The Dart river is situated near Queenstown in Glenorchy and
is one of the most beautiful areas in New Zealand. Issengard
in Lord of the Rings was filmed here and it has always been one
of my favourite spots to chill out and relax whilst travelling
NZ. Glenorchy is a small Scottish settlement and is where the
Dart River Safaris team are situated.
Even though we were outside of the Queenstown Tourist machine
the staffs were as slick as ever kitting us up in splash proof
coats and lifejackets. Now the key thing to mention about this
trip is that it is in a very weather changeable area. I had already
been twice to do this trip and been unable to go out due to pouring
rain and clouds. In the 40 min drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy
the weather can completely change so this is probably not an
activity you want to squeeze into a tight schedule.
Now as we went outside the weather for
the third time took a change for the worst. But being British
we decided to brave it
and hope for the best. Now heavy rain can be bad but when you’re
flying along at high speed it really hurts!! We kept our heads
down and enjoyed flying through the shallow entrance to the River.
The weather didn’t seem to be picking up so the driver
pulled over by a bridge and gave us the option to cancel and
come back another day – a nice touch as some folk looked
like they had had enough already. Now as I mentioned we had already
been twice and so the team and a few brave souls decided to go
on into the looming dark clouds – if anything it would
be like an overactive log flume!
So leaving the deserters behind we sped
off down the Dart River. 10 mins in the clouds cleared and
we were left with some of the
most amazing views in New Zealand. This area is untouched with
the only human contact being trampers on the dart track. The
water was crystal clear and the towering hillsides now had waterfalls
flowing down them from the rainfall. The driver pulled us into
a quiet pool and explained about the area. Unlike some operators
it didn’t feel like he was reading off the script but actually
interested in the surroundings.
Like the other jet boat trips they threw in some 360 degree
spins and gave us some scares. Now in addition to the jet boating
they dropped us off on the end of the Dart track and allowed
us to walk the last section back to a waiting coach. A guide
explained the flora and fauna and it really made you want to
come back and do the track. This trip is a good option for those
who want a taste of what the walks in NZ are all about.
Conclusion
All in all this trip combined the fun
and exhilaration of jet boating with some beautiful untouched
NZ scenery. The walk added
an extra feature to make it stand out from the crowd. However
this is an expensive trip and so if you just want a taste of
jetboating there are much cheaper places to do it around NZ.
As this is one of my favourite areas in NZ I’m
going to be biased about his trip but I would certainly recommend
it
and if you’re
short of money just head to Glenorchy and take in the scenery
anyway!!!
