Update for Murchison during a one month long visit to Golden Bay and Nelson in our motorhome.
On our journey north, while staying the night in Murchison, we decided to take the opportunity to experience a raft trip down the upper Buller River gorge. This activity had been in our thoughts many times in the past, just for the beauty of this river. A quick phone call to Ultimate Descents Aotearoa, rafting company, and we were on our way.
Decked out in wetsuits, life jackets and safety helmets we were transported to our starting point close to the beginning of the upper Buller gorge with our guide and five other intrepid rafters. Following a safety briefing we were all armed with paddles and launched onto the deep green water of the mighty Buller River. At times drifting slowly with the current deep in the serene, bush clad gorge, then other times bouncing down busy foaming rapids like the Ariki Falls. Leaping from a five metre high bluff into the river below to drift in the current for 200 metres before re-boarding our raft was literally an immersive experience.
In what seemed the blink of an eye our two hours floating down the Buller River was over. Back to Murchison for a hot shower, hot drink and biscuits over a debrief with our guide and staff from Ultimate Descents Aotearoa who were very friendly and very competent. We highly recommend this activity if you find yourself in Murchison with time to spare.
Brilliant!
Photographs courtesy of Ultimate Descents Aotearoa and supplied as part of your rafting experience at no extra cost. Many thanks guys.
