Packraft New Zealand: An Intermediate Expedition & Paddling Skills Course on 5 of the Country’s Finest Whitewater Rivers
Jan. 15, 2025, is the cutoff date for registering for this course. After that you will have to pay an additional 10% to register. Please see the "Price" section below for details.
EXPLORE KIWI COUNTRY: PACKRAFT NEW ZEALAND!
Thor Tingey, the owner of Alpacka Rafts, describes New Zealand as “one of the best places in the world to go Packrafting.” In this carefully curated expedition, we’ll experience some of the finest rivers in the country. And these rivers, says Thor, create “a perfect storm of what packrafters want.” Thus, this combination of stunning mountains and hanging glaciers feed thrilling whitewater rivers in the midst of breathtaking, isolated wilderness.
Packraft New Zealand Course Design
Please note this course is *not* for Level 1 beginners or people who are on the low end of the Level 2 beginner/intermediate scale. We designed this course with progression in mind. It’s aimed at upper level novice and intermediate, but also advanced paddlers looking to not only upskill with world class packrafting instructors, but to do it in one of the most breathtakingly beautiful environments in the world.
Please read our post, “What Level Packrafter Are You?” and then call us to schedule an assessment at 303-903-2768 to see if you qualify for this course.
The Trip
We start with a warm up day to blow out the cob webs, before undertaking the first of two, increasingly challenging mini expeditions. What makes this packraft New Zealand course special is not only do we get to enjoy the regenerative and life-affirming elements of a multi-day expedition, but we also get to experience four different rivers in different regions. All the while working on your river reading, paddling and team work skills.
This is quite literally a hand-curated exploration of the best packrafting New Zealand has to offer. And in a progressively more challenging and rewarding manner, with some of the best qualified and experienced instructors on the planet. Does it get any better than this?
January 15, 2025, is the cutoff date for registering for this course. You may still sign up for the course after the final registration date. However, you’ll have to pay an additional 10% for the course (total $3624.00). This will help cover short-notice permits, additional guides we have to reserve, seats in the vans and insurance.
50% is required to sign up, and 100% if you sign up in within 30 days of the course.
You’ll need to provide the remaining balance 30 days prior to your course.
Additionally, please review our cancellation policy, which you will find on our Terms, Conditions & Cancellation Policy Page.
- We start with a 1-day warm up day on the Rees River on Grade 2/3 to start working on our team work and prepare ourselves for our first mini expedition.
- This is followed by a 3-day adventure on the Upper Shotover, including a flight in by a small fixed wing aircraft, hiking in areas infrequently visited and a Class II/III paddling down the historic canyons of Shotover River.
- Then we take a bit of a break, but incorporate a 1-day skills-building adventure on the Matukituki River. We do this in an area called the “swing bridge rapids,” where we push the progression into Class III/III+ boulder garden style technical rapids of the Mt Aspiring National Park.
- Finally, we embark on a 3-day Heli, Hike and packraft trip down the splendid isolation of the Class III/III+ Landsborough River.
Airport transfer, accommodation, fixed wing and heli flights in country, basic lodging in hostels (you may upgrade) and food on expeditions.
Flights to New Zealand, food in town or in front country settings, packrafting gear or camping gear (can be arranged for additional fees). Tips and gratuities. Any additional activities, food or upgraded accommodation and/or food/accomodation you may wish to undertake after the expedition has come to an end.
Steve Fassbinder
Steve, aka “Doom,” is one of the country’s first Level 4 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructors. And he is a certified International Rescue 3 Whitewater Rescue Technician Professional (WRT-PRO) and IRF Whitewater Packraft Guide. Steve is also certified in Advanced Swiftwater Safety and Wilderness First Responder. An early adopter of packrafting, he has guided or instructed bike-packrafting to kids and adults for over a decade. And he has done remote packrafting expeditions around the world for over a dozen years.
Huw Miles
Huw has been working as a professional outdoor educator and adventure tourism guide for 19 years and has lead expeditions on six continents on mountains, by bike and most notably on rivers. He has accumulated seven first descents around the world during his career. Huw is a Rescue 3 International Instructor and hold his WRT-Pro and Water Safety for Expedition Leaders Instructor certificated. The man the Guinness Book of Records calls, “The World’s Greatest Living Explorer” said, “the world needs more adventurers like Huw.” Additionally Huw is a Wilderness First Responder, and he is studying Paramedicine. Crucially, Huw now calls New Zealand “home” and has that vital local knowledge. This is not his first rodeo.
Deane Parker
Deane’s full time commercial guiding career started in the mid ’90s and spanned over a decade of backcountry heli rafting and kayaking on the extreme rivers of the West Coast of NZ. His adoption of packrafting came through an opportunity of filmmaking and bikerafting. With several laurel award winning bikerafting and packrafting films in the recent past.
Deane shows passion for packrafting through his commitment to community being a committee member for the packrafting association of NZ (PRANZ) and offers his knowledge for bikerafting workshops and courses through both PRANZ and Packrafting Queenstown.
Deane’s river running experience covers three decades includes a number of first descents and multi-day white water bikerafting expeditions.
Our Level 3 & 4 Packraft Mastery, Expedition Planning & Paddling Courses are multi-day Intermediate to Intermediate/Advanced adventures. These courses are for people who have paddled Class III and maybe even Class IV, can easily self rescue every time and who have taken courses with us, the ACA, SSI, International 3 Rescue or other accredited guide services.
Who These Courses Are For
These courses are ideal for people who strive to take others out or plan and lead expeditions, but who don’t quite have the necessary leadership skills to do these things. They’re also for people who want to learn or master technical and complex strokes, expertly navigate eddies, make excellent group decisions, manage vertical drops and surf like a pro.
Finally, they are for people who want to hone their expedition planning skills, from planning and packing to understanding GIS and paper maps. These courses are for solid paddlers who want to go reach a more elite level of packrafting.
Advanced Paddling & River Running Skills
- ✔You should already have mastered all the Level 1 & 2 Course Skills.
- ✔Technical and complex strokes
- ✔Dancing with the river: running big waves and laterals.
- ✔Managing vertical drops
- ✔Advanced surfing
- ✔Paddling a expedition loaded boat in whitewater
- ✔How to read whitewater
Advanced Expedition Planning Skills
- ✔Expedition/multi-day trip planning & logistics
- ✔Expedition pack lists
- ✔Where to pack your gear (zippers, weight distribution, securing packs/gear to or inside the boat
- ✔How to pack light (i.e. what to leave behind and why + how to share gear)
- ✔Expedition food planning and prep
- ✔Leave No Trace practices in the backcountry
- ✔Navigation in the field, finding camp, etc
- ✔Advanced use of online resources: GIS, USGS water gauges, Google Earth, etc
- ✔Managing your backcountry camping and boating gear
- ✔How to find a good camp
- ✔Time management skills
- ✔How to efficiently transition from the river to camp
- ✔Read & run style boating
- ✔Expedition mentality
Advanced Group Dynamics Skills
- ✔Scouting and decision-making
- ✔Group selection
- ✔Expedition group dynamics
- ✔Group downstream travel technique & communications
- ✔Eddy hopping, traveling in groups. How to travel down a river safely by eddy hopping in groups
- ✔Clear communication: hand signals
- ✔Setting safety and choosing challenges: review, practice and implementation
Packraft Hacks
- ✔Basic optional roll instruction (not a focus, but you may request)
- ✔Backcountry repairs clinic
- ✔Storytelling
The skills areas covered in the course are split into three areas; River Running, Safety/Rescue Skills and Decision making at an advanced level. It is expected that expedition members have good paddling skills including but not limited to:
- Strong and effective forward paddle strokes
- Turning strokes such as sweep strokes, bow draws and/or hanging draws
- Collision management strokes such as a boof stroke
- The ability to catch eddies in Class III/III+ water
- A solid understanding of hydrology, cross current momentum and group dynamics/spacing on the water
Desired Rescue Skills include by not limited to:
- A reliable deep water re-entry or roll
- Peer assisted deep-water re-entry skills
- Good throw bagging skills
- Strong and comfortable swimmers in whitewater river environments
Decision making skills:
- An understanding of when and how to scout
- A maintenance of situational awareness
- An understanding of a variety of different river running strategies
- Confident and competent in the use of internationally recognized river signals
The Rees
This is the section used for most of Packrafting Queenstown’s courses and is a low volume, shingle bed Class II for the most part. There are more challenging continuous bolder garden Class III sections and pools in where we will practice self rescues and throw bag skills.
The Upper Shotoever
Locally referred to as the Shotty, this is a historically significant river, the lower reaches of which host a large number of operations from rafting to jet boating and bungee jumping over the top of it. The upper section however is infrequently visited and boasts some stunning canyons. Day one of our expedition is relatively easy going on a braided river and a chance to get used to paddling with loaded rafts. Some Class II and III features. The second day sees us taking on some short canyons with some interesting ledges, small drops and boils. Our final day brings us into the iconic Mcleods Bluff section with some larger, short Class III wave train style rapids, some irregular holes and variety of interesting historic mining equipment.
The Matukituki
The section we use for training is known as the Swing Bridge rapids owing to the bridge under which is passes. A relatively short section of 1.7km (1.1 miles), it drops an impressive 20m (65feet) and offers an incredible training ground for our next expedition in the Landsborough. It is a continuous technical Class III (Class IV at high water) boulder garden that is split into three sections. The first third has larger features and larger recovery areas. The middle third has smaller features and is continuous. And the final section becomes read and run Class II+/III back to the parking lot.
The Landsborough
This is our crucible. This west coast river is at the mercy of the weather and can be a serious undertaking in very high water. It is also very remote, so we’ll be taking every precaution to ensure the risks are well managed. After a heli in, we’ll hike upstream for some hours to squeeze every last km of the river we can. Day one we have complicated long Class III stair case rapids. Day 2 we have the crux gorges including one almost certain portage and some Class IV features depending on flow. Day 3 we have some Class III features and some large Class II+ shingle bed rapids back down to our take out.
This river is historically vilified as a biblical sh*t magnet of a river. But be wary of reading such things. They are almost without exception, written by people who do not possess the skills to be there. Under expert tutelage, the river is manageable by Class III paddlers. And there is no section that is not portable at river level, except in flood.
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