Safety
At Tongariro River Rafting, safety is our top priority. Our experienced guides, high-quality equipment, and thorough safety briefings ensure a safe and enjoyable trip.While rafting involves inherent risks, we do everything we can to familiarise ourselves with the risks and minimize them. Following guide instructions is crucial for a safe experience.
Yes, like any adventure activity, river rafting carries inherent risks. We mitigate these risks through experienced guides, safety briefings, and quality equipment.For a full understanding of potential hazards, please refer to our risk disclosure page: https://trr.co.nz/risk/
Congratulations, how exciting! Unfortunately rafting is not an option at the moment.
General
You do not need any prior experience to go whitewater rafting. All abilities are accommodated, whether you are a first-timer or an experienced rafter - so there's no good reason not to join us!
We also take non-swimmers, though please let your guide know so they can look after you.
A moderate level of fitness is recommended for our Grade 3 Tongariro Whitewater. Active participation is key on our this trip. You need to be able to follow easy paddle commands and safety instructions to ensure a safe, fun and thrilling experience.
Our Grade 2 Family Float takes a more leisurely approach to rafting but you still need to be able to hold on and stay balanced in the raft.
We also take non-swimmers, though please let your guide know so they can look after you.
A moderate level of fitness is recommended for our Grade 3 Tongariro Whitewater. Active participation is key on our this trip. You need to be able to follow easy paddle commands and safety instructions to ensure a safe, fun and thrilling experience.
Our Grade 2 Family Float takes a more leisurely approach to rafting but you still need to be able to hold on and stay balanced in the raft.
We take up to seven people plus a guide in a raft on both our grade 2 and grade 3 trips.
Please share the trip date, time, meeting location, and what to bring (swimwear, towel).Emphasise the importance of bringing any emergency medication (including but not limited to Asthma inhaler, EpiPen, Heart and Diabetes Medication etc)Also, let them know about our safety guidelines and the risk disclosure page.
Rain does not normally impact our rafting trips. If there's light or moderate rain, your trip will go ahead as planned, and you'll still have an amazing time - after all, you're on a river and getting wet is part of the experience!However, heavy, prolonged rain leading to unsafe conditions may result in cancellation by Tongariro River Rafting for your safety. In this case we will get in contact with you, reschedule your trip or organise a full refund 🙂
If you are after a private rafting experience please contact us directly.
Yes! Our team capture photos throughout your trip, available for purchase at the end.We also offer 360 GoPro footage of your raft for a unique souvenir of your adventure.
We raft all year round! While summer tends to be more popular the fact is there's no bad day if it's a rafting day.
In winter, we take extra care to wrap you up warm with additional layers and gear, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable experience even in colder temperatures.
Read more about why winter rafting is a special experience.
In winter, we take extra care to wrap you up warm with additional layers and gear, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable experience even in colder temperatures.
Read more about why winter rafting is a special experience.
We do not have showers onsite, but we have clean, modern changing rooms where you can change before and after the trip.
Yes, you will get a bit wet – and that's part of the fun!
The Tongariro river is refreshing and we supply all the necessary gear to keep you warm and comfortable, ensuring an enjoyable trip year-round.
The Tongariro river is refreshing and we supply all the necessary gear to keep you warm and comfortable, ensuring an enjoyable trip year-round.
The river grading scale, from Grade 1 to 6, indicates the difficulty and risk of rapids.
Grade 1 is basically flat water, like a lake, while Grade 6 is extremely dangerous and usually unraftable.
Grade 3, like our Whitewater trip, offers a moderate yet exciting challenge with rapids suitable for most adventurers.
Grade 2, like our Family Float trip, is another step down.
Read our ultimate guide to rafting for a detailed look at rafting on the Tongariro.
Grade 1 is basically flat water, like a lake, while Grade 6 is extremely dangerous and usually unraftable.
Grade 3, like our Whitewater trip, offers a moderate yet exciting challenge with rapids suitable for most adventurers.
Grade 2, like our Family Float trip, is another step down.
Read our ultimate guide to rafting for a detailed look at rafting on the Tongariro.
Clothing, Gear and Equipment
We provide everything you need: wetsuit, polar fleece, splash tops, river shoes, life jacket and helmet, socks and gloves during the colder months.Bring your swimwear, a towel, any necessary emergency medication (Including but not limited to Asthma inhalers, EpiPens, heart medication or insulin), and a sense of adventure!
You can wear them on the raft. We recommend securing glasses tightly with a sports strap, we offer these for purchase.While helpful, it can't guarantee they'll stay on if you end up in the river. Contact lenses are an alternative.
Yes, you can bring your GoPro.We are GoPro friendly and have GoPro mounts on our helmets (no handhelds or chest mounts).
Travel and Location
We're based at the Southern End of Lake Taupo: The Rafting Centre, 133 Atirau Road, Turangi.It's just off State Highway 1, on the south side of Turangi town.Please park your vehicle on our car park across the road from our building. You can find us on Google maps here.
We offer pickups across Tūrangi town. For locations in National Park transport services like My Waka Your Waka are recommended. If you need a pick up from Taupō please contact us for options.We may provide these shuttles for groups, depending on size and location; please contact us for options.
Booking and Cancellations
You can book through our website, by phone, or via email.You should always book in advance to ensure availability, especially during peak times and weekends. If you have a group, booking in advance to lock in your spot is a good idea!
If you booked directly with us, you can see our cancellation policies on our terms and conditions page.If you have booked through a third party provider, please refer to their cancellation policies.