Challenge Rafting says rafting goes ahead in rain (“the river is normally at its best then”) and “will not issue a refund if you cancel at short notice due to rain or bad weather.”

Is white water rafting in Queenstown safe?

Commercial rafting in New Zealand is regulated: operators must be registered with WorkSafe and pass a recognised safety audit, and guides need New Zealand Rivers Association (NZRA) qualifications. Even so, the Shotover is grade 5 water and people have died on it.

How it’s regulated

• Since 1 October 2020, commercial rafting has come under the Health and Safety at Work (Adventure Activities) Regulations 2016. Before that it was covered by Maritime NZ’s Rule Part 81. Operators must be registered with WorkSafe and pass a safety audit against the Safety Audit Standard for Adventure Activities.
• The NZRA says guides must hold endorsements for the grade they guide plus a River Rescue qualification (except on grade 2). International raft-guide qualifications “are not directly transferable” to NZ endorsements.
• On the Shotover, every raft has a qualified guide on board, and a safety kayaker goes on each trip. Rafts carry up to eight people including the guide (RealNZ); Challenge Rafting says six to seven plus the guide.

The safety record

• March 2018: veteran guide Moana-Roa “Chief” Haare, 62, died after his raft overturned near the Toilet rapid. Police said preliminary post-mortem findings suggested a “medical event.”
• May 2018: Australian Joshua Paroci, 31, died after his raft flipped on a Challenge Rafting trip run by Queenstown Rafting. The coroner, Heather McKenzie, found the death was an accident and “no party was to blame.” The pathologist gave the cause as drowning and noted the presence of hypertension and angina medication.
• 25 July 1995: on a winter Shotover trip, a raft missed its line at Cascade Rapid and was “drawn sideways into a rapid/waterfall known as The Toaster,” where a passenger “became entrapped underwater and drowned” (Transport Accident Investigation Commission inquiry MO-1995-206). Heritage New Zealand records that the death of this American tourist “led to the filling in of the ‘Toaster’, the farthest north of the two original outlet channels” of the Oxenbridge Tunnel.

These incidents are rare against tens of thousands of guided descents, and they’re why the medical and swimming rules exist. Be honest on your health form, especially about heart conditions and blood pressure. If you’re on the fence about your swimming or fitness, book the Kawarau.

If you fall out

Your guide covers this in the briefing. The standard drill is to float on your back, feet downstream and up, hold your paddle, and swim towards the raft, a guide’s rope or the safety kayaker when told to. Your lifejacket and wetsuit both keep you afloat.

What to wear, bring and expect

Bring only swimwear and a towel. The operator provides everything else: a wetsuit, wetsuit jacket, spray jacket, helmet, booties, paddle and lifejacket.

• Under the wetsuit: swimwear only. No cotton (“it will make you cold”). Merino or polyester thermals are fine.
• Shoes: wear normal shoes to the base. You’ll get wetsuit booties.
• Glasses, contacts, sunglasses: allowed with a sports strap. The operators say they can’t guarantee you’ll get them back.
• Cameras and GoPros: not allowed on the raft with either brand, for safety reasons. Some booking listings mention digital photos, so ask at check-in. Family Adventures sells photo packs.
• Valuables: there’s a small valuables locker at the rafting base and cubby holes in the changing rooms. Better still, leave valuables at your accommodation.
• Toilets: at the rafting base and at Deep Creek. RealNZ’s guides have a saying: “We don’t pee in your clothes so please don’t pee in ours.”
• How cold is it? The river is snow-fed, so the water is cold even in summer. The layered wetsuit system handles it, and guides carry extra layers. Bring a warm jacket for afterwards.
• Tipping: “appreciated but not expected in New Zealand” (Challenge Rafting).

Best time to go rafting in Queenstown

Go between December and March for the warmest water and air. Book morning departures in peak season, and book ahead.

• Season: RealNZ and Challenge run from roughly November to April (RealNZ’s own pages variously say October–April and November–March, so check your dates). Family Adventures runs from October to April. RealNZ’s seasonal guide is blunt: “If you are planning a winter visit and rafting is the main reason… you will need to come back in summer.” Older TripAdvisor answers saying “year-round” are out of date.
• Departures: Shotover around 8am and 1pm; Kawarau and Jet2Raft 9am and 2pm; Family Adventures 7:45am and 1:30pm. Times vary by season.
• Book ahead: both RealNZ and Challenge recommend booking in advance. Trips also need minimum numbers, and RealNZ will contact you if yours doesn’t fill.
• Cancellation: RealNZ offers reschedules or refunds with 24 hours’ notice. Challenge gives no refund for no-shows or changes within 24 hours.

Does the Skippers Bridge closure affect rafting?

It doesn’t appear to. Queenstown Lakes District Council closed Skippers Bridge in October 2025 after finding wire failures in its suspension cables. It confirmed in January 2026 that the bridge would stay closed “until further notice”, and in September 2026 the ODT reported there was still no timeframe. The Shotover rafting put-in at Deep Creek is reached without crossing the bridge, and RealNZ’s current listing still includes the “Shuttle bus to Deep Creek via Skippers Canyon Road.” What you lose is sightseeing beyond the bridge, such as the old Skippers schoolhouse and cemetery. Our Skippers Canyon guide covers the closure in detail.

Rafting vs jet boating vs canyon swing

Our pick: if you can only do one thing on the Shotover, the Shotover Jet is the easiest yes, because almost anyone can ride it. Rafting is the more memorable day, though: you earn the rapids, and you see the canyon at river level for hours instead of minutes. The Shotover Canyon Swing listing is new, at 5.0/5 from 7 reviews, so read them before you lean on the rating. For the jet boat options, see which Queenstown jet boat to book, Dart River Jet vs Shotover Jet for the Glenorchy trip, and what a jet boat is if you have never ridden one.

What reviewers love, and complain about

The praise is consistent: guides get named and thanked in review after review. Reviewers also describe the Skippers Canyon road as “an added bonus” and say the tunnel finale is the highlight. RealNZ’s “Queenstown Shotover River White Water Rafting” product page on Tripadvisor holds 4.9 stars from 338 reviews, with 96% rating it 4 or higher. Family Adventures sits at 4.9 from 605 Tripadvisor reviews.

Common complaints:

• Low summer flows can make the rapids feel tamer than the “grade 5” marketing suggests, as the reviews quoted above note.
• The Skippers road is rough. One Family Adventures reviewer called it “brutal”, and another said the drive was “the scariest part of the day.”
• No personal cameras on the water.
• Weather and no-refund rules for short-notice cancellations.

Best white water rafting in Queenstown: our picks

• Best overall: Shotover River rafting, NZ$299 direct or from US$169 on GetYourGuide. The best rapids, the best setting and the tunnel.
• Best for beginners: Kawarau River rafting, NZ$249. Real white water with a softer landing.
• Best value combo: the Kawarau Jet2Raft, NZ$329. The jet boat costs you NZ$80 on top of the raft.
• Best for families with young kids: Family Adventures, from NZ$329 an adult, from age 3.

Frequently asked questions

How much does white water rafting in Queenstown cost?

Shotover River rafting costs NZ$299 per adult, Kawarau River rafting NZ$249, and the Kawarau Jet2Raft combo NZ$329, booked direct with RealNZ. Family Adventures’ gentle Shotover trip is from NZ$329 per adult, with a lower child fare.

What is the minimum age for white water rafting in Queenstown?

The minimum age is 13 for both Shotover and Kawarau rafting with RealNZ and Challenge Rafting, and 3 for Family Adventures’ grade 1–2 trip. Under-18s need a responsible adult or guardian consent.

Is there a maximum age for white water rafting?

No. RealNZ says “there is no maximum age”, but you need a good level of fitness and no heart conditions.

What is the weight limit for rafting in Queenstown?

On both rivers you must weigh between 40 kg and 120 kg, and weight is checked at check-in.

Which is better, Shotover or Kawarau rafting?

The Shotover (grade 3–5) is better for thrills and scenery, and it has the Oxenbridge Tunnel. The Kawarau (grade 2–3) is better for first-timers, less confident swimmers and mixed groups.

Do I need to be able to swim?

Yes for the Shotover and Kawarau: you must be able to swim 25 m unaided, and the Shotover requires confident swimmers. No for Family Adventures, where water confidence isn’t necessary.

How long is the rafting trip?

About 4.5 hours in total. You spend roughly 1.5–2.5 hours on the water on the Shotover and 1–1.5 hours on the Kawarau.

Can you go white water rafting in Queenstown in winter?

Generally no. The main operators run from roughly November to April, and Family Adventures from October to April. If you’re visiting in winter, check with RealNZ directly before you plan around rafting.

Do I get a life jacket and wetsuit?

Yes. Every rafter gets a lifejacket, helmet, full wetsuit, wetsuit jacket, spray jacket and booties.

Can I wear glasses or contact lenses while rafting?

Yes. Use a sports strap for glasses, and leave them behind if you can manage without.

Can I take my phone or GoPro on the raft?

No. Operators don’t allow cameras or GoPros on the raft for safety reasons.

Is Shotover rafting dangerous?

It’s grade 3–5 white water and carries real risk, including two deaths in 2018. Operators are WorkSafe-registered and audited, guides are NZRA-qualified, and a safety kayaker accompanies every Shotover trip.

Is Skippers Canyon rafting affected by the Skippers Bridge closure?

It doesn’t appear to be. The rafting put-in at Deep Creek doesn’t need the bridge, and RealNZ still lists coach transfers to Deep Creek via the Skippers Canyon Road.

Is there a full-day white water rafting option from Queenstown?

Not as a standard day trip. The Shotover and Kawarau trips are half-day trips (about 4.5 hours). For a full day, pair a morning raft with an afternoon on the Shotover Jet, or look at multi-day rivers elsewhere in the South Island.

Which trip to book

If you’re 13 or older, reasonably fit and comfortable in rough water, book the Shotover. At NZ$299 you get the canyon drive, the grade 5 rapids and the tunnel finale in one half-day. If anyone in your group is unsure, the Kawarau or the Jet2Raft is a fun, cheaper alternative. If you have under-13s, Family Adventures is the only option, and families clearly love it. Whatever you pick, book a morning departure, eat first, and pack nothing but swimwear and a towel.