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Look Closer and Discover Queenstown Jet Boating

Date: 10 February 2023

Get closer to Queenstown's jet boat through its people, places and experiences.

Explore one of Queenstown's top adventures

Everyone knows Whakatipu Waimaori Queenstown is a place brimming with adventure. We're taking a deep-dive into one of the top family-friendly bucket list activities in the town, jet boating.

Headshot of one of our Jetboat drivers, Luke

Photo: Jake Moser

Meet the local heroes

Meet one of our newest jetboating heroes, Luke.

At only 24, he's already jet-boated and yachted around the globe for four years, in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Asia. But recently, his hometown came calling, and now he's back in Queenstown. We asked him why he moved away from France, the yachting capital of the world, and he told us, "it's a lot more relaxing here, with great people. The conditions are amazing; everything I encounter is smooth."

Though Luke’s just as qualified as someone double his age, he’s humbled by guests taking videos of him driving and posting content online. It's exciting when you get to be someone's hero for the day. 

Although we recommend you bring your cameras with you when you tick this one off the bucket list, you should keep your cameras stowed through the high cliffs bordering the Kawarau River. Luke's in his element when slicing through tight corners and narrow passages.

A rainbow shines in front of The Remarkables mountain range in Queenstown

Hold on tight 

Ask a long-term resident how Queenstown has changed over the last ten years, and they may not be able to fit it into words. Queenstown is forever changing, but the natural world surrounding the alpine town always stays the same.

When you hop into a jet boat from the centre of busy Queenstown, you replace the noise, buildings, and people with the roar of the jetboat, the immense scenery, and the electric atmosphere. Through the 90kmph speeds and sprays of water, jetboating really gets you experiencing a connection with the unchanging environment.

Your hands may be thrown in the air, but your surroundings are a constant you can really hold on to.

Experience exclusive landscapes

Queenstown is all about exploring. Whether that’s adventuring into newfound places, or exploring who you are as a person, this adventure capital isn’t too shy to ask if you would like to take a journey.  

When you jump into an hour-long jet boat ride up the Kawarau River, you’re going to search further up the river, and further into Queenstown’s backyard than anyone else. Travel into Queenstown’s exclusive landscapes, rich with gold mining history, and slice up the corners, skim the ridges, and find the places where few people roam.

Take a journey with us and learn more about jet boating here