Twenty-five minutes of shallow-water running and full-circle spins through the Shotover canyons at Arthurs Point. Departures every half hour.
Shotover Jet has been running boats through the narrow canyons of the lower Shotover since 1965, and is now marking sixty years of it. More than four million people have taken the ride.
The trip lasts 25 minutes: shallow water at speed, rock walls close enough to reach, and the full-circle spins the Hamilton jet is known for. Drivers are local and fill in the canyon's history between runs.
Boats leave from Shotover Jet Beach at Arthurs Point, about ten minutes' drive from the centre of town. Departures run every 30 minutes from 9.30am to 4pm, seven days a week, with the desk open 9am to 5pm. Check in half an hour before your departure.
Adults $199, children $109, or $507 for a family pass covering two adults and two children aged 15 and under. Book ahead over summer — the afternoon slots go first. Trips are called off at short notice when the river runs high, so check on the day before you drive out.
Shotover Jet is owned by Ngāi Tahu.
