Discovery Blog

Some recent snow falls have delivered some spectacular views on our trips and some great photo ops for customers. If you have photos of a previous trip on Discovery Jet we would love to see them and hopefully publish them on this Blog!

Check out our latest 5 star review on Trip Advisor here.

'We are a doctor family from Mumbai, India and drove down from Christchurch to Rakia Gorge in 90 minutes. Our initial booking was for 930am. However, when we realized that we are likely to be late, Blair was kind enough to reschedule the trip for us at 1030am. He even called us up early in the morning to update us on the weather conditions. Incidentally we were the only ones at the Rakaia gorge that day and were lucky to have the boat and gorge (!) to ourselves. Blair was very friendly and ensured that we had a good time with many bonus 360 spins. The scenery was stunning and the jet boat was handled with dexterity. I have no hesitation in strongly recommending the discovery jet and its ride. Move over Shotover Jet.!'

A jetboat is a boat propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft. Unlike a powerboat or motorboat that uses a propeller in the water below or behind the boat, a jetboat draws the water from under the boat into a pump inside the boat, then expels it through a nozzle at the stern.

Jetboats were originally designed by Sir William Hamilton (who developed a waterjet in 1954) for operation in the fast-flowing and shallow rivers of New Zealand, specifically to overcome the problem of propellers striking rocks in such waters.

 

Your feedback really helps us shape and deliver a great experience for our customers. You'll be able to read our customer reviews here. We also really encourage past customers to post reviews here.

 

'We did this on our first full day in New Zealand. Leaving from the bridge, Blair took us up the gorge in the jet boat (apparently these were invented in New Zealand as the rivers are too flat-bottomed to take an outboard motor). The scenery is amazing and the boats travel up to 60-70 kmph. Blair did plenty of spins for us which the kids really appreciated. Overall a great experience!'

 

Jet Boats have been about for a while!. New Zealand National Film Unit presents Jet Boats in New Zealand (1961)

Mr C.W.F. Hamilton, New Zealand inventor, demonstrates his jet boats on beautiful Lake Manapouri. Water-skiers skim behind jet boats on Lyttelton Harbour. The twin-jet 'Rangimarie' takes tourists up Wanganui River and jet-boaters shoot the rapids and shallows of the Waimakariri River.

 

Our new promotional video will give you a taster of what you can expect on one of our jet boat rides. Hold on tight!

Welcome to our new site, live today. We've added some new features and deals for all of our outdoor adventures.

We've also a number of photo galleries which we hope you enjoy!