The Boatshed Kayaks
The Boatshed Kayaks
5
Full view
About
the Boatshed Kayaks,was set up by Richard Clark in 2000, on his property on the edge of Lake Karapiro. We offer a number of different kayaking and stand up paddle board options from our great waterfalls trip to our evening glow worm experience, just flick through our website to get a better idea for whats available. Lake Karapiro offers an exellent venue with sheltered waters and 15 km of lake to explore. making it a safe and beautiful environment to try something new. our guides and instructors are fully qualified in both flat water and graded river paddleing so if your wanting to explore some of the lower sections of the waikato river between cambridge and hamilton youll be in safe hands. The Boatshed kayaks is also involved in multisport training and hire and has been training grade 2 paddlers for over 8 years, with a huge number of paddlers experiencing their introduction to kayaking through The Boatshed.The ethos at the Boatshed has always been on getting people out there paddling, young and old, and therefore growing kayaking as a sport or recreational activity.
Similar Experiences
The Boatshed Kayaks
Booking unavailable on Tripadvisor
Want other options you can book now?
Show optionsTravelers talk about
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
267 reviews
Excellent
233
Very good
27
Average
4
Poor
0
Terrible
3
AucklandWiz
Auckland, New Zealand2,256 contributions
Feb 2021 • Couples
I had purchased this trip some months back and finally booked it for Valentines Day.
My husband was some skeptical as to what I was getting him into.
Well firstly he loved it.
It was very well run. We had great communication with Richard prior to arriving and he made sure we knew what we needed to bring ( a warm top and waterproof pants was recommended) what roads may be closed, best way to get there etc.
We were welcomed, signed in, fitted up for life jackets etc, explained to very clearly and informed of where we were going, when and how.
The kayaks were great, no leaks, and had a rudder for better steering.
We crossed the lake and paddled up the very pretty Pokaiwhenua Stream.
The getting in and out of the kayak didnt even require for us to get our feet wet.
We had a small cup of wine, hot chocolate was available along with cheese, crackers and a small fire to melt marshmallows on. When it was dark, we floated down the stream with the kayaks tethered to gather and in complete darkness witnessed a fantastic light show of the glow worms which was accompanied by a very interesting and informative talk about them.
It was very nice.
We were well cared for by thoughtful guides, and it was such a great way to spend a Valentines night.
I definately will be recommending this trip to my friends.
Thank you
My husband was some skeptical as to what I was getting him into.
Well firstly he loved it.
It was very well run. We had great communication with Richard prior to arriving and he made sure we knew what we needed to bring ( a warm top and waterproof pants was recommended) what roads may be closed, best way to get there etc.
We were welcomed, signed in, fitted up for life jackets etc, explained to very clearly and informed of where we were going, when and how.
The kayaks were great, no leaks, and had a rudder for better steering.
We crossed the lake and paddled up the very pretty Pokaiwhenua Stream.
The getting in and out of the kayak didnt even require for us to get our feet wet.
We had a small cup of wine, hot chocolate was available along with cheese, crackers and a small fire to melt marshmallows on. When it was dark, we floated down the stream with the kayaks tethered to gather and in complete darkness witnessed a fantastic light show of the glow worms which was accompanied by a very interesting and informative talk about them.
It was very nice.
We were well cared for by thoughtful guides, and it was such a great way to spend a Valentines night.
I definately will be recommending this trip to my friends.
Thank you
Written February 15, 2021
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.
Leon
1 contribution
Jan 2021
Booked this trip for my fiancee's birthday and we had a great time!
A nice relaxed pace which made it a really enjoyable evening, the guides were knowledgeable and gave good instruction to get the most out of the evening.
Just being out on the water is enjoyable enough but once we'd enjoyed a stop for roasted marshmallows, hot chocolate and for the sun to go down, the tour comes into its own.
We had a clear night with very little moonlight, great for viewing the stars and the glow worms, which rivalled the stars for their numbers, it was fantastic!
Drifting back surrounded by the glow worms was a real treat and made for such a wonderful experience. Even if you have been to Waitomo and seen the glow worms there, I would absolutely recommend this trip to really get up and close, and have some fun paddling along the river!
Thank you for a brilliant night!
A nice relaxed pace which made it a really enjoyable evening, the guides were knowledgeable and gave good instruction to get the most out of the evening.
Just being out on the water is enjoyable enough but once we'd enjoyed a stop for roasted marshmallows, hot chocolate and for the sun to go down, the tour comes into its own.
We had a clear night with very little moonlight, great for viewing the stars and the glow worms, which rivalled the stars for their numbers, it was fantastic!
Drifting back surrounded by the glow worms was a real treat and made for such a wonderful experience. Even if you have been to Waitomo and seen the glow worms there, I would absolutely recommend this trip to really get up and close, and have some fun paddling along the river!
Thank you for a brilliant night!
Written January 17, 2021
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.
Gerri S
Auckland, New Zealand233 contributions
Nov 2020 • Couples
We had never heard of this company or this trip but saw it advertised on Grab One. It sounded fun and something really different.
Our communication was with Richard and he was easy to get hold of on his mobile and communicated really well especially closer to the time.
They are prepared to change if it is really bad weather so plan on staying there two nights just in case.
Emma and Blake were our two leaders and they were impressive. The health and safety side was well covered in a calm and thorough way.
Their knowledge of glow worms was excellent and made it even more interesting.
Not everyone had kayaked before and their patience and help was exceptional. The current is not that strong in that part of the river and the tributary had just enough current to allow you to drift back slowly. We formed a raft formation coming back in the river, each with a guide until we reached the main river. Our kayaks had pole lights at the back but a full moon made it easy and unbelievably the river water was warm.
Our communication was with Richard and he was easy to get hold of on his mobile and communicated really well especially closer to the time.
They are prepared to change if it is really bad weather so plan on staying there two nights just in case.
Emma and Blake were our two leaders and they were impressive. The health and safety side was well covered in a calm and thorough way.
Their knowledge of glow worms was excellent and made it even more interesting.
Not everyone had kayaked before and their patience and help was exceptional. The current is not that strong in that part of the river and the tributary had just enough current to allow you to drift back slowly. We formed a raft formation coming back in the river, each with a guide until we reached the main river. Our kayaks had pole lights at the back but a full moon made it easy and unbelievably the river water was warm.
Written November 1, 2020
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.
jenlewis0912
Manchester, UK27 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
Don’t get me wrong kayaking through the twilight gorge was incredible and the information was great. However, it seemed very unorganised, the guide didn’t turn up and the girl that took us was clearly tired and injured. Cheese and wine for 8 of us was one Brie and one packet of rice biscuits, with one cheap bottle of white wine, no care and attention to presentation.
Just felt very underwhelming. There were other tours at the same time that looked to be better equipped.
Just felt very underwhelming. There were other tours at the same time that looked to be better equipped.
Written February 13, 2020
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.
I’m very sorry about your experience. We normally get great reviews of our guides, and apologies that this wasn’t the case for your trip . I really appreciate your feedback ,as we can now discuss improvements with our guides so this doesn’t happen again.
Re: the catering, we have always used one cheese & one crackers & one bottle of wine per eight customers and have not had negative feedback on that in the past. Maybe the poor presentation was more of a factor, but again I am sorry that you did not find this satisfactory. The wine is always a Marlborough sav so is in the mid-price range . I am again sorry that this night was not managed well on our behalf. Cheers Richard
Written February 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Greg H
1 contribution
Jan 2022
There were many highlights of this experience. The short description was we met up on the side of Lake Karapiro. After a quick brief, we paddled across the lake and up a narrow gorge about 2kms. We pulled ashore and had some refreshments (wine, hot chocolate, biscuits and marshmallows, cheese and crackers) as sun set. Then we rafted up in groups of 8 (4 double kayaks) and rafted down with an instructor. Now we could see the glow-worms on the side of the canyon we paddled through.
Highlights:
1. Roasting marshmallows over a brazier was a real highlight for myself and kids. great refreshments
2. The humility of the guides Ben and Jack. Both are accomplished Coast2Coast athletes and NZ representative kayakers. However, their friendliness and humilty was excellent. I have dealt with many outdoor edn instructors through co-ordinating Duke of Edinburgh programme. Many of the instructors are aloof and arrogant especially with adults. These two young men were a clear exception. There were a few noisy disruptive little kids and their patience with them was outstanding (one of those kids was my own little darling son)
3. Drifting though the gorge at night was simply unreal. It has to be seen to be believed. The instructors guided us through very competently. Their parents must be Batman and Catwoman to see in the dark the way they did.
4. Seeing Elon Musk's 85 line of satellites was incredible. The instructor was able to fill us in on this (as well as a lot of interesting knowledge about glow-worms). I had never even heard about this before. I only wish Elon himself was tied to one of these satellites. That way I would not have to listen to him on Earth.
Highlights:
1. Roasting marshmallows over a brazier was a real highlight for myself and kids. great refreshments
2. The humility of the guides Ben and Jack. Both are accomplished Coast2Coast athletes and NZ representative kayakers. However, their friendliness and humilty was excellent. I have dealt with many outdoor edn instructors through co-ordinating Duke of Edinburgh programme. Many of the instructors are aloof and arrogant especially with adults. These two young men were a clear exception. There were a few noisy disruptive little kids and their patience with them was outstanding (one of those kids was my own little darling son)
3. Drifting though the gorge at night was simply unreal. It has to be seen to be believed. The instructors guided us through very competently. Their parents must be Batman and Catwoman to see in the dark the way they did.
4. Seeing Elon Musk's 85 line of satellites was incredible. The instructor was able to fill us in on this (as well as a lot of interesting knowledge about glow-worms). I had never even heard about this before. I only wish Elon himself was tied to one of these satellites. That way I would not have to listen to him on Earth.
Written January 8, 2022
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.
Connie
3 contributions
Jul 2020 • Couples
My partner and I did a tour with Richard and it honesty exceeded my expectations. I’m from the city so this was just what I needed! The water was like glass and so still! We departed for the canyon just before sunset and it was just so beautiful and peaceful. We then made a campfire and waited for dark. We roasted marshmallows, drank wine and made s’mores (which I had never had previously!) It was just such a cool, intimate experience. It really re set me! Richard was so knowledgeable, hospitable and easy to along with. I am already planning my next trip and am encouraging all my friends to go!! 11/10. Just amazing! Thank you so much Richard!!! ❤️
(I recommend wearing thermals and 2 pairs of socks if your doing this in winter 😂)
(I recommend wearing thermals and 2 pairs of socks if your doing this in winter 😂)
Written July 3, 2020
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.
CCG2012
Sydney, Australia42 contributions
May 2021
What a fantastic time! Led by two experienced, friendly, informed and fun young guys. I am afraid I only caught the name of one - Jack, who I was fortunate enough to share a kayak with. We set off and kayaked along the tranquil river which was more like a lake. Very beautiful. Dusk, Jack was super obliging at doing 99.9% of the kayaking as I had injured my wrist/hand just a few days before the trip and could do very little except sit back and enjoy the incredible experience. By the time we reached our destination, it was pitch black, but Jack & his colleague knew exactly what to do. They pulled each of our kayaks up the bank and so no wet feet the entire trip!. Once on dry land they supplied us with (dry ) blankets, lit a camp fire, and gave us wine/hot chocolate and cheese & biscuits! A veritable feast! We sat around and chatted and after some time, we all got back in our kayaks but this time, we were 4/5 abreast, holding onto the kayak beside you, paddles in the kayak and only our guides doing the kayaking.
The next part of the trip was pure magic. All the lush overgrown bush that we had past in the day light was now full of glowworms, twinkling away. It was a magical fairy land special! Jack was really knowledgeable about everything, sparing no details! It really is so beautiful and such a wonderful experience - and one possible for young and old.
As we were insight of 'home' the heavens opened and there was a big downpour. But it did nothing to spoil what had been such a magical two hours. I highly recommend this tour, by this team. It was the highlight of my 9 day NZ trip.
Thank you.
The next part of the trip was pure magic. All the lush overgrown bush that we had past in the day light was now full of glowworms, twinkling away. It was a magical fairy land special! Jack was really knowledgeable about everything, sparing no details! It really is so beautiful and such a wonderful experience - and one possible for young and old.
As we were insight of 'home' the heavens opened and there was a big downpour. But it did nothing to spoil what had been such a magical two hours. I highly recommend this tour, by this team. It was the highlight of my 9 day NZ trip.
Thank you.
Written June 14, 2021
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.
Sara S
Auckland, New Zealand2 contributions
Oct 2020
This was easily one of the coolest experiences we've had in New Zealand. The whole evening was lovely - an easy paddle to a warm fire and a glass of wine. Then a float through a darkened canyon with glow worms twinkling. Amazing experience for the family. Don't miss this trip when you're on the North Island!
Written October 5, 2020
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.
Great you enjoyed ,and thanks for the feedback .Cheers Richard
Written October 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Gary Holt
Palmerston North, New Zealand11 contributions
Feb 2021
This is an excellent tour. The guides are well-versed in the local information and look after the guests so expertly and competently that you don't even get your feet wet! (You basically get into and out of the kayak on dry land.) A very pleasant way to spend an evening with stunning scenery in an area of New Zealand with hidden gems. Thank you!
Written February 27, 2021
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.
232anon232
Hamilton, New Zealand150 contributions
Sep 2020
This is a must do experience in our view. Our guides were Blake and Sonia who were very professional. It was amazing how they looked after all of us so well. We were a family party of 15 with ages from 9 to 75 so they had their work cut out with 2 oldies to watch out for, we had a snack of hot chocolate, cheese, crackers, biscuits and marshmallows around a camp fire and you can also have wine if you wish.Rafting back in the pitch dark watching the glow worms through the gorge was unforgettable. We have visited Waitomo caves and we all thought that the experience with The Boatshed Kayaks was far more interesting and far less commercial. The communication when booking was excellent, my queries were answered quickly and I highly recommend this activity. We look forward to kayaking again!!!
Written September 25, 2020
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.
I can’t swim but would love to have this experience. My friend who I want to come with can swim, not confident. Would you still recommend
Written August 17, 2019
No problem. They ask that question when you complete the form at the beginning. They have good quality life jackets which you wear at all times. The guides get everyone in and out of the kayaks at both ends without getting your feet wet.
Written November 1, 2020
I have two teenage girls 13 and 17, both at school, what price is it for them? Thx
Written August 4, 2018
You would need to check with the company. I got Grab one tickets which made it cheaper.
Written August 5, 2018
If I have my own kayak and paddle board. Can I do my own trip to the waterfall ang glowworms or do I still need to pay entrance? New to the area and busy scouting for possible paddle spots.
Written June 12, 2018
You can launch from the Boatshed you might need to carry down depending how busy we are ,and you can paddle to waterfalls from there .The glowworms trip is a outdoor adventure audited trip ,so we don,t encourage people to do this on there own ,it is better to have a guide and we can only use our double kayaks for this trip .Call in too the office and talk to phoebe she will help you .Cheers
Written June 13, 2018
Showing results 1-4 of 4
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.