Half day · Grade 5
Grade 5 Whitewater Rafting
The full run through the papa gorge.
| Per adult | NZ$280 |
|---|
Editorial spotlight · Rangitikei, Taihape
2026 Southern Cross Awards nomineeBest Whitewater Rafting
River Valley
A rafting company that has worked the Rangitikei since 1982 and a lodge that grew up around it from 1987. Four generations of one family in a gorge an hour off the main road, running everything from Grade 2 family water to a full Grade 5 day, with a conservation programme for the blue duck along the same river.
- Grade 5 rafting
- NZ$280
- Stay and raft
- from NZ$445
- Tripadvisor
- 4.9
- Reviews
- 328
Editorial spotlight. River Valley is a nominee in the 2026 Southern Cross Awards. They did not pay for this page and had no say in it. We earn a commission when you book through the links here; your price is the same.
The operation
Rafting from 1982, a lodge from 1987, four generations
The rafting came first, in 1982. The lodge followed five years later, and the operation has stayed in the same family through four generations since. It sits in the Rangitikei gorge well off the highway, which is why most people who raft here also sleep here.
The river runs the full range. Grade 2 water is gentle enough for families; the Grade 5 day is a serious piece of whitewater through a deep papa-rock gorge. The company holds AdventureMark certification and a Qualmark Gold rating, and runs an on-site conservation programme for the whio, the blue duck, along the river corridor. Reviewers are near-unanimous about the food, which comes largely out of the lodge garden.
“Rafting since 1982, the lodge since 1987, four generations of the same family.”
- F
Raft guide
Finn
- T
Raft guide
Tom
- I
Guide
Isla
- H
Guide
Hazel
Guides named repeatedly by reviewers. The company has not yet confirmed which names and roles it wants printed.
The one to book
Grade 5 Whitewater Rafting on the Rangitikei
The full Grade 5 run through the gorge, with guides who have worked this water for decades. Wetsuit, helmet and buoyancy aid provided; no experience required, but this is the hard version of the river.
Most people pair it with a night at the lodge. The stay-and-raft package starts at NZ$445 per person on a bunk bed and includes the rafting, dinner and breakfast.
| Per adult | NZ$280 |
|---|
Checked against FareHarbor on October 2, 2026.
Check AvailabilityThe place
A gorge, a lodge and a rare duck
Per the company’s own listings and accreditations.
The river
- Grades
- 2 to 5
- Rafting since
- 1982
The lodge
- Opened
- 1987
- Rated
- Qualmark Gold
Conservation
- Species
- Whio, the blue duck
- Where
- Along the river corridor
Book it
Rafting and staying
Rafting is per person; lodge rates are per room per night. Checked against FareHarbor on October 2, 2026.
Overnight · Raft + lodge
Stay & Play with Grade 5 Rafting
Rafting, dinner, bed and breakfast in one.
| Bunk | NZ$445 |
|---|---|
| Twin or double | NZ$537.50 |
Group · Raft + stay
Float My Boat Package
Built for a couple, a family or a single traveller.
| Single | NZ$850 |
|---|---|
| Couple | NZ$1,200 |
Per night · One person
Single Trouble — Private Room
A private room in the lodge.
| 1 night | NZ$380 |
|---|
Per night · Two people
Double Trouble — Twin or Double Ensuite
Ensuite room for two.
| 1 night | NZ$490 |
|---|
Two people · E-bike hire
E-Bikes — The Moa Goa
Two e-bikes and the valley’s gravel roads.
| Two people | NZ$615 |
|---|
Before you go
Know before you go
Getting there
The valley is well off State Highway 1 near Taihape, down an unsealed road. Allow more time than the map suggests.
Food
Dinner and breakfast are included on the stay packages and come largely from the lodge garden. It is the single most praised thing in reviews.
Grades
Grade 2 family water through to a full Grade 5 day. Say which you want when you book.
Accreditation
AdventureMark certified and Qualmark Gold rated.
Reviews
What guests say
- 4.9Tripadvisor328 reviews as of October 2, 2026
- 1982Rafting sinceLodge opened 1987
- GoldQualmarkAdventureMark certified
Reviewers praise the guides by name, the food from the lodge garden and the family hospitality. There is no recurring complaint; the only notes are that the gravel access road takes practice on a bike and that one trip was rerouted around a landslide.
Questions
Good to know
Where is it?
In the Rangitikei gorge near Taihape, off State Highway 1 down an unsealed road.
What does it cost?
NZ$280 per adult for the Grade 5 run, or from NZ$445 per person with a night and meals. Checked October 2, 2026.
Do I need rafting experience?
No. The river runs from Grade 2 family water to a full Grade 5 day, so say which you want.
What is the blue duck programme?
An on-site conservation effort protecting whio, a rare native duck, along the river corridor.
Four generations on the same river
Grade 5 from NZ$280, or stay the night and eat out of the garden from NZ$445.
Check Availability