This was a really wonderful day out. They were very helpful with communication prior to our trip... read more
237
12
2
0
1
Waiatoto River Safari
1975 Haast-Jackson Bay Rd | Hannahs Clearing, Haast 7844, New Zealand
Open today: 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
Review Highlights
“Take the detour to Jackson Bay to experience the Waiatoto by Boat”
We came away from this jet boat safari with a lot of local knowledge about Westland ecology... read more
Shelovesbiking
Lisa S
McKinney, Texas
10724
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Related to items you viewed
Reviews (252)
Filter reviews
252 results
Traveller rating
Traveller type
Time of year
LanguageAll languages
More languages
Traveller rating
237
12
2
0
1
See what travellers are saying:
Updating list...
2 - 7 of 252 reviews
Shelovesbiking
2
Review of: Waiatoto River Safari
We came away from this jet boat safari with a lot of local knowledge about Westland ecology, geology, plants and weather patterns. Wayne and Ruth are extremely good at sharing their passions for this spectacular unique area of our beautiful country. Loved the apricot scones and the whitebait samples and the tour was just the right length. Don’t be afraid to go on the tour if it’s raining as this is how you really experience the West Coast in its wild beauty and the boat has a glass roof if needed and there are warm jackets available too. It’s worth the trip to Jackson Bay to experience the Waiatoto.
Date of experience: January 2024
Thank Shelovesbiking
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ruth-Wayne, Owner at Waiatoto River Safari, responded to this reviewResponded 19 March 2024
What a delightful and accurate review. We really appreciate you taking the time to write your thoughts. All the best, Ruth & Wayne.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Meander787318
211
via mobile
Review of: Waiatoto River Safari
Great trip and our guide was extremely knowledgeable. Interesting talk about the kiwi sanctuary and also saw evidence of the main earthquake fault line for the S.I.
Thank Meander787318
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ruth-Wayne, Owner at Waiatoto River Safari, responded to this reviewResponded 19 February 2024
Thank you for your feedback, we appreciate you taking the time to place a review and feedback is very important for our small family business. All the best, Ruth & Wayne.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Christine8046
Switzerland
5413
Great experience. After seeing the rivers and creaks only from the driving. It is awesome to follow the river upstream. The boat is comfortable and you get warm gear (I would recommend to wear warm clothing). It did rain a bit, but no problem. The boat has a "glass"-roof. You stay dry. Wyne gave a lot of information and it was interesting talking to him. Really worth the money.
Date of experience: February 2024
Ask Christine8046 about Waiatoto River Safari
Thank Christine8046
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ruth-Wayne, Owner at Waiatoto River Safari, responded to this reviewResponded 19 February 2024
Great to hear you thought it value for the money. We are really aware that everything is so expensive in the world these days and we really like to add as much as we can to the experience so people walk away feeling like they have created a memory that will last a life-time. Kind regards, Ruth & Wayne.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
mikekathym2021
Southlake, Texas
3
via mobile 
Review of: Waiatoto River Safari
The Waiatoto River Safari was the hidden gem of our trip! It was a fun ride up the river in a jet boat. The water was amazingly blue, we stopped to take a look at the kiwi sanctuary, we went on a short bush walk, we had tea on the beach area that separated the river from the ocean. My husband and I enjoyed it immensely. Highly, highly recommended.
Date of experience: January 2024
Thank mikekathym2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ruth-Wayne, Owner at Waiatoto River Safari, responded to this reviewResponded 2 February 2024
Thank you so much - we appreciate your feedback and thoroughly enjoyed taking you both out to enjoy our amazing place. All the best on our travels. Kind regards, Ruth & Wayne.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Matthew M
Sydney, Australia
1
Review of: Waiatoto River Safari
Its such a beautiful river and we fortunately got to use their private jet boat ramp to put our boats in. However, I am utterly disappointment that Wayne has built toilets by the ramp without council consent and the effluent is simply being flushed into the river. The council are now shutting him down until this is remediated as its a Unesco world heritage site.
Date of experience: November 2023
Thank Matthew M
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ruth-Wayne, Owner at Waiatoto River Safari, responded to this reviewResponded 18 November 2023
This person is disingenuous in his comments as he did not go on our tour and he has not asked us for any clarification on what he has heard from the town's folk. Council is not shutting the river safaris down and as an ethical and sustainable tourist operator, we pride ourselves in our commitment to our environment which does not include damaging it, as matthewmW383YX has described.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC