Blazing Adventures

We had a wonderful four days paddling down the Whanganui. We were 5 women, average age 62, some of whom hadn't done much canoeing before. There was a real sense of adventure and exploration paddling down the river, camping at the DOC sites and at the Marae on the last night.Blazing Adventures were a great company to go with. The equipment, including safety equipment, was all good. Some of it was brand new. Maree listened to all our worries and taught us how to pack and load the boats. We stayed at the river rock cottage the night before, which made the morning of departure very straight forward. Thoroughly recommend this trip and this company.

A great company to go paddling with! Good gear, friendly staff and service, and we thought really good value. We did the four day package, and highly recommend Blazing Paddles and the team.

Highly recommend Blazing Paddles over other companies if you are considering doing the Whanganui River Journey. They are a well oiled machine and know their gear and what works best. They lit the fire for us in the free cottage accomodation the night prior. They provided clear route and safety directions and detailed maps. Their barrels were definitely the best - if you capsized the lids wouldn’t fall off and your gear would stay in the canoe when you flipped it back upright. Their canoes were a good size and there was PLENTY of storage space in the barrels for tents, equipment, food, clothes etc. Great value, best equipment and great service. Thanks guys!

My partner and I had the absolute best time on the river thanks to these guys! The equipment was safe and comfortable and of a much better quality than other companies. They have been really helpful, supportive and fun! We will surely book with them again :)

We had an awesome time with Blazing Paddles!Staying at the River Rock Cottage the night before our trip was great - it's well equipped with a barbecue and kitchen. Safety is definitely a priority on their trips and an extended safety briefing was given prior to our departure. The material provided was of high quality with cool wooden paddles and heaps of storage.We were picked up at Pipiriki quickly and were back at basecamp in no time!Can definitely recommend!

This couple hired Blazing Adventures for 3 day-2 night Waka Whakahoro" with guide. Great decision. We brought our personal gear

We had a truly incredible experience on the Whanganui River Journey with Blazing Adventures. Maree was so thorough in organising everything; picking us up from the train station and taking us to the wonderful accommodation the night before the canoe adventure and arranging canoes, paddles, a tent and cooking apparatus for a magical three day adventure on the river. Luke, who drove us to the launch point on day 1 and picked us up from Pipiriki on day 3, was also so friendly and brilliant, telling fascinating stories of the rivers significance in Maori culture.I would highly recommend Blazing Adventures to anyone.Thanks again for all of your help Maree and Luke!

Highly recommend going with these guys if you’re looking to canoe down the Whanganui river! My partner and I had such a great experience! First off, they are so well organised. They provide accomodation the night before, we had a private room to ourselves in a shared house. Clean comfy beds, nice warm house and hot shower available. They prepared all the barrels and dry bag at the house for you to pack the night before. Next up, they really prioritise having a personal touch and your experience so they keep their groups small and use better equipment (wooden paddles instead of plastic ones, better barrels), they even provide the map & set of instructions in a waterproof pack to clip in your canoe. On the drive to the starting point of the canoe trip, our host, Luke, gave us so many great tips on the canoe journey, tackling the rapids, safety tips if we capsized (which we did on the last day). Before we set off, Luke even did a karakia (prayer) for us, which was a beautiful. Lastly, because they keep the group small, on the last day of our canoe journey, we could just get picked up straight away and head back without having to wait around for everyone else to finish up. Overall a really positive experience and definitely recommend them!

We had the most fantastic trip on the Whanganui river with Blazing Adventures. The team made us feel at home at the accomodation the night before the trip and then getting us set up with great quality gear. I would highly recommend to anyone that hasn’t done paddling before and is looking for a full package that makes you feel prepared and safe. Ngā mihi nui

Even a full five stars doesn't do justice to how good Blazing Adventures are. The friendly team really went above and beyond to make sure we had the best time out on the 5 day Whanganui river journey. We really felt like we were in safe hands, and the equipment they provided was great. Even when we accidentally tipped the canoes a few times all our gear stayed dry in the barrels provided. The accommodation the night before the trip was also a real bonus, with comfy beds and a nice warm shower before we set off. I'd definitely recommend Blazing Adventures to anyone!