FAQ

How hard are these trips?

We design our trips to be accessible while still feeling like real adventures. Each option has a different level of challenge, so you can choose the one that matches your comfort and skills — or build your way up through them:

• Day Trips (License to Chill & Aspiring Packrafter):
  These are our most beginner-friendly trips. Expect short hikes and gentle paddling on mostly flat water, with plenty of scenery. The License to Chill is ideal for total beginners. The Aspiring Packrafter adds a touch more adventure but is still very approachable.

• Whitewater Packrafter (Day Trip):
  A step up in excitement, with fun rapids and moving water. You don’t need prior whitewater experience, but it helps if you’ve paddled before (sea kayaking, sit-on-tops, etc.). This is often where people catch the whitewater bug.

• Multiday Adventures:
  These trips are about journeying into the wild with everything you need on your back. We move at a steady pace — there’s no rush — but packs can feel heavy.

  • The Monument (Beginner Multiday): Designed as an introduction to self-supported packrafting. Great if you want to try your first overnight in a supportive setting.

  • Rees Valley Overnighter (Grade 2): Combines camping, hiking, and whitewater, giving you a full wilderness experience that still suits adventurous beginners.

  • Landsborough Overnighter (Grade 3): A true alpine river trip for paddlers with some experience, or those who’ve completed a Packrafting 101 course and want to put their skills to the test.

Every adventure has elements of challenge, uncertainty, and risk — that’s what makes it an adventure. But our guides are there to keep things safe, supportive, and rewarding, no matter your starting point.

For all trips you'll get send an automatic email booking confirmation with what to bring, where to meet, what time etc. For longer multiday packrafting trips, you'll be sent a full suggested packing list. For our day trips, we'd suggest wearing your normal hiking clothes. Shoes you are happy to get wet (no sandles/flip flops/Thongs), shorts or quick drying pants, a non cotton top if you've got one and layers for warmth or rain if the forecast is inclement. We'll give you everything you need to paddle in.

We meet centrally in Queenstown, behind the bakery on Duke St. Opposite the Sofitel. There's a loading bay where our vans can park there which is a rare commodity in Queenstown! It also happens to be a good place to grab a coffee and pick up our lunches! Bonus!

Here's a Pin to help you find us. If we can't find you, we have your phone number on your booking so we'll call you to try and guide you in!

For The Aspiring Packrafter, and our Wanaka based trips, we meet in another easy to access, central loading zone with coffee... Right outside The Dough Bin.

With Wanaka meets, we leave Queenstown around 8am which normally gets us into Wanaka around 9:10am. We'll always aim for 9am... if it's 9:05am and you haven't seen us yet, don't panic!

The quick answer is 14 years old. However we are open to making exceptions for individuals or groups. Drop us an email and we'll talk about it. [email protected]

Whilst we don't have a strict age limit, we are constricted by the size of our equipment. The youngest client we've taken is 10 years old, our oldest has been 77 so far.

Our packrafts are also single person boats, it is not possible to have two people in our single packrafts. Everyone joining us on trip must be able to physically be in control of their own boat.

Additionally all of our guest must be capable of carrying their own backpack which weighs around 7kg full loaded.

Not at all. we'll teach you everything you'll need to know to have an amazing time out on the river with us.

Yes it can do. However we'd encourage you to bring as much of your own gear as you can in order to get used to what you'll be using on your personal missions.

If you haven't got any of your own kit and you're in the "try before you buy" phase, that's all good. We can supply everything you'll need.

Very rarely and exclusively to our courses graduates.

We'll send a full and comprehensive packing list at time of booking.

To give you an idea though, we supply as much as we can. We only ask that guest supply their own 60-80ltr backpack and sleeping bag. We can suggest places to hire these if that's going to make things easier for you.

We're constantly revisiting and revising the food on our trips and like to allow our guides the freedom to surprise guests but typically it might look something like this:

Breakfast:

Porridge with cocoa nibs and goji berries.

Lunch:

Fresh ciabatta rolls, some fruit and something sweet (a bar, a cookie or similar).

Dinner:

In the interest of keeping weight to a minimum and true to authentic back country adventures, we normally take dehydrated or freeze dried meals. These can be butter chicken, Morrocan lamb, Thai green curry, Mediterranean lamb with black olives, wild mushroom risotto, Beef bourguignon, southern style beans.

If you have particular preferences or dietary requirements, please let us know before hand.

The short answer is, nothing is 100%, but Packrafting is not a what you'd call a high risk activity. If you're wandering a bit more about safety records, our guides training, our safety systems etc. You can click through to read more here.

Let's cut to the chase, this is what you want to know right?! Well, whilst that's difficult to answer without ever having met you, we ahve put together a more in depth answer here which might help you get to the route of your concerns.

We've got your safety at the heart of everything we do at Packrafting Queenstown. If the river looks like it's going to be above our high water cut off, we will be in touch ahead of time to re-schedule or refund if we can't find another date that works.

For trips like our License To Chill, thankfully it's a really calm section of water so even if the river is high, it's pretty rare to have to cancel because it's too high. For things like our whitewater trips or our courses, we have lower tolerances for high river levels sadly, but for our courses at least we have developed some skill sessions and areas we can go that allow us to continue learning, even in high water.

For the most part, we're pretty lucky that we can continue to go out even if it's raining. After all, if it's going to be raining, you might as well be in a wetsuit on a river!

We do have a high wind cut off too. High winds can be difficult to paddle in and increase the chances of swims. Again, if the forecast looks too windy ahead of time, we'll be in touch the night before. Local geographical deviations away from the forecast have from time to time lead to us needing to cancel trips on the day for horrific weather that we weren't expecting, but this is incredibly rare (twice in seven years). In this case we'd try and rearrange or refund too.

We shut down for winter from the end of April through till around the 1st of October as it just gets a little too cold for most of our guided packrafting trips.

We tend to look at our seasons that we operate in three stages, Early Season, Busy Season and Late Season. The Early Season we are more likely to get high water as rain events also bring snow melts with them and weather patterns are less settled (Sept-Dec). Busy Season is when the air temperatures are traditionally higher, weather patterns tend to settle down and we get busier on the river with bigger trips (Dec-Jan). Late Season is when we start to come out of the dry spell and rivers start to rise again as weather patterns tend to start generating more fronts that pass through bringing us rain. Air temperatures start to drop but it's still pleasant and group sizes tend to get smaller. This is the time of year we tend to try and fit in some of our harder river trip as it gives paddlers the whole summer to practice and river levels are often at their most friendly (or bordering on too low sometimes!).

With all that said, New Zealand is an island nation sitting in "The Roaring Forties" that drives some big westerly storms. We get a huge variety of weather almost any time of year. Forecasts are most reliable when you're looking one or two days ahead. Further ahead than that it's not worth trying to move your trip a day or two, as you're as likely to move it INTO a bad weather window, as you are to avoid it. As it gets closer, we can assess these things.

No. We carry satellite communication devices for emergencies, but for the most part you'll get no communications. No notifications, no calls, no emails....bliss!

The short answer is yes. The water is cold and whilst it's unusual for people to fall in on our day trips like the License to Chill or Aspiring Packrafter, it does happen (maybe 1 in 10 folks swim).

If you're uncomfortable, then you are very welcome to bring your own (ours are 3mm, 200% stretch wetsuits) or if you' really feel like you'd rather not wear one, that we'd recommend wearing it at least to your waste. You'll get drips into the boat throughout the trip and the wetsuit definitely keeps you warmer as the river water is pretty fresh!

We also have a size guide as you go to book on to help you chose approximately the right size for you. We also sell drysuits on our online shop(not wetsuits) if you are looking to get your own after a course or for a longer guided trip with us.

We run trip most days throughout the summer. We need a minimum of 2 people to run the trip. You can see all the live availability for each of our different trips on the trip pages. This will give you live and up to date info about spaces available and when the next departure is.

If you're looking to do an overnighter, an multiday trip or a course, get in touch as we might be able to put on dates to suit you, again, we just need 2 people to run trips. For solo travellers, we have tried to put on set departures throughout the season for some of these trips so you can join these and we'll help find others to join us.

Sadly not. On our day trips we'll make stops to use the bathrooms on the way too and from the trips, but after that we only have facili-TREES.

On our overnighters and multi-day trips we do our best to camp near existing long drop toilets. Where this is not possible we dispose of human waste responsibly by burying it.

For our day trip, which are our most popular trips, average groups sizes are around 5 people but can be as big 15 or so during our busiest periods (around Christmas and New Year) so make sure you book ahead to secure your spot.

For other trips like our multi-days, overnighters or courses, groups tend to be smaller. We just need 2 people to confirm our trips.

That's up to you, but we certainly don't provide breakfast on our day trips. We're going to be out all day doing exercise so make sure you're fuelled up!

100%, in fact we'd love you too! Sharing photos and making your friends jealous is one of our biggest marketing pulls!

The only time it might be tricky is on the paddle itself as you'll have a paddle in your hand and you'll need to keep paddling to steer yourself. Our life jackets have a little pocket in them though so you can put your phone away whilst you're not taking photos so you can keep paddling.

If you want to do that, I'd recommend bringing a waterproof case or similar because occasionally we do have people fall in and our pockets in the life jackets are not waterproof. We do provide drybags however, so if you'd rather put your phone away nice and safe, that's very easily done too!

Absolutely, as part of our booking process we'll ask you to tell us about any dietary restrictions we need to know about. There's even the option to bring your own food if you're worried about what we'll provide.

We've listed the most common dietary restrictions we get asked about but we also include the option to email us and explain other we haven't covered specifically.

We try to keep a little bit of stock on hand for the popular packrafts and gear that we sell on our online shop. You can see all the different stock levels on our shop that is kept up to date and accurate in real time. (it's possible our AI chatbot might not be able to see our stock levels, but it's very easy to find).

If you want a specific size or colour of an item we sell in the shop that is out of stock, then you can back order it on our site and we'll get it to you ASAP. Some products have short lead times, others take a bit longer. We've put this information on the product pages and will keep you up to date via email as things get shipped or arrive with us.

Tipping is not expected as a matter of course, but it is gladly accepted by our guides. If you feel like you've had an awesome time and would like to show your thanks to your guide, that's really kind and your guide will be very appreciative. It's certainly not compulsory and there's not an "expected tip %"  or anything like that.

We pay our guides well for their mahi (work) but a koha (tip) does encourage our guides to go above and beyond for our guests, so whilst maybe only 50% of our guests might tip, it does help keep our standards high, or for guides to maybe go out of their way to make your trip extra special.

Yes. We have trips departing most days during the summer so i's highly likely that if you're a solo traveller, we still have trips you can join.

With that said, some of the trips we don't run so frequently like overnighters or multiday trips need a minimum of 2 people. For this reason, we try to put on set departures throughout the season to make it easier for solo travellers to join our trips.

If it doesn't look like we'll hit minimum numbers, we'll reach out to you via email ahead of time and suggest other dates where we do have confirmed trips running.

We run trips in different parts of New Zealand and river temperatures will vary considerably, but it's fair to say they are all fairly cold in the south island.

We don't have specific measurements but the rivers we work most frequently on are the Rees and the Matukituki rivers. Our guess would be they are between 8 and 14 degrees centigrade (47-57 Fahrenheit).

Hence we wear wetsuits on all our guided trips and sell drysuits in our store!

Between the months of September and April. "Best" time of year is super subjective. If you're after high water and the biggest and gnarlist whitewater, then spring time (Sept-early Dec) is best. But it's colder. If high temperatures are more important to you, then Dec and Jan are going to be the best times. If you want to avoid crowds then perhaps coming outside of the busiest part of the summer is sensible (Feb-Mar).

We tend to put our multiday trips and hardest expeditions on in the later part of the season (Feb) as this gives folks the summer to work on their skills and gives us a high chance of hitting the most forgiving river levels. If you want to do something out of the ordinary, a little bit bespoke or with a large group, then I'd recommend maybe not coming in the middle of December/January when we are busy and less able to be flexible.

Generally speaking, if you're looking to avoid the crowds in town or make it easy to book accomodation, rental cars or restaurants then missing the busiest part of the year(Dec/Jan) is smart too.

With all that said... the peak of summer is pretty special, it easy to see why it's popular!

This is best left to weather apps. Yr is pretty accurate and reliable or Met Service. It's worth baring in mind that they will get more accurate the closer we get.

As weather forecast is likely to change and isn't worth stressing about too much until 1 or 2 days out. You're as likely to shift your trip into a bad weather window as out it.

With all that said, occasionally you'll see big weather systems coming from a while out. If this is the case, we'll worry about it so you don't have to. We'll be in touch ahead of the trip if it looks heinous

We require a 20% non-refundable deposit at the time of booking. Cancellations made within 48 hours of departure or no-shows are not eligible for a refund. If we need to cancel due to weather or safety, we’ll do our best to reschedule, or provide a full refund if that’s not possible.

Why do you have a 48-hour cancellation policy and a non-refundable deposit?

We know life happens and plans can change, but running small-group adventures means last-minute cancellations affect more than just us.

• Supporting our guides: Once a guide commits to your trip, they’ve set aside their time and turned down other work. We pay them regardless, because we value their skill and commitment.

• Protecting fellow guests: Our trips need a minimum of two people. A late cancellation can mean someone else misses out on their adventure, which isn’t fair to them.

• Covering logistics: Every trip involves planning, admin, cost, gear prep, coordination with suppliers and transport. A cancellation close to the trip often sets off a chain reaction that impacts others who’ve done nothing wrong.

That’s why we require a 20% non-refundable deposit and why trips cancelled within 48 hours of departure can’t be refunded. We’d rather welcome guests who are confident they can join us than risk disappointing guides and fellow adventurers.

If we ever have to cancel for safety or weather, we’ll always try to reschedule or give you a full refund.

That shouldn't be a problem, if you let us know ahead of time we can make that work. If it's within 48hrs of a trip departing, that may be harder if it means we have to cancel someone else's trip or stand down a guide, but give us as much notice as possible and we'll do everything we can to make it work.

No. All our prices are all inclusive. The only additional costs might be tips for the guides or credit card or booking system processing fees.

With that said, we do have some expeditions that we know locals in our packrafting would absolutely love to join and we recognise that if they want to bring their own rafts, it reduces the work we have to do in prep. For these trips we often have the gear as an optional extra. Same with food to allow for self catering options.

In all cases though, you will know exactly what you are paying prior to booking. No nasty surprises.

Whilst we don't require you to have insurance and we have ACC that covers medical expenses in NZ, we'd recommend travel insurance if you want to protect yourselves against random acts that might make you miss a trip with us like missed flights, family emergencies, a last minute injury etc.

If you're hotel or accomodation is in Fernhill or on the way to Glenorchy, then yes absolutely. Unfortunately, if you're staying along the Frankton Road or out in Frankton (or further afield) we can't really squeeze in a hotel pick up whilst still getting back in time to pick up our other guests.

It's entirely possible our guides might be able to drop you off at your hotel or accomodation after the trip as we have less time pressure at that end of the day and all of our guides work for tips, so ask them nicely and I'm sure they can help you out.

So if we can pick you up on the way to (or in) Glenorchy, no problem at all.

No. We have trips suitable for complete novices. Our day trips, like the License to Chill and Aspiring Packrafter for example, are designed for novices (although level of difficulty does vary for those trips, so please read the trip pages carefully to decide if it's for you. Similarly we are bringing new multi day trips to the market, like the Monument to Packrafting, which are designed to be very beginner friendly. Our other overnighters, like the Rees and the Wanaka Overnighter don't necessarily need experience either, but again, please read over the descriptions carefully too as they both have elements of whitewater (and carrying heavier bags for the Wanaka Overnighter) which are slightly more challenging.

Our 101 courses are designed to be beginner friendly too, although we also find that folks with a good deal of experience squeeze heaps of value out of it too.

For our whitewater focused trips, like some of our courses or expeditions like the Landsborough, then absolutely you need to have some experience. Even for our Whitewater Day trip it helps if you've done some kind of paddling before. Unlike traditional whitewater rafting, with packrafting you are in control of your own boat.

The whitewater grading system goes from Grade 1 to 5. Grade 1 being flat moving water and Grade 5 be high consequence and technically demanding. So Grade 3 is intermediate whitewater with some consequences to making mistakes. Definitely not the place to start.

For sure. You can book on with just a deposit to secure your place and the balance won't be charged until the day before the trip departs.

If you'd like us to spread the payments further, then just drop us an email ([email protected]) and we can spread out those payments to make life easier.

Packrafting can be an expensive sport to start so we're really mindful that cost shouldn't be a barrier to getting good training or learning safe habits. Just get in touch and do everything we can to help.

Yes absolutely! We are the official repair partner for New Zealand and the only trained packraft repair specialists in the country. We have some repairs that we do regularly that we ahve set up as "off the shelf" products, like TiZip replacements, but for other jobs, please feel free to get in touch and we cna give you a quote.

We obviously stock and repair Alpackas, but the vast majority of our repair work is with other brands so feel free to get int touch as MRS, Kokopeli, Frontier, Go North or any reputable brand.