Dart River

　　The Dart River winds through the southwestern part of New Zealand’s South Island, partly within Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, and eventually flows into Lake Wakatipu. Named in the 1860s by William Gilbert Rees, it is renowned for white-water rafting.

　　The Dart River is a stunning blue river located near Queenstown, stretching 60 kilometers, making it an ideal destination for rafting. Every visitor is drawn to experience the thrilling Dart River jet boat ride. This adventure offers a unique and enriching travel experience, complemented by breathtaking scenery: snow-capped mountains, ancient native beech forests, waterfalls dropping nearly 100 meters, deep glacial valleys, and a sense of timeless wonder. Guests can enjoy an exciting jet boat journey, navigating the branching waterways of the Dart River for 1.5 hours, including exhilarating 360-degree spins. Most thrilling of all is speeding across the water in a high-powered jet boat or paddling in a unique inflatable canoe, exploring the pristine "World Heritage" natural landscape in a fun and distinctive way.

　　The blue-hued Dart River is also uniquely picturesque and has served as a filming location for major movies. Parts of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy were shot here, and the actress who played Queen Galadriel particularly enjoyed the river rafting scenes. It is hailed as the "Mirror River."

　　Dart River Reason to Visit: New Zealand’s best river for rafting Continent: Oceania [Oceania] Country/Region: New Zealand [New Zealand] Province/State: Auckland Region [Auckland Region]