I went riverboarding in Queenstown, the adventure that breaks the No.1 whitewater rule

The Kawarau River in Queenstown, New Zealand is famous for its adrenaline-filled activities, so it was only natural for this adventurous traveller to try rivPerboarding (aka whitewater rafting without the raft).

She’s a maneater and she’s coming for me. There’s barely time to squeal before I’m sucked into her gnashing jaws. White water slaps me in the face, swirls me sideways and then spits me out like a cherry pip. We’d been warned about Maneater – the first and biggest in a trio of Class 3 rapids – but the fastest is yet to come.

The number-one rule of whitewater rafting is to stay on the raft. But what happens when there’s no raft to begin with? I’m finding out the hard way on a 6km river surfing adventure down Queenstown’s mighty Kawarau River. There’s no inflatable dinghy or paddle on this whitewater adventure, just a garden-variety boogie board, a pair of fins, lifejacket and helmet.

Riverboarding on the Kawarau River in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Our journey starts about half an hour east of Queenstown on the final section of rapids before Kawarau River pours into Lake Wakatipu. We suit up in two layers of neoprene (the water temp is 13C) and listen as guide Pavel Hornik, a Czech expat with a death wish, provides a briefing. One hand at the top of the board, dominant hand gripping the side, enter the stream pointing upriver at a 45-degree angle, don’t try to stand up. What could go wrong? When a dead goat floats past I can’t help thinking it’s a bad omen.

We enter the water at a protected nook called Frog’s Eddy. We practise duck diving, rolling and turning, then it’s time to ride the rapids.

Guide Max Bogaerts, a Belgian expat with a fancy for fast water, leads our group of five – a pair of Californian honeymooners, two Melbourne brothers and me. Pavel brings up the rear, with a third guide in the middle. We hit the first 300m stretch of rapids and our group scatters like polystyrene balls in a wind tunnel. The water is cold, bucking and tossing my board like a writhing beast.

“There might be strong whirlpools,” Max had warned. “Don’t worry, it’s all part of the fun!”

Whitewater action on the Kawarau River with Serious Fun Riverboarding.

I grip the board tight, kicking to stay in the centre of the river where the water is fast, deep (averaging 7m) and clear of the rock walls funnelling the torrent downstream. At Maneater, Max turns 180 degrees to attempt a standing surf on a wave cresting against the current. I’m content to just cling to my board and stay afloat. By the time we reach Rollercoaster, another “surfing” rapid and the fastest one today, we’ve all been chewed up and spat out, and bumped into like jellyfish in a washing machine.

It’s riotous fun, but at Dead Cow there’s a final challenge: riding the Elevator to Hell on a down current that will suck us 5m beneath the surface if we dare to push down on our boards. “It’ll take you down for about 15 seconds,” Max had enthused. “Sometimes 30 if you’re lucky!” That’s one elevator I don’t need to board.

The writer was a guest of Destination Queenstown.

The spectacular Kawarau River is a hub for adventure activities.

How to go riverboarding on the Kawarau River

Serious Fun Riverboarding runs daily river surfing excursions from September to May (ages 8 plus).

Where to stay in Queenstown

Sherwood is a revamped ’80s motor inn with lake views and a boho mountain-chalet vibe.

Originally published as I went riverboarding in Queenstown, the adventure that breaks the No.1 whitewater rule