"Te-Wahipounamu - The Place of Greenstone" - Maori
What?
A thrilling Jet Boating experience on the Waiatoto River with Waiatoto River Safari (WRS) along with witnessing the beautiful prehistoric environs of Te-Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand's World Heritage Area. Some of the flora and fauna found here still survives from the primeval Gondwana, one of the two super continents formed from the division of Panagea.
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WRS is run by Mr. John 'The Eco Man' Duberly who manages the business as well as running the boats. The cost of the normal river safari is NZ $199 for adults and NZ $ 139 for children (4-15 years). WRS also offers a family package for two adults and two children at NZ $537.
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For customers who want to stay overnight, John also manages the accommodation by the name of Hannah's Homestead. Though the charges are NZ $165 per night for two with self catering ($185 with continental breakfast), one can enquire about the extra charges for the dinner which he cooks and serves himself and is definitely worth the extra money.
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Where?
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| Google Maps Route - Queenstown to Hannah's Clearing |
WRS's base is Hannah's Homestead and is located at Jackson Bay Road, Hannah's Clearing, Haast 7844, South Westland, New Zealand. It is about 188kms from Wanaka and 256kms from Queenstown, Otago on the State Highway 6. The safari takes place on the Waiatoto which is a glacial river that flows out from Mt. Aspiring National Park for about 52 kms and then merges with the Tasman Sea.
When?
We visited WRS on 10th October, 2012 as part of our Familiarisation paper of the Diploma of Adventure Tourism Management course of Queenstown Resort College. WRS has three daily departures for its safaris at 10 am, 1 pm and 4 pm; however in winter the departure times may vary. The yearly average high is 15 degrees whereas the low is 7 degrees.
Our trip was scheduled in the afternoon and we being a group of nine were split in two groups, with one group having to shoulder the responsibility of manning the base radio station for the other group which was a great experience in its self as we had to go through some Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) and protocols to be followed in case of emergency situations.
How?
One can rent a car and drive along the scenic SH 6 or even take a bus. The InterCity coachline bus from Queenstown to Haast Township charges about NZ $72 (non refundable) for a return trip with an overnight stay and departs from Queenstown at 8.10 am and from Haast at 11.20 am respectively. The one way journey takes about 4 hours 40 minutes approximately.
Why?
We were well taken care of before the start of the ride as WRS provided us with a life jacket, a thick over coat to keep us warm and also a waterproof jacket to shield us. The jet boat ride was very exciting as we weaved the Waiatoto river through scenic landscapes and majestic mountains. The more adventurous part was when we entered the mouth of a gorge and up the river, against the flow, combating grade four rapids.
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We then stopped a while on the banks and John gave us a short interpretative tour, explaining some of the fascinating characteristics of the symbiotic nature of the plant life and the geological features of the rich alluvial soil. John was quite captivating with his knowledge and passion which made the talk about the eco system very interesting. On the way back he performed some 360 degree spins which was the icing on the cake.
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We proceeded out near the mouth of the river to one of the nearby narrow rivers which opens out and being there in that environment surrounded by the kind of plant life took me back to prehistoric times. The experience in terms of safety was quite good though there was a minor hiccup when a part of the exhaust pipe of the boat came off while loading the boat after our trip.
We came back to some interesting conversations about tourism and the tourist behaviour with John, which was a key part of our learning tour. He shared some cooking tips as he prepared a luxurious 4 course meal for us. Well satiated, we settled into our comfortable accommodation for the night and had a peaceful sleep before John waved us goodbye, early next morning as we made our way onward with happy memories.
Summary:
The 'To-be-Desired': One of the rooms had a little damp smell when we entered in the afternoon but then after airing it out for a few minutes it was alright.
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| The Good: Fun and safe jet boat ride, enthusiastic and passionate guide, great food and warm accommodation (with ramp for the handicapped) and clean washrooms. |
The USP: John's wealth of knowledge and the fact that WRS is ranked No. 1 of the 4 attractions in Haast on TripAdvisor and has garnered 15 Excellent reviews out of the 16 received with the 1 other being Very Good.
My Word: Go for it!
PS: Do read what my classmate, Mr. Nicholas Shea, has to say about this trip in his blog.
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