Glenorchy and Dart River

Venture into the wilderness

It's a landscape of snow-capped outcrops, sheer cliffs, ancient beech forests and glacier-fed rivers – a mystical Middle Earth that featured in the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The route into this wilderness region is the Dart River, penetrating deep into the heart of Mount Aspiring National Park.

Your river adventure begins at the frontier town of Glenorchy on the edge of Lake Wakatipu. You can drive there from Queenstown, or be picked up from your accommodation, by one of the Dart River adventure companies based in the area.

Alternatively, take a scenic flight to Glenorchy, so you can view the spectacular Alps from the air.

After coaching up the Dart River Valley, prepare yourself for an exhilarating and exceptionally scenic jet-boat ride up this pristine glacial river.

Your jet boat will roar up the shallows, weaving through a labyrinth of fast-flowing river channels and shingle river terraces, before gliding into the awesome rock-faced chasms of the upper reaches.

Once deep into the wilderness, near the border of Mt Aspiring National Park, you have the option of paddling back down stream in a Funyak, an inflatable (and very stable) canoe. This is the ultimate, laid-back way of appreciating the cliffs and chasms along this breath-taking river.