School Programs

Beginning in 2022, NZWA will be offering the best whitewater kayaking camps on the North Island of New Zealand. Our camps and courses are designed with an emphasis on personal and social development, as well as gaining comprehensive knowledge of river safety, rope work, teamwork and, of course, skills in a kayak! A great addition to, or progression towards, the outdoor education programs in your school.

These epic three- day-two-night adventures are for year 10 to 13 students, designed to progress necessary skills of whitewater kayaking and river safety. Groups are divided by age and skill level. Even if you are a complete beginner, come along! We can help you get on the river and start your whitewater journey.

Camp Overview…

Over the course of 3 days, depending on which camp you are booking on, we will visit up to four beautiful rivers on the North Island: the Waikato, the Rangitaiki, the Mohaka and the Kaituna.

In our July kayak camp will start with a pool session in the Rotorua Aquatic Centre. Here we will teach the participants the basics of how to roll their own kayak, or developing the skills they already have. After we will be visiting the Aniwhenua Section of the Rangitaiki River, camping at the Aniwhenua Lake Campsite. We will be running the fun and scenic section of class 2 whitewater on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. On Sunday we will be finishing the trip off on the Kaituna River. Here we will safely introduce the participants to faster water, and even give them the chance to safely progress their skills to class 3 (if their ability allows).

We encourage parents to join us on the final afternoon at the Kaituna River (Sunday the 17th of July). Here, you can see with your own eyes your kids’ progression as they run a fun rapid under the highway bridge, which is a perfect, easily accessible spot to watch from.

Camp Schedule

Friday 15th of July– Pool session in Rotorua & Paddle the Aniwhenua section of the Rangitaiki River. Aniwhenua Campground.
Saturday 16th of July– Paddle the Aniwhenua section of the Rangitaiki River. Aniwhenua Campground.
Sunday 17th of July– Drive to the Kaituna River, Okere Falls, Rotorua. Paddle the Kaituna River. Finish at 3:30pm.

Here are some photos of the Aniwhenua Section of the Rangitaiki River

Evenings…

Our evenings are spent camping next to the rivers in Private or DOC campsites with toilet facilities and running water. The only exception is the Glenfalls Campsite on the Mohaka River, where NZWA will supply a sufficient amount of drinking water for everyone to drink and to cook. We spend the evenings playing fun games, like four square & spikeball before and after dinner. We finish each day with a comprehensive debrief, a review of the day’s activities and the plan for the following day.

NZWA is able to provide three nutritious meals per student for each full day of camp, as well as snacks for the river for an added cost of $50 per day. We always bring too much food because we know how much these growing humans can eat, especially after a good day on the water! We can cater for any dietary requirements, so please let us know! We have thought of a lot, and have included it in the price.

What gear we provide…

NZWA will provide all of the river gear and instruction needed for the week, which includes: kayaks, paddles, lifejackets, helmets, rescue ropes, warm layers and splash tops.

We require students to bring the following gear themselves;
For camping: tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, pillow.
For kayaking: footwear for the river (old sneakers or surfing boots are perfect!), Wetsuit (if you don’t own one, we will provide one!)
For evenings: warm layers, jackets and covered shoes.

Our Instructors…

Our instructors are world class kayakers. They are fully certified with first aid and river rescue qualifications and have undergone a full police check prior to employment with us. We observe a smaller than usual ratio of 1:4 (instructor to kids) to ensure a safer and more personal individual learning experience. To learn more about us, please visit our ABOUT page.