This is a thrilling attraction I would definitely recommend if you are visiting Queenstown, New…read moreZealand. It is a fun way to get to enjoy the beauty of Shotover Canyon. This is literally an iconic NZ experience. The drivers are very experienced. They get really close to the canyon walls at high speeds and drift away last second. I sat in the front row on the edge and my adrenaline was sky rocketing, just being so close to the rocks. It rained extensively few days before, which flooded the Shotover Jet base and closed the attraction. Luckily, the water level receded, but was still higher than average. Apparently, the boats can operate over water as shallow as 10 cm. They provide a locker where you can place your belongings. They also give you a rain jacket and life vest to wear. You will get wet, especially when the drivers do 360-degree spins, but its super fun. As a precaution, if you do have pre-existing back or neck pain, just be careful. The ride gets pretty bumpy depending on the water level and I felt like mini "jolts" through my back and neck at some points.

We purchased the package with shuttle to & from boat site. After making our purchase in the shop we…read morewent to the return shuttle location & told we missed our shuttle. We were in the shop less than 15 minutes. We were told the next shuttle was full and that was it for the day so we needed to find our own transportation back to town. All staff we talked with was very rude and unhelpful. A sad end to my daughter's 21st birthday trip.

10/10 would do it again! Booked the experience at the dock which they have a map showing you the…read moreexact route with some key landmarks you'll get to see. They run trips every hour, on the hour so you'll very likely to get on at the top of the hour or that day, for sure. The guide (Charles), was fun and had a great sense of humor! You'll get spun around at high speeds so be prepared. They stop about 3-4 times for you to stand up and take pics, learn fun facts or for the path to clear since some of the route is tight. You can take pics but be aware that it is water that is underneath the boat lol! They offer a video and picture service as well where you can order memories of your experience. Overall I'd give this 10 stars if I could!

My husband and I had our Fijorland trip cancelled due to weird weather and we didn't have a backup…read moreplan. We decided to give this a try. It was fun and a nice way to learn some things about the area (like the houses that get more sunlight in the winter cost over 1 million dollars due to more time to air dry their clothes), as well as get a little closer to the Remarkables. They will notify you when they are about to pull a hard 360 turn, so you can hang on (the metal hand rails are heated- mmm). I can see young (not too young) kids and even grandparents enjoying this. If you aren't someone who like too big of adrenaline rushes- try this one out.

Counter staff was certainly not very welcoming or helpful, or else this would be a five-star…read morerating. Thankfully, our "pilot" (Dean) was a far more personable representative, not to mention his skill in steering our wickedly fast boat. Winds created quite a bit of chop on the lake, and the sands were blowing, but it was still a very fun experience. The landscape is beautiful, and there are opportunities to learn quite a bit about the surrounding area. Admittedly though, my favorite parts were carving and skidding our way along the waters of the Dart. I would love to try my hand at piloting that boat! Worried about getting wet? The complimentary spray jackets provide superb protection for your torso and arms. Yes, you will likely get a bit of spray on your head and face, but all that whipping through the wind at breakneck speeds will help dry you right off!

We had a fun & adventurous ride along the Dart river on a jet boat. We booked the afternoon tour…read morethe same morning & I'd recommend not waiting. We were looking at the funyaking however they were all sold out & we were thankful the jet boats weren't as well! It's very popular activities & we did the drive and meet there. Glenorchy is a cute town, we had a quick bite and then met our group. We had a great and fun experience and would 10/10 recommend adding some fun to your trip.

VISIT: end of February 2020 TOUR: Glenorchy Islands Safari…read moreTour BOOKING: We booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, booking also available directly through their site GREAT FOR BEGINNERS: 5 stars EXPERIENCE: wayy more than 10 stars TOUR GUIDE: 5 stars This was probably one of the most life changing and beautiful things I have ever done. When we started coming across Kayak tours, my husband was very excited, but I was a bit nervous as I have never kayaked (neither has he haha). I could not be more happy that our first kayak experience was THIS and with these guys. The owner picked us up from our hotel and drove us to the spot and was very friendly and knowledgeable. We were able to leave stuff in the van, if needed and they were able to accommodate and bring things in the kayak that we'd like with waterproof bags, etc. We got extremely lucky and the water was like glass and just absolutely beautiful this day. Our tour guide did a great job of explaining the kayaks and where we would be going, sharing great stories of the islands and history of New Zealand. I am so impressed with the New Zealand way of life with our tour guide saying that a lot of what he talked about he learned in school - which in America we wouldn't learn that extensively about our environment. He was also so patient and willing to stop when we wanted to take our many photos :O) We stopped on an island where he talked about the history of the island, the plants and the animals. I saw a review that said they didn't like this part and I can see how some wouldn't. But if you keep an open mind and submerge yourself into the culture and what the tour guide is talking about, my husband and I loved it and it had some spectacular views! I should also note that it was just our tour guide in his kayak and us in another. As this was RIGHT before the pandemic started reaching these areas we had a private tour. FOOD/DRINKS: our tour guide did have snacks and drinks in his kayak with him BATHROOMS: there is a small port-a-potty type toilet right as you get to the kayaks (where you get in them/out of them) BEGINNERS: I highly recommend them for beginners, as we were. I was extremely apprehensive when booking this trip, but cannot be thankful enough that we ended up with Rippled Earth.

Super fun first rafting trip for me!…read more I'll admit I was very anxious at first. I get very motion sick and I have a terror of the open water because of how sea sick I can get. BUT... my husband kept telling me that if his 60+ year old grandma could do it way back when... what am I supposed to be afraid of? This operation is very safe. They get you into a two piece wet suit, water shoes, a helmet and a lifevest on. Really, you're SUPER safe. Once you're in your gear, they take you on a drive through the canyon (about 45 minutes) and then set you up for a 1.5-2 hour rafting experience through Shotover Canyon! Our guide, Adam, was great. We didn't flip (thankfully, since I was terrified) and I had an overall great time. I did slightly roll on my ankle but that's more on my form than anything else. After 2 days, I'm on a quick road to recovery. Thanks for the first experience! I'll be doing this more in the future!

What is it with rafting guides? There must be a checkbox during their job interview that asks Rate…read moreyourself on an asshole scale of 1-10. They all seem so bitter to be taking care of tourists....But when you give it back, they get really butthurt.....I guess that happens when you live off Ramen and gut rot beer. Anyway, we were lucky enough to Grace as our boat guide and she was awesome! She asked loads of questions and seemed wholly interested in our boat of 6 but she was also no nonsense and stern when it came to our safety. She practiced with us over and over how to navigate the boat however I think we were all aware that she was doing the majority of the work. The whole set up was fine....board a bus from Queenstown. Get to a shop where you get your wetsuit, helmet, booties, and vest. This is the area where you just shake your head listening to many of these asshats berate their clients in their effort to be witty. Changing rooms with one locker for your valuables. Then another bus ride to the start of the river where you get an extensive safety talk...much appreciated. Hop in and you're off for 2 hours. Afterwards, there is a hot shower room before bussing it back to the city. Again...Grace the guide....made it great!

Zip trek ecotours did an excellent job helping us zip line down the mountain in Queenstown…read more Initially, I was very scared as I have never zip lined in my life and harbor a fear of heights. However, I truly had nothing to fear as the adrenaline and awesomeness of zip lining down a mountain quickly overwhelms your senses. Zip lining is fairly safe as the guides equip you with a helmet and harness. One guide zips to the bottom of the run to make sure they are ready to brake you when you reach the bottom. The guides check your harness and straps before sending you down the stairs. And yes, you do initiate the zipping by walking yourself off the steps to no where. The guide also shows you some neat tricks for the more adventurous, such as zipping backwards or upside down. I wasn't quite brave enough to try the upside down trick but the group seemed to have lot of fun doing it. Ziptrek also gives you tidbits of information on increasing conservation efforts of natural resources in between each zip line. Although nothing truly new is learned, it's admirable that the company is trying to be ecologically sound with their business. The six line tour is the best, since your last line is the steepest zip line in the world. You do take a small hike down the mountain inbetween the 5th and 6th lines. This can be a bit hard on your knees. There are also no railings so if you are the cautious type, move to the back of the group. A truly fun and awesome experience that made me realize I am no longer scared of heights. Take a chance and try this sport. You won't regret it!

Well HELLO QUEENSTOWN! Definitely a pretty amazing introduction to this quaint little ski town!…read more The second my friend and I got off the plane, we taxied over to Queenstown and went straight for an information desk (I would review the bitch of a lady at the desk but this isn't the right yelp page for that). We signed up for Zip trek zip linning immediately, but seriously, immediately, we signed up for the 11am trek (4 zips, as opposed to 6) and it was 10:30! Up the gondola (which costs $30- you can get discounted rates if you buy luge tickets too) and to the left in the dense trees (down a little hill, we got lost ha ha) there you'll find the check in for Ziplining! We were harnessed and placed in a group of 5 other people and then we were off! We had two guides taking care of everything, they tightened our harnesses, latched us on the ropes and told us exactly what to do when we were ready to ZIP! I have never been zip lining before in my life... And if you're the type to get a stomach knot when riding a Rollercoaster or a water flume at an amusement park like me, be warned, you'll experience that knot the first 2 or 3 zips! Oh and if you're scared of heights, yaaaaaa just don't go to Queenstown since the biggest tourist attractions in this town are sky diving, bungee jumping, paragliding and ziplining! While I experienced some stomach knots and can remember myself thinking WTF AM I DOING during the first zip, my fears subsided a little bit as we carried on. At each tree house the guides would talk to us a bit about sustainability (you've been warned, if you don't like that kind of stuff) and at the last tree house, we were told that some of our admission $ would be donated to a charity. Zipping through the trees and donating to charity? Can't say that's a bad thing!!! When we were done with our 4 zips, we had to hike back up, not a terrible hike but if you're not In shape.... You may wish that Ziptrek offered mules to ride up on! Whether you do the 4 or 6 zips, you'll get stunning views of Queenstown, a little history, a little sustainability information and loads of funny memories.... They take your picture at some lines and let's just say, my first picture involved a SPREAD EAGLE.... The guides will probably keep that photo and post it on the wall of embarrassing fame, if they have one.... Ha Ha Ha, but I could care less! ;)

They're THE BEST!!! Our two trips with them while in Queenstown were so exciting, scenic, and best…read moreof all, we felt quite safe in their hands (we had one nervous flyer in our group, so the safety factor was important to us). Our first trip was piloted by Elliot, who flew us over the mountains to Milford Sound (where we jumped on a boat for a tour there). He gave us an informative tour while flying there and back, telling us about what we were seeing below us from the plane. Our second trip the next day was piloted by Peter (the owner) who flew us up to Fox Glacier and then transferred us to another tour company who took us up in a helicopter to see the glacier (and land for a photo op). Peter went out of his way to provide a tour for us, both on the way up and back. He is lovely. Would recommend this company to anyone who wants a first class experience.

we had a great flight to/from milford sounds our pilot was…read morevery knowledgeable and friendly the views we had from the plane as we flew into milford sounds were incredible if you can afford it, pay the extra few hundred and fly, don't drive

My husband and I embarked on a Nomad Safari 4W, all-day LOTR tour-two of nine in the complete…read moregroup, split between two vehicles convoying with each other. The tour ran 8-5pm, picking us up at our hotel, splitting the day between a morning session (complete with coffee, tea, and biscuits), dropped off for lunch paid for at Balls & Bangles, and an afternoon session (complete with coffee, tea, and biscuits) Our morning tour guide started our day off with a fantastic 'let's do this' attitude, amping us up for a day of exploration. During the drive, he blended the experience between LOTR nerdom and NZ culture & history, giving us a well-rounded South Island excursion. We could really tell he not only followed the standard Nomad script, complete with photo references of movie shoot locations & must-know facts, but added a lot of additionally researched information-it showed a passion for promoting the South Island, we truly enjoyed. For the LOTR portion, it was excellent to see specific photo references. Then when enjoying being at specific sites each tour guide had a positive readiness to help take photos, even bringing out props, at a few spots, to help re-create famous scenes. Lunch was pre-paid, we had a $20 credit at the restaurant to pick what we would like to eat, then time to meet up with the next convoy. The afternoon session was again blended between LOTR sites & NZ culture; including more movie site locations, then stopping in Arrowtown to drive the river, pan for gold, and drive along Skipper's Canyon- the tour guides in our second session added their own unique flare to the experience, driving along adrenaline pumping routes, relaying facts about NZ's crazy drives & where else to visit. Overall, the entire day was a very memorable experience. The company went above & beyond to provide a truly 5star day.

We just finished the Routeburn Track with Angelo G. As our guide. He picked us up at our hotel in…read morethe morning and explained the area history, flora and fauna along the way to the National Park. This is the best hike we have been on. Angelo was very professional and well versed in the demands of the trek. He is very knowledgeable about the plants and birds we encountered along the way. We learned a lot and enjoyed ourselves through the whole day. I highly recommend this tour! Thank you Angelo and Nomad Safaris.