Waiatoto River Safaris

Waiatoto River Safaris is located in Hannah's Clearing, just 15 minutes down the road from Haast. The quaint little town of Hannah's Clearing was originally established to house workers at the nearby Carter's sawmill. The mill is now closed but many of the old mill buildings still exist. There isn't much going on in this remote kiwi town but Waiatoto River Safaris does its part in ramping up the excitement.

Hannah's Clearing

Upon arrival to Hannah's Clearing, we were greeted by John Duberly, the owner of Hannah's Homestead and Waiatoto River Safaris. John is a South African ex-pat with great enthusiasm for New Zealand and specifically the West Coast. With the weather closing in and daylight soon to escape us, we had no time to waste. We quickly geared up and headed down the road to the Waiatoto river.




The ride is about an hour long round trip up the Waiatoto. Not deterred by the weather we launched the boat and started our trip. John is a walking encyclopaedia of information for the area and his knowledge of the local flora and fauna is infectious. The first half of the journey is fairly tame, but the views are more than enough to keep you occupied! The banks of the river are lined with temperate rainforest and mountains capped with snow; waterfalls cascade out of the hills due to snow melt above. Despite the bitterly cold temperatures, torrential rain and even hail we pushed further up the river.

Rapid section of Waiatoto River

 The second half of the trip is where things start to get interesting. After a short break and an opportunity to learn more about the local ecosystem, John pointed to some seemingly impassable rapids. Yet somehow he was able to  manoeuvre the boat further up the river. Eventually we reached a section of the river that was impenetrable and after another nature lesson we were heading back downstream.




 After blasting our way back downstream we swapped out for another group of thrill seekers. We headed back to Hannah's Homestead which is John's accommodation option. I didn't expect much from a small 2 bedroom motel in Hannah's Clearing but was pleasantly surprised. John as a host offers exceptional service, always looking to make sure you're comfortable. If you do plan on staying with John, make sure you let him know what you are interested in prior to your arrival. He will go out of his way to offer some suggestions about local activities to suit.

Hannahs Clearing to Waiatoto River

Meals aren't provided when you stay but if you're lucky, you might just get John cooking for you one night. Tonight was a special treat, not only was he cooking for us but also giving us a lesson in cooking for a group. A delicious four course meal was set out, starting with an easy but certainly not basic vegetarian soup. This was followed by a delicious pan seared salmon and rich butter sauce. For main, beautiful Angus beef and caramelised "banana split" for dessert.



After dinner, giving us a chance to digest the wonderful meal, we discussed with John the future of his business and tourism on the West Coast. He is very passionate about the West Coast and wants to attract as many tourists to his slice of heaven as he can. His thoughts on opening a road between Milford Sound and Jackson Bay were very interesting if not a little controversial.


Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my West Coast experience in Hannahs Clearing. Everything from the Waiatoto River Safaris jet boat trip to Johns wonderful and welcoming hospitality. I highly recommend visiting this beautiful part of New Zealand, and if you do, be sure to check in at Hannahs Homestead and Waiatoto River Safaris. Be sure to check out both Daniel and Regan's blogs for their experiences with John at Waiatoto River Safaris and Hannahs Homestead motel.