Rafting in New Zealand - Safety

We love our jobs, we love New Zealand and we love hiking, exploring and rafting in New Zealand, but we don't go anywhere if it's not safe - end of story! Your safety is as important to us as it is to you and we take it seriously.

Hidden Valleys is a registered New Zealand Rafting Association company and is certified under New Zealand Maritime Safety Law as an approved rafting operator in New Zealand.

Our Safety Practices

All of our trips (rafting trips and adventure tours) provide full safety briefings and practical instructions and are always subject to weather and river conditions. Plane and helicopter flights are weather dependent and decisions for flying conditions are made on the day.

Rafting in New Zealand - Safety Practices

At least two guides are taken on all departures and a New Zealand Mountain Radio is carried at all times. For river trips of grade 4/5 a minimum of two rafts and 3 guides are used. One of these guides will operate as a safety kayaker, an important member of our safety team. On multi-day trips we run a gear boat so we can transport our personal and camp gear down river, allowing plenty of room for many of the home comforts you may only dream of carrying on a camping trip. This also leaves our paddle rafts light for good manoeuvring or the option of resting up on the gear boat which is paddled by a guide using oars.

All Hidden Valleys' guides are professionally qualified and experienced. In addition, all guides are credible industry leaders who were part of the advisory group instrumental in setting guide standards for the Maritime Safety Authority. Not only have we worked together for years on the river, but also for the industry.

The owner of Hidden Valleys, Grant South (Southy), initiated the New Zealand Rafting industry workshops, which have resulted in increased levels of safety and fostered a climate in which professional guides can operate. He was also responsible for writing some of the Unit Standards on the National Qualifications Framework. He is a National Assessor and one of only two registrars for the New Zealand Rafting industry in New Zealand.

River Grade Classification

Classification of Rapids (An international rapid grading system)

River rapids' grades are approximate, rather than a definitive measure of a rapid's seriousness, difficulty, or degree of danger.

Grade 1
Rapids are small, regular waves and an easy passage to pass through with no obstructions.

Grade 2
Rapids have regular, medium sized waves. The passage to pass through is generally unobstructed, although there may be some rocks or obstacles.

Grade 3
Rapids with fairly high waves (1-2 metres). There will be some definite river features such as strong eddies, stopper waves, exposed rocks, small drops. A passage may be harder to recognise and some manoeuvring is required to negotiate.

Grade 4
Difficult rapids with high, powerful, irregular waves, definite river features broken and boily water. Some hazards. The passage is often hard to recognise and precise and sequential manoeuvring is required.

Grade 5
Very powerful rapids and strong current. There may be numerous obstacles. Precise, powerful sequential manoeuvring is required. A definite risk to personal safety exists.

Grade 6
Near impossible to navigate. Life threatening.

Information extract from New Zealand Rafting Association


2000 NZ Men's Rafting Team		2006: Grant South and Bob McLachlan: 2nd place in International Rafting Competition China

Owner/Operator Grant South (Southy) also:

Has been guiding for over 15 years
Has rafted in New Zealand, Nepal, Turkey, Australia and the United States
Has guided on the White Nile in Uganda
Captained the 2000 New Zealand men's rafting team who were the Australasian champions and came third in the world championships held on the Zambesi River in Africa
Has been Chairperson of the New Zealand Rafting Association for 5 years
Is a National Assessor for the Sport, Fitness and Recreation Industry Training Organisation (ITO)
Is one of only two Registrars for the New Zealand Rafting industry.

For further information about Grant and the team, please check us out on our About Us page.

For specific information re each trip, please check the adventure trips page.