Today is jetboat day on the glacially fed Dart River. The total trip actually involves a bus ride including time on the gravel bars of the braided Dart River (more on that later), a bit of a bush walk through dense forest of the Aspiring National Park, then a jetboat ride on the Dart. We are traveling with Dart Boat Adventures.
Kent and I caught a shuttle from camp, 12 mile delta just outside of Queenstown, to Glenorchy for the start of our adventure. We get tickets and spray jackets and climb on board this odd-looking bus. It sets high with steep steps and is very boxy looking. It is comfy inside and off we go
The ride out is filled with trivia about the history of this area and a bit about the geology. We enter Mt. Aspiring National Park through what sort of feels like the back door since it involves driving up river on gravel bars of the actual river bed. Pretty cool. Our bush walk gets an inauspicious start as the guide lets us know that there is free sand fly repellant available for the taking at the trail head. Hmmm. We did take some. The coolest thing, the Lance tree. It has evolved to actually change the texture of its leaves as it gets taller. When small, leaves are sparse and tough and pointy but once full grown and out of reach of ground birds it gets fuller and the leaves more pliable and soft. We see a lot of huge red and black beech trees (not much like beech trees we know from the US). Some are said to be 500 to 900 years old. We come across an oversized chair out among the trees. The claim is that it is a prop from The Hobbit. No telling, but we posed in it anyway.

Just a quick bus ride from the walk to the gravel bar the jetboats are loading on today. The river changes every day or even during a day so the loading site is different all the time. Our driver makes a route adjustment and quick as that, the wheels spin (all six of them) and we sink frame deep in the loose gravel so deep that the doors won’t clear to open. There is some head scratching, some pacing and a call for help, by radio of course since we are in the middle of nowhere. Boat drivers come to our aide and together manage to dig out enough gravel by the door that we can squeeze out. Just a little added excitement then a short walk down river to the boats. Ok, we are back on track and on board.
The ride is thrilling. Views are spectacular. The spray nearly freezing against the face. We make it nearly to the start of the river to an area where the waters are so rough and fast that slides and gravel rearrangement make further passage impossible. Downriver is great fun too as the driver throws in just enough spins and obstacle dodging to make it exciting. Oh yes, do it if you get a chance!
We have a little time in Glenorchy awaiting our bus ride back to camp. The excitement of the ride worked up an appetite. A bowl of fries and Mac’s Muddy Apple Cider hit the spot.