This is a once in a life-time experience and different from any other Glowworm Tour you'll go on!
Our adventure begins late afternoon / early evening at Riverside Adventures' base in South Waikato. Paddle along the southern edge of Lake Karapiro, over the old submerged Horahora Dam that produced electricity for the early Waihi goldfields.
Learn the history of the Horahora village and enjoy the twilight & silence of being on the water as the day draws to an end.
As night arrives over the lake , paddle slowly up the Pokaiwhenua Stream and through the canyon carved out by water over many hundreds of years. Native ferns & trees drape over you, bird life is all around.
When darkness falls we float silently back downstream, being guided by the glow worms on either side sparkling like Christmas lights.
Posted By : rachelhD3401IM
I0/10 this is a must do! The tour guides were fantastic and took suck good care of us throughout the whole tour. The current in the river was stronger than they anticipating but their professional and skill made it a breeze to get through. The glow works were gorgeous and the little snack halfway through was good (who knew hot orange Raro and cinnamon was so good!). I highly recommend this experience, my partner and I had a really good time and these guys made it so much fun.
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Posted On : 2024-06-17 16:48:48 
Posted By : wendyorangeblue
I highly recommend this for both Kiwis and visitors to Aotearoa. Small group, expertly managed by Daniel, not too difficult and a varied and beautiful experience. Check the weather before you go and have layers of suitable clothing (not cotton/jeans).
Expect basic but perfectly adequate facilities. All necessary gear is provided (in great condition).
Many thanks to this company for their generous rebooking policy, we really appreciated that.
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Posted On : 2024-05-27 21:28:40
Posted By : Sherpa34122573574
Every step of the trip was well organized and planned, from relating the history of the area, to the information about flora and fauna along the way, and helpful advice with paddling
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Posted On : 2024-05-27 05:07:55
Posted By : CambridgeRebels
What a great crew, quality equipment provided and a strong focus on safety. Then on the water a mind blowing experience and history lesson. The first half is impressive. The second half gliding through the tight river gorge is just unbelievable. From start to end a brilliant experience. Thank you team, we will be back.
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Posted On : 2024-05-26 05:20:53
Posted By : clarebD8363WE
This was a really enjoyable tour. We kayaked upstream and stopped for some local history learning about the town. We stopped for a break as it got dark then back in the kayaks to drift downstream. It was magical looking at the glow worms as we drifted. I would 100% recommend this company.
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Posted On : 2024-05-18 19:22:23
Posted By : Passenger30770504782
Great kayak tour! We had an amazing view of the nature, glow worms and the beautiful night sky. The team was very professional and provided all the gear needed as well as a little snack. Our guide told us more about the area, the glow worms and the star formations which was quite interesting. Absolutely recommendable!
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Posted On : 2024-05-14 05:55:28
Posted By : jstlky
What a terrific experience! Travelling by Kayak to view glow worms! Kudos to our guide Lofty and his team. It was clear that safety was the first consideration, but Lofty was a great teacher, a supremely experienced kayaker, and he was lots of fun. There was genuine enthusiasm from everyone on the Riverside team and that took away any concerns about safety and made the trip fun. The skilled team kept everyone safe on the water, and allowed us to learn about the river, the lake, the flora, and especially the glow worms. You've got a great staff Riverside Adventures. Thanks for a great and unique New Zealand experience. Well done!!!
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Posted On : 2024-05-12 21:51:54
Posted By : Coastal24461114638
An amazing trip 10/10 would recommend! I took a group of youth and young adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities and Riverside were amazing with them, so accommodating to us and our needs. Views were amazing and the trip was awesome!
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Posted On : 2024-04-30 16:40:39
Posted By : GrahamH1964
Very professional, friendly and informative from booking to saying good bye and thank you. The stars and the glow worms were memorable.
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Posted On : 2024-04-29 15:57:37
Posted By : Danawayfromhome
Lofty, Dan and crew showed our family group of 16 an amazing kayaking experience. Our ages ranged from 9 years old to 80! The paddle in was leisurely with history stops along the way.
We disembarked for a quick snack, drink and briefing for the twilight part of the paddle. I was impressed with how eco-friendly the snacks and drinks were; no footprint left except our own.
The safety measures for the night paddle to view the glow worms were excellent. The crew were there to help and guide if you got a little stuck. The glow worm experience was incredible…. like paddling through Pandora!
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Posted On : 2024-04-08 02:17:04
