Policies & Questions
Our Policies
Environment
Why choose us? We raft grade 5 whitewater on a regular basis, this ensures our guides skill level is always very sharp. We only employ guides with a senior grade 5 NZ license; regarded as the highest attainable rafting license in the world. We are owner operated and guided so quality assurance is guaranteed. Check out our video and photo gallery and compare with the other companies, it is clear to see we raft the very best rivers NZ has to offer.
We follow strict environmental guidelines and work closely with the New Zealand Department of Conservation to ensure the places we visit are kept clean and green and in the same pristine condition for the next visitors. We have special permits for all the rivers we raft and we have limited spaces available. This is wilderness rafting, you will not see anyone else on the river as we have exclusive permits to run these trips. We are proud to say we can drink the water from every river that we run and we want it to stay that way.
Safety
EcoRafting has been in operation for over 10 years with an excellent safety record. We are a registered New Zealand Rafting Association company, and are certified under Maritime Safety Authority New Zealand as an approved rafting operator.
New Zealand is the leading country in the world for rafting safety standards. All of our guides are certified Grade 5, and there is a senior guide and safety kayaker on every trip. We have never had any serious injuries on any of our trips. We have river specific safety plans and emergency procedures for every river we run, these are reviewed on a weekly basis and are checked every season by the Maritime Safety Authority to ensure our operations run smoothly. We carry a satellite phone and satellite emergency locator beacon with us at all times.
Before helicopter transport we ensure a helicopter safety briefing is carried out, and before getting on the water we give a comprehensive water and rafting safety briefing and paddling lesson. We use the highest quality self-bailing rafts, which means that collected water automatically drains out the bottom. We inspect all of our equipment on a weekly basis, and it is inspected/audited once per year by Maritime New Zealand, a government authority on water safety.
Josh Marcotte, EcoRafting’s owner and head guide, is a Grade 5 senior guide and an assesor for the New Zealand rafting industry, rated as the the highest rafting qualification in the world. All of our guides hold a New Zealand Rafting Association Rescue Technician Certification, rated as the leading rafting license in the world, and attend rescue courses bi-annually to ensure we are up to date with global developments and rescue techniques.
We are professionals and are very good at what we do. With that said, rafting is an adventure activity with a degree of risk, participants should be aware that the rafting operator cannot completely guarantee your safety.
Cancellations
We have limited spaces on these trips, we like to keep the groups small for a better experience. Therefore, there will be a 10% fee for any cancellation outside 72 hours of departure; and there will be a 100% fee for no-shows or cancellations within 72 hours of the intended departure time. If we have to cancel for whatever reason you will receive a 100% refund.
Booking Information
Inquire or secure a spot using our online booking form. We will then have your information and contact you as soon as we can to confirm all of the details and answer any questions you may have. There are no hidden costs in our prices and all prices include a National park fee that goes to the New Zealand Department Of Conservation
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I have to book ahead?
- How do I book a trip?
- How do I get to you?
- What are your cancellation terms?
- What do the white-water grade classifications mean?
- What is the best season to go rafting in New Zealand?
- What happens on bad weather days?
- What’s provided, and what should I bring?
- What experience do I need?
- I am a guide, are you hiring?
Do I have to book ahead?
Short answer: yes, it is preferred. However, last minute bookings are not a problem and can be accommodated. Contact us and we can talk about the options and availability. Also, keep an eye on our Twitter. We’ll announce promotions and last-minute deals on there as they come up.
How do I book a trip?
Option 1: Go to the Contact page of this website. The form there will send us all of your information. We will contact you within a day to confirm, answer any questions you may have and proceed with the booking.
Option 2: Email us at info@ecorafting.co.nz with your information. We will contact you within a day to proceed with the booking. We need to know the following:
- Your contact information.
- The rafting trip you are interested in or your preferred adventure.
- The number of people rafting.
- The date(s) that you want to raft.
Option 3: Give us a call at +64 3 755 4254. If you are in New Zealand, 03 755 4254. If we’re not around, leave your information and we’ll get to you as soon as possible. You can also use Skype to call us. Our Skype status is displayed on our contact page.
How do I get to you?
Due to the number of river we raft we meet at whatever river we are rafting on that day. We will give you detailed instructions on how to get to the launch point. All of the rivers run under the main highway, so they are very easy to find.
What are your cancellation terms?
There will be a 10% fee for any cancellation outside 72 hours of departure; and there will be a 100% fee for no-shows or cancellations within 72 hours of the intended departure time. If we have to cancel for whatever reason you will receive a 100% refund. All of our terms and policies regarding our rafting trips are laid out on the policies page. We ask that you give it a quick read before booking to clarify anything before you make a booking.
What do the white-water grade classifications mean?
The International Scale of River Difficulty is a standardized scale used to rate the safety of a stretch of river, or a single rapid. The grade reflects the technical difficulty, skill level required, and dangers associated with the section of river. Specifically, the grading system for New Zealand and Australia is as follows:
Grade 1: Small regular waves. Easy passage, but care may be needed with obstacles.
Grade 2: Regular medium sized waves and generally unobstructed passage.
Grade 3: Fairly high waves, and the passage may be difficult to recognize from on the river.
Grade 4: High, powerful, irregular waves, with the passage often difficult to recognize.
Grade 5: Very difficult rapids; the extreme for commercial operations.
What is the best season to go rafting in New Zealand?
Our rafting season runs from September through to April each year. During those months, our rivers are prime for a good ride. We receive the highest rainfall in the country here on the West Coast, and it is not uncommon to get hot sun and rain in the same day. Our rivers are fed by glaciers and lakes, so we do not have low water problems like other spots in New Zealand.
And rain or shine, we’ll be running our adventure trips. We only cancel in extremely adverse conditions.
What happens on bad weather days?
We only cancel in extremely adverse conditions, in which case we provide a 100% refund. Rain doesn’t bother us, we’re getting wet anyway! We provide top-quality gear so you stay warm all day long, rain or shine.
What’s provided, and what should I bring?
EcoRafting provides all of the rafting gear, warm thermal underwear, wetsuits, dry tops, diving boots, gloves, helmets and lifejackets (pretty much everything you’ll need). For our multiday adventures we provide all tents and camping equipment. Sleeping bags and mats are available, but we prefer if you bring your own.
Always bring a swimsuit, a towel, and medication for any medical conditions or allergies you may have. Most of our trips are fully catered, in which case we’ll let you know. Half day trips you’ll need to bring a lunch. On our non-catered trips, we’ll generally provide juice and small snacks.
What experience do I need?
The only two rivers that require any previous rafting experience are the Perth and Karamea rivers. In these cases, if you have a high fitness level and are a strong swimmer, no previous rafting experience is required. All the higher grade rivers have walk around options on the bigger rapids, so if someone in your group is not comfortable with a certain section, it is not a problem, we will walk them around the bigger rapids and they can cheer the others through. Our family rafting and scenic floats have only small gentle rapids.
I am a guide, are you hiring?
We only hire guides with a Senior Grade 5 New Zealand license. We do have training options for overseas guides wanting the best rivers to train on and get New Zealand qualification.
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