Vector Wero Whitewater Park has only been open for a few years and it’s already known throughout the city as a super fun attraction and is an awesome place to visit if you’re a thrill seeker or professional water sports enthusiast!
What is the Vector Wero Whitewater Park?
The Vector Wero Whitewater Park is New Zealand’s first man-made river and whitewater course and it is situated in the heart of Auckland. Wero is the Maori word for ‘challenge’ and the range of activities at the park are challenging not just for water sports novices but for the pros too. The park is a world class facility providing opportunities to raft, kayak, paddleboard and more.
What can I do at the Vector Wero Whitewater Park?
The easier question may be what you can’t do! If you’re after extreme water sports, then this is your venue. If you’re after a nice calm lake to practice your paddleboarding, then this is your venue. If you want a nice spot for a BBQ whilst you watch other people hurl themselves down artificial waterfalls, this is your venue.
The park has three whitewater river courses which are suitable for all levels from the Tamariki River – a recreational course of grade 1-2 white water to the Pump Waterfall – an advanced course featuring an exhilarating 4.5m drop down the highest man-made waterfall in the world.
The third course is the River Rush – a grade 3-4 course which is not for the faint-hearted. It’s 300m long and has a lot of water being constantly pumped down to keep you shooting along! The River Rush culminates with the Pump Waterfall for those who have the nerve!
The park is perfect for kayaking as well as white water rafting and a great place to learn the skills needed that could one day take you to the Olympics. The course is managed by Olympic Gold Medal champion Ian Ferguson and his team and is the perfect place for aspiring Olympians.
The Vector Wero Park also hosts a number of events like the 2017 World Games proving it’s a fantastic facility for professional athletes as well as enthusiastic members of the public.
A great day out for your company
One of the best things about the park is that it’s open to anyone and is the perfect place to do some team bonding – it’s certain to sort out the men from the boys! Groups of up to 28 can be booked onto the course and the park has a number of qualified kayaking and rafting guides who can help pull your event together.
Schools Programme
If you’re looking for something fun for your students, then a trip to the Vector Wero Whitewater Park could be just the ticket. For just $42 per student (with a potential subsidy from the Second Nature Charitable Trust taking it down to just $21) you can get a 2-hour session at the park which includes all the safety briefings before the fun really begins. The experienced guides will then take the students out onto the water where they can get involved in a number of activities from rafting and river crossing to kayaking and paddleboarding.
What are you waiting for??
The park is now open and whilst it operates winter hours from June to September which sees it closed on Monday and Tuesday, there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved and try out a new activity or hone your skills. This place gets chocka busy in the summer months but there’s plenty of room for lots of people so you will always have a great laugh. If you want to try things out when it is a bit less busy, then now’s a great time to give it a whirl.
Find out more on the official Vector Wero Whitewater Park website
