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New Zealand - Exploring the River and Mountains of Middle Earth

Nestled on the banks of the Rangitikei River, at the bottom of a beautiful valley in the Ruahine Mountains of New Zealand’s central North Island, is a little piece of heaven called River Valley. A true New Zealand Adventure Lodge, River Valley offers the best whitewater rafting and horse trekking in New Zealand. River Valley is our second home and a place so special to us, we want to share the experiences it has to offer with everyone we know.

River Valley is basecamp for our adventures on the North Island, and from here we get to experience 100%-pure New Zealand.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is heralded as the best one-day trek available in New Zealand, while others say it ranks among the top ten single-day treks in the world. All we can say it’s a fantastic experience and a hike of a lifetime! New Zealand’s oldest national park and a dual World Heritage Site. The Tongariro National Park is rich in both cultural identity and dramatic, awe-inspiring natural scenery. Unique landforms, including the volcanic peaks of Ngauruhoe, Tongariro and Ruapehu ensure the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is considered a world-renowned trek. 

Many who complete the 19.4-kilometre journey will tell you the climbs can be steep and the weather unpredictable, though worth it in every aspect.

Whitewater Rafting at its best. “If there was one single river with every ingredient for the evolutionary recipe of trip, into epic, into story, into legend – it is the Rangitikei.” Taken from ‘New Zealand Whitewater’, by Graham Charles. The Rangitikei really has it all. Spend the day floating down the Scenic section below cascading waterfalls that will leave you speechless and steep gorges that formed the backdrop for Lord of the Rings. After a day of scenic splendor, get ready for the best half day rafting trip in the world! Over a two to three hour period, and 12 kilometers of river, you will experience rapids that start at the very easy end, and culminate in the gorge. This is a section of the river where 10 major rapids, from Grade 3+ to Grade 5, line up one after the other to thrill and excite you. Some of these rapids are short and sharp, while others carry on for several hundred meters.

Bungee & Flying Fox. At the end of your scenic river trip you will drive across Mokai Canyon and its here where you can scream your lungs out! New Zealand’s highest bridge bungy & New Zealand’s highest tandem bungy, from 80 meters there’s no turning back 3,2,1 and you’re gone. After your jump there is no walking involved getting out of that canyon. The crew load each jumper onto a water powered chairlift so you can experience the full 80m all over again in reverse and at much slower speed. Then get strapped to the fastest Flying Fox in the world, offering 1.1 Kilometers of high speed exhilaration at 100mph and 175 meters above the river, in a custom designed rig that is the first one of it’s kind in the world! You will fly like you’ve always dreamt of!

Horse Trekking is one of the best ways to truly explore New Zealand – from rolling hills that stretch as far as the eye can see, to snow-capped volcanoes and enchanting native forests. Riding on horseback allows you to get back to nature and enjoy the solitude and harmony of the New Zealand wilderness. The Stables at River Valley offers the most spectacular horse trekking experience in New Zealand and is slowly becoming a epicenter for natural horsemanship. The rolling hills and mid blowing views are just some of the experiences. Ride over 3000 acres of sheep ranches and the view from the top of Pukeakahu is spectacular.

Wine Tasting & Beaches always go well together. Head over the Ruahine Mountains to Hawks Bay, the oldest wine region in New Zealand. Combining new world fruit flavors with old world structure, Hawke’s Bay wines are unique and elegant. Hawke’s Bay has grown to be the home of over 80 wineries and 170 wine grape growers. History, consistency, diversity and innovation continue to provide the foundation for Hawke’s Bay’s reputation as a quality producer of world class wines.

Our trip to New Zealand is custom designed for groups as small as 2 and all the top adventure activities from mile to wild. Even if you only have a week to get away from work, we highly recommend traveling to New Zealand. Traveling in NZ is easy, so easy you do not need to go with a “guided” tour group. Our wealth of knowledge and insight is gained over the year of traveling and working in New Zealand. This allows us to suggest an itinerary and experiences that will last a lifetime. Give us a call 800-825-3205 or email us at [email protected]