White Water Wonder

In entertaining the notion of an action/adventure holiday in New Zealand, one would be remiss if white water rafting was not included on your agenda. If it is excitement, thrills and spills that you crave, you would be hard pressed to find an activity that could stand up to the exhilaration that white water rafting provides.

Our family of four, (two adults and two children aged 13 and 8) felt that we were up for the challenge, so it was left up to mum to deal with the annoying aspect of planning and details. Although the planning aspect of the trip was of the least importance to my brave hearts, a mother always knows best and this was no exception to the rule.

One of the first factors discovered was that our daughter at age 8 would be unable to attend most rafting adventures. Luckily, we had other adults traveling with us so we knew that she could be cared for, other traveling families may not have the same luxury, making doing your homework essential.

Safety standards and equipment included in the adventure is of paramount importance. I cannot tell you how pleased I was that I had researched the company that we chose for our adventure prior to the day. To see other rafters shivering with the cold as their tour did not include wet suites, put a warm feeling inside that was in addition to the warmth provided by the wet suite that I was happily wearing. The company that I made our booking through not only provided the wet suites, but was also an established company, that had won tourism awards and met all of the health and safety standards. This knowledge almost convinced me that we were not totally nuts and that I was not a negligent mother after all.

Discovering the rafting company that we used became an effortless task through simply searching the internet to locate rafting companies listed in New Zealand. You then make a list of the companies that attract your attention and search again for traveler's reviews. This then provides you with honest unbiased reviews of many of the companies listed. This procedure leaves behind the advertising hype and I highly recommend this practice to anyone contemplating any kind of tour or adventure.

Weather conditions must also be taken into account as although you are already going to be obviously very wet, extreme conditions results in cancellations, so make sure that you check with your tour company prior to heading out on the day.

Planning in advance provided our family with an unforgettable adventure with an experienced trusted company. We returned to our car safe and warm, unlike the poor shivering souls that we passed along the way.