Whitewater Rafting

At any time of the year, the Rangitata River delivers awesome whitewater rafting Imagine a small trickle of water as it emerges, high up the side of a great mountain. The trickle forms a small pool, which eventually starts to overflow the dip it has formed in.

From here the trickle becomes a constant flow, but still nothing momentous, but as it carried on towards the sea, down always down, this flow is joined by others, created from glacial melt water or from tropical rains, until they form a constant stream.

A stream that grows as it meanders down the side of the mountain until it becomes a full blown river. By the time the river is in full flow, it is a rushing pounding force with an unstoppable life of its own, unstoppable until it finally reaches the sea, where the two become one.

And now take a small rubber inflatable and cast yourself adrift, with a boatful of others armed only with paddles, somewhere in the middle of this turning twisting river and head for the fastest, craziest, adrenalin charged sections, until you shoot out of this natural roller coaster ride.

For a natural roller coaster is a good description of whitewater rafting, except of course that you usually get a lot, lot wetter!

Whitewater rafting is one of the leading forms of adventure vacations in the world and there are a good number of properly run expeditions, with trained leaders to choose from.

Rivers (and different sections of different rivers) run at different speeds and consequently offer different challenges, but rafting is a physical sport. There are however organized day trip adventures that traverse the lower, slower section of rivers, where the emphasis is more on fun.

Always consider your personal objectives and the possible alternatives and select a trip that matches.

Next>> Selecting your whitewater river