Ultimate satisfaction adventure in a sensational alpine wilderness. Heli in, descend an amazing water-carved ravine and then jet-boat out!

Slide down perfect water chutes,abseil down huge waterfalls, jump into crystal pools – and do it all day! No one but us has been in this canyon. It is a hidden and mysterious place of immense beauty – a unique and special trip unlike any other.

This is the ultimate adventure canyoning trip in NZ! We meet around 6.45am in Wanaka; the drive is about 50 mins to the Heliport in Makarora. Then we get our canyoning equipment on before receiving a safety brief from the helicopter pilot. The flight is about 10-15 minutes long, with amazing views of the peaks around Makarora, the Wilkin Valley and into Mt Aspiring National Park. The final part of the flight is a ‘preview’ of the canyon, as we fly straight up the way we are about to go down! 

Wairata could be described as a canyoning marathon. With so many features, its impossible to list them all, but a high level of fitness and endurance is required. At least 17 absiels (rappels) up to 60m (200’) high. The 60 meter abseil is absolutely incredible, but requires a good head for heights and confidence. There are around 15 jumps from 3-10 meters (10-30’), plus a handful of smaller slides. There is a fair amount of challenging down climbing and scrambling involved. There isn’t a lot of swimming, mostly just short swims at the end of pools. The canyon alternates between deeper walls, with amazing formations and pools to wide open waterfalls with exposure that will get your heart pumping and amazing views across the valley to the north. This means that when the sun is out, it can be a relatively warm canyon, which makes it all the more pleasant for such a long day. 

Once the canyon is over, we stroll across wide grassy river flats to where our dry clothes are waiting. Here, we pack our gear, and enjoy more snacks whilst we wait for the Jetboat. Its an exhilarating 12km Jetboat ride back to Makarora, giving another dose of adrenalin for the day, completing perhaps the most intense adventure you’ll have in New Zealand. 

You’re usually in the canyon for 7-9 hours, so you’ll need a very good level of fitness and endurance. You'll need to be comfortable in the water. As there is a large amount of abseiling, previous abseiling experience and confidence really helps.

This is a fantastic trip, but it is not suitable for everyone. We want to ensure you (and other customers on your trip) have a great time in a canyon that's suitable for your skill, fitness and experience.  If you have any doubts that everyone in your group has what it takes to do the trip safely, then get in touch with us and we can discuss the trip and your abilities more with you. There are usually other canyon trips we can offer if we agree together that this trip is not the right one for you.