Camjet Boat Tours product reviews

A character in one of my favourite movies once said "I like anything fast enough to do something stupid with." and though I disagree with the "stupid" bit, I have to agree with the context of the message. it's built in to some people... that need for speed, that thrill of risk. I guess that's why I sometimes do stupid stuff like jump off the bridge at Gravity Canyon, and do jetboat rides in Auckland's Waitamata Harbour. But this... this is the first time I have plowed down a river at speed, and this was FUN!

We started off getting fitted for life-jackets and eye protection, then entered the boat for a quick but comprehensive safety briefing. Then, with our driver, Aaron, clearly trying to make us experience thrills in all their glory - by driving full-speed for rocks, semi-submerged trees, sheer rock faces and the likes, then dodging out of the way at the last second - we first travelled downriver to the Victoria Street bridge for a brief warmup run and some local history, then a high-powered run back upriver about 7kms to the Karapiro Hydroelectric power station and dam. The dam looks somehow more... thrilling... when you are sitting just a few metres away from the bottom of the spillways. If the warning claxons sounded, I doubt even this speedy boat could outrun the onrushing water, making this a very spine-tingling trip even when sitting still.

I was really quite impressed by this ride. Not only was it a good length - long enough to get a good thrill but not so long that it became tedious or repetitive - but there was the right amount of 'local history' thrown in to make it educational as well as fun. What really appealed for me was that this ride - unlike every other jetboat ride I have tried - is family-friendly! I was able to bring my 5yr old son along for the ride and there were no hassles. Life-jackets sized for kids are readily available, as is a selection of eyewear to protect from spray.

Overall, this is certainly a great ride, well worth looking into if you want some fun with your family, your mates, or are just willing to slot into an empty seat to fill out the numbers.

The last time I did a jet-boat tour was in Auckland with my Dad a couple of years ago, roughly, but this trip - The Ultimate Dam Buster tour - was a great re-introduction to the exhilarating feeling of being on a boat travelling across water at high speed! The driver was great, he showed us some great features of the river, including the dam itself, which looked even better from the water than while being on top of it. The driver also presented some very interesting facts about the river itself as well as it's features, which made the experience educational as well as exciting.

The driver did a lot of drifts as well as 360 degree turns, and each time he did them I got a large adrenaline surge, and made me shake, but I managed to keep the "Woo-Hoos" to a minimum, but the excitement level was very high, that's for sure. I enjoyed the views along the way - I once took a slow kayak tour through the river with my Dad and a couple of other reviewers - but the high-speed approach made the trip even better somehow, don't know how, but I do know that I really loved this part of the experience.

The trip took a great amount of time, it wasn't over too soon, but it also didn't take too long to make it boring, the trip was of nearly perfect duration, and a factor that is always good for a business is to leave the customers wanting more, and that is something I felt strongly. Another big thing I enjoyed was that the scenery along the way made me proud to be in New Zealand! I have got to recommend that this trip is great for anyone who has a lust for adventure, excitement, and scenery. The journey was also well priced, while we didn't have to pay, looking at the respective prices for each tour, I have to say that by comparing the values to the respective prices, I think that the two mesh together quite nicely!