Reviews and travel ratings on Mohaka Rafting in New Zealand (95% from 51 reviews) Whitewater adventures in the Hawke's Bay area. Day trips on grade 2-5 rapids, multi-day expeditions and trout fishing.

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  • Description

    Whitewater adventures in the Hawke's Bay area. Day trips on grade 2-5 rapids, multi-day expeditions and trout fishing.

    Based on Highway 5 just 45 minutes from Napier, or an hour from Taupo, Mohaka Rafting provides guests with an amazing North island rafting experience.

    Experience scenic half-day raft and duckie (inflatable kayak) trips down the Grade 2 section, to the stunning Mohaka River gorges of the Grade 3 and Grade 4/5 Sections. Or chill out on a multi-day expedition trip which will bring people into the heart of untouched New Zealand back-country while relaxing on the side of the river in Hot pools or taking a walking away from the river in the Kaweka Forest Park

    Our most popular day-trip is our Grade III Te Hoe's Drop run. For $115, our guests enjoy a 4-5 hour trip that includes cliff jumping, swimming down rapids, stunning views of the many Mohaka gorges, exciting whitewater, a walk into an abandoned gold mine and photos of your trip.

    Our most stunning trip is the very serious Grade 4/5 trip. No playing on this trip but the scenery more than makes up for it

    Whether you choose to take part in a single day, or drop into the back-country by helicopter with us for a multi-day adventure Mohaka Rafting has the ability to meet your thrill - or trout seeking needs.

    Visit our website now for more information, or contact us today to book your trip. Our trips do fill up, so book early!

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  • Photos

    A crew crashing through Dog's Leg Rapid. Grade 3

    A crew crashing through Dog's Leg Rapid. Grade 3

    One of the cliff jumps. Grade 3. There are smaller ones too.

    One of the cliff jumps. Grade 3. There are smaller ones too.

    A misty morning in the Mohaka River valley.

    A misty morning in the Mohaka River valley.

    Long Rapid. First rapid on the Grade 4/5 section

    Long Rapid. First rapid on the Grade 4/5 section

  • Location

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Traveller Tips

  1. Napier
  1. robanne's avatar

    Rob & Anne

    United Kingdom

    The Art Deco walk in Napier - An absolute MUST. Visit the local i-SITE for details.

    07 November 2010.

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Reviews for Mohaka Rafting

Mohaka Rafting
the catalpa's avatar

the catalpa

United States

Ranking: 10/10

I spent last weekend rafting the mighty Mohaka with the crew at Mohaka Rafting, and I'm pleased to say that it was a fan…

I spent last weekend rafting the mighty Mohaka with the crew at Mohaka Rafting, and I'm pleased to say that it was a fantastic experience. I'm a confessed whitewater junkie, and the Mohaka clocked in as the 9th river I've rafted on in New Zealand.

I had planned on coming down for a trip down the grade 5 section, but decided to make a weekend of it, rafting the grade 3 section in order to see as much of the river as I could. Norm, the owner/operator, was very communicative and great in helping me plan my trip.

The grade 3 trip on the upper section was great - a scenic trip complemented by a handful of fairly exciting rapids. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get a taste of what rafting has to offer. Our guide, Drew, was friendly, competent, and made the trip quite enjoyable.

I have to say, however, that the grade 5 run down the lower section absolutely blows the upper section out of the water (excuse the pun). It was, to put it simply, technical rafting at its finest. Boulders the size of houses everywhere, large drops, mean holes, burly rapids with must-make moves, and stunning scenery and wildlife (whio, wild horses, and much more).

It is a class 5 trip for a reason, as it is a river with some serious consequences - some obvious, many not. However, expert guidance from our trip lead Gywn (as well as Lu's spot-on safety kayaking) never once put me out of my comfort zone.

It was without a doubt one of the best stretches of river I've had the privilege of rafting, and would recommend it to anyone passionate about rafting in a heartbeat.

In short, the folks at Mohaka Rafting are a class act. Do yourself a favor and get out there - you won't regret it.

-Mitch

Reviewed 06 December 2011

Mohaka Rafting responds:

Hi Mitch and to all those that have sent in a review. Thanks for all the reviews. Thanks for taking the time to help other travellers as others have helped you. It was great to have you all come out rafting with us - without you we would not have the great experiences we have.
On behalf of all the guides and myself it was great to meet you all
Regards
Norm

Mohaka Rafting
Ayse's avatar

Ayse

Canada

Ranking: 10/10

I did two runs with Mohaka Rafting, had great time both times! Great, experienced, friendly guides; felt very safe...
T…

I did two runs with Mohaka Rafting, had great time both times! Great, experienced, friendly guides; felt very safe...
There is something for everyone here, first time rafters or experienced, they have everything from grade 3 to 5; go out and try! Thanks to Norm, Gwynn, Georgie, Drew and Marilyn I had a great time :)

Reviewed 24 October 2011

Mohaka Rafting
Maz J's avatar

Maz J

New Zealand

Ranking: 10/10

9th February 2011.

We had a great time on the Mohaka. Gwyn, John and Tyler were excellent instructors - patient, pol…

9th February 2011.

We had a great time on the Mohaka. Gwyn, John and Tyler were excellent instructors - patient, polite and clearly very experienced. The river was in full flow, but we felt really safe as the staff assessed each obstacle and guided us around the dangers. Awesome fun!

Reviewed 11 February 2011

Mohaka Rafting
westboundmarina's avatar

westboundmarina

Canada

Ranking: 10/10

SUPER DUPER FUN! Thanks to the guys at Mohaka for a refreshing escape from the region's tourist machines!
The river is …

SUPER DUPER FUN! Thanks to the guys at Mohaka for a refreshing escape from the region's tourist machines!
The river is stunning with beautiful cliffs and limestone formations and the water is a great vantage point for the towering scenery, even on a rainy day like we had. The owner clearly focused on selecting the absolute best staff he probably could find : all were friendly, patient and caring about each person's well being and at the same time very experienced and knowledgeable about the river.
It was great fun to be able to trust them completely while paddling, jumping off cliffs and swimming in the rapids! I would recommend Mohaka to anyone who appreciates a truly personalized experience and simply a beautiul journey. Kudos!

Reviewed 03 February 2011

Mohaka Rafting
NicoleM's avatar

NicoleM

New Zealand, Aotearoa

Ranking: 10/10

8th January: Had a great day rafting! I have done several other rafting trips in the North Island and this was the best!…

8th January: Had a great day rafting! I have done several other rafting trips in the North Island and this was the best! A friendly team, awesome scenery and cool things to stop and see along the way!

17th January: I did the Grade 3 trip just 10 days ago, and had such a great time that i came back again to do the Grade 5 trip! It was an exciting challenge, i had such an awesome day and i highly reccomend it!

Reviewed 17 January 2011

Mohaka Rafting
feepay's avatar

feepay

Ireland

Ranking: 10/10

I had the pleasure of taking a trip with Mohaka rafting. As we were just a group of 4 it was suggested we take the 2 man…

I had the pleasure of taking a trip with Mohaka rafting. As we were just a group of 4 it was suggested we take the 2 man kayaks. This turned out to be a great idea. We had great fun and our guide, John was very helpful and informative. We would certainly recommend this as a great family outing. Photo's were taken on the trip and then emailed to us later that day. - great service.

Reviewed 05 January 2011

Mohaka Rafting
Lotti's avatar

Lotti

Germany

Ranking: 10/10

I cecommend it to everyone to do this rafting, because it was safe, really cheap and just so much fun!
The guides were …

I cecommend it to everyone to do this rafting, because it was safe, really cheap and just so much fun!
The guides were brilliant and the gear was really good.
I loved the cliff jumps the most especially the 10 meter one :)

Reviewed 22 December 2010

Mohaka Rafting
jkitchin's avatar

jkitchin

New Zealand, Aotearoa

Ranking: 9/10

7 of us did a grade three 20 km river run. We had a great time rafting with brilliant guides, excellent value for money.…

7 of us did a grade three 20 km river run. We had a great time rafting with brilliant guides, excellent value for money. The gear was in pefect order. The experience is for the whole day , not just a few hours in some of the best scenery in the N.I.

Reviewed 21 December 2010

Mohaka Rafting
Streeter's avatar

Streeter

New Zealand

Ranking: 10/10

We used Mohaka Rafting for our end of year staff Christmas function we had 22 rafters on the day and we all loved it, ex…

We used Mohaka Rafting for our end of year staff Christmas function we had 22 rafters on the day and we all loved it, excellent photos and perfect weather. I would suggest this to anyone. Excellent scenery and clean swimming water. Cheers Norm.

Reviewed 17 December 2010

Mohaka Rafting
matt11's avatar

matt11

Canada

Ranking: 10/10

Just wanted to share my amazing experience with Mohaka Rafting. This was one of the best trips I've ever been on! The …

Just wanted to share my amazing experience with Mohaka Rafting. This was one of the best trips I've ever been on! The guides Norm, Jon, Kendall and Gwyn where great. They were experienced, safe and full of information on the local area.
The landscape as you float down the river was stunning. The rafting was awesome and the cliff jump on the grade 3 should not be missed. I did both the grade 3 and the grade 5 sections and both were breathtaking.
Anyone looking for something to do in the Hawkes Bay area should definitely check this place out. You won't regret it.
Thanks again boys.
Cheers.

Reviewed 16 December 2010

Mohaka Rafting
alku83's avatar

alku83

Australia

Ranking: 10/10

One of the best experiences I had while traveling in NZ. Our guide, Jon, was full of information about the area we were …

One of the best experiences I had while traveling in NZ. Our guide, Jon, was full of information about the area we were in, and is a really great guy as well. He was very polite and always made us feel like we were taking part rather than just riding a boat down a river. I couldn't imagine a better guide. We did a grade 3 trip, and will definitely be back in the future for some more. If you're still umming and ahhing about this, go ahead and do it. You'll have an amazing time.

Reviewed 28 November 2010

Mohaka Rafting
emso's avatar

emso

Ireland

Ranking: 10/10

Fantastic day out! Jon and Kendall were brilliant guides, will defo be back to do the grade 5 and higher cliff jumps!def…

Fantastic day out! Jon and Kendall were brilliant guides, will defo be back to do the grade 5 and higher cliff jumps!defo worth a trip and great value for money.

Reviewed 31 October 2010

Mohaka Rafting
Lisa Steph Jackie's avatar

Lisa Steph Jackie

Germany

Ranking: 10/10

We did the grade-3 rafting and it was so great! Since that day we can`t wait to raft again and to do some more cliff jum…

We did the grade-3 rafting and it was so great! Since that day we can`t wait to raft again and to do some more cliff jumps:)

We learned a lot about the nature in this beautiful scenery.
So, many thanks to Jon, Kendall and Norm for a perfect day with a lot of fun!

Do not hesitate to do a trip with these guys, you will love it. Go for it!

Reviewed 29 October 2010