Our Location
On State Highway 1, where the Clarence meets the sea
Our Base
Right on the highway, right on the river
Where we are
Our base sits on State Highway 1 beside the Clarence river mouth — you drive straight past it on the main road between Christchurch and Picton. No back roads, no gravel, no wrong turns.
Driving times
Kaikōura — 30 minutes
Blenheim — 1 hour
Picton — 1.5 hours
Christchurch — 2.5 hours
Hanmer Springs — 2.5 hours
Don't want to drive?
We run shuttles from Kaikōura and Blenheim, and can arrange pick-ups further afield.
Why Kaikōura
Most people don't come here just to raft — and they shouldn't have to
This is one of the few places in the country where you can watch a sperm whale before lunch and paddle through earthquake country after it, without moving your bags. The Kaikōura ranges rise past 2,600 metres within a few kilometres of the ocean, which is why so much is packed into so little distance — and why we're a half-hour detour rather than an expedition.
Mountains into the sea
Snow-capped peaks straight above the coastline. There is nowhere else in New Zealand quite like it.
Whales and dolphins
A deep ocean trench sits just offshore, which is why sperm whales are here year round and dusky dolphins in their hundreds.
Crayfish country
Kai and kōura — the town is named after its food, and it still lives up to it.
Walks and rides
The Peninsula Walkway, Mt Fyffe, and the Molesworth Road running inland through the high country.
Live geology
The plate boundary runs right through here. The 2016 earthquake reshaped this valley, and you raft through the evidence.
Room to breathe
Twenty minutes off the highway and you have the river to yourself. Remote country, easy access.
Make a weekend of it
How most of our guests put a trip together
Arrive
Get into Kaikōura mid-afternoon, walk the Peninsula Walkway while the light is good, and eat crayfish from one of the roadside caravans.
On the water
Whales or dolphins in the morning, then drive north to us for the afternoon half day trip. Pizza comes out of our oven before or after you paddle.
Explore on your way out
The seal colony at Ohau Point, the coast road, and a cellar door or two before you head north or south.
Doing one of our multi-day expeditions instead? Those start and finish with us, and take three to six days — plan your Kaikōura time around either end of the trip.
Before you set out
- There are no services at Clarence. Fuel, groceries, cash and a pharmacy are all in Kaikōura — sort yourself out there.
- No mobile coverage on our multi-day trips. Let people know before you go. We carry satellite communications for emergencies.
- Book accommodation early over summer. December to February fills up across the district.
Weather and wind
Kaikōura can blow, particularly the nor'wester on a summer afternoon. The Clarence valley is more sheltered than the coast, but we always check conditions and river flows on the morning of your trip and will talk you through what to expect.
An easy detour, a big day out
Half an hour north of Kaikōura, straight off the highway