Tucked away at the base of the Ruahine Ranges and Mt. Aorangi, on the banks of the Rangitikei River, this lodge is the perfect escape from the stress of every day life and engage with nature.
It is the ideal central location: about half way between Wellington and the Rotorua/Taupo area. W...
Tucked away at the base of the Ruahine Ranges and Mt. Aorangi, on the banks of the Rangitikei River, this lodge is the perfect escape from the stress of every day life and engage with nature.
It is the ideal central location: about half way between Wellington and the Rotorua/Taupo area. We are also around 2 hours journey from Napier/Hawkes bay, Palmerston North and Whanganui.
We have a range of accommodation options, from bunk rooms, to campsites through to deluxe Riverside Suites perfect for a romantic weekend away.
Please note: We are in an area that does not have cellphone coverage, ensuring a strong dose of peace and quiet.
Essential Stay Info
Lodge
Private Room
Breakfast Available
Dinner Available
Lunch Available
Access to lakes, rivers, streams & beaches
Children Welcome
Digital Detox
Family Friendly
Rural Views
Shared Living Area
Solitude
Sustainable Stays
Unique Accommodation
Check in time: From 3pm Check out time: 10am
Eating and Drinking
The lodge has an on-site cafe and restaurant, serving tasty and nutritious home cooked food (a lot of which is made using fresh produce from our gardens).
We have a shared guest kitchen for all guests to use.
In the room there are tea and coffee making facilities and the family room has a small fridge.
Bedding Configuration
1 x King bed
2 x Bunk sets
1 x King bed
2 x Bunk sets
More info about the property
For adventuring families, or just a group of friends, this is a larger family room. With a private bathroom, this room can be a great hideaway for a night or two if you are taking part in one of our f...
For adventuring families, or just a group of friends, this is a larger family room. With a private bathroom, this room can be a great hideaway for a night or two if you are taking part in one of our family adventures.
The lodge is out of cell phone coverage, but our deluxe rooms come with complimentary wi-fi access.
The family room comes with tea and coffee making facilities and a small fridge in the room.
Guests in our deluxe rooms have complimentary access to the spa and sauna.
RECENT REVIEWS - "The family room was a very cool experience for our family of six. Our youngest, a 12 year old boy, jokingly said that he couldn’t wait to get home to change our house around so all six of us could sleep in one room (we were hoping he was joking). The family river trip was spectacular: the scenery, waterfall, and expert guidance from Brian and Daniel. We’ll cherish our memories of River Valley for years to come. Thank you."
All our rooms have electric heaters in the bedrooms and underfloor heating in the bathrooms to keep you cosy.
Unique kiwi experiences for you
Enjoy a home cooked farm to table meal from our restaurant
Try one of our adventure activities - white water rafting, horse trekking or cycling
Enjoy a swim in the beautiful Rangitikei River, right outside the lodge
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What we love about this property
Restore, Rejuvenate, Re-Create, Regenerate! Embrace solitude, or seek an adventure - River Valley is the perfect place to escape from life and enjoy being blissfully disconnected from the modern world...
Restore, Rejuvenate, Re-Create, Regenerate! Embrace solitude, or seek an adventure - River Valley is the perfect place to escape from life and enjoy being blissfully disconnected from the modern world.
We highly value getting out on both the river and land, exploring, experiencing, normally by raft or horseback, offering grade 5 white water rafting scenic rafting and multi-day river trips. River Valley Stables also offers natural horsemanship training and horse rides for experienced riders.
WINTER FRIENDLY: All our rooms have electric heaters in the bedrooms and underfloor heating in the bathrooms to keep you cosy.
Our grade 5, white water rafting trip is often recognised as one of the best half day trips in the world!
With 10 major rapids on this 11 km run, plus numerous smaller rapids, there is plenty to get excited about.
This half day trip starts at the lodge, we drive approximately half an hour to the put in point and then raft back down (approximately 2-3 hours on the water) to the lodge.
We are one of the few companies in New Zealand to run our white water trip all year round.
A full day ride exploring the enchantment of the unique countryside this part of the world has to offer. You need to be comfortable in the saddle at all gaits over all-terrain to really enjoy this.
River Valley Stables operates at some of the highest elevations of any trekking operation in New Zealand; consequently, weather conditions can change quickly. This can alter our choice of trails used on any given day.
If the weather is looking okay, then the ride will be to the top of Pukeokahu (1000 metres above sea level), what we call a hill, but many would call a mountain. Many of the trails are steep; however, the views from the top are incredible – you will just have to take our word for it and check them out yourself!
The top of Pukeokahu is an excellent place for your lunch stop on a lovely summers day.
Experience the freedom of riding using Natural Horsemanship techniques. At River Valley Stables we train our horses using natural horsemanship techniques and choose to ride our horses bit-less and barefoot (no metal in their mouths, or on their hooves).
Activity Length: Full day 10AM-3PM
River Valley Stables offers rides for riders. Therefore some previous riding experience is needed - you must be confident and in control on a moving horse at all paces outside an arena for this ride.
With over 30 Grade 2 (easy) rapids, amazing scenery and a riverside lunch, the 13 km section of the Rangitikei River downstream from the Lodge is perfect for all ages.
On the way down, immense cliffs cradle the river canyon. It is in one of these sections that we stop and have a picnic lunch. From there it is a relaxing float out to the take out, followed by a scenic drive back to River Valley Lodge. For those wanting more excitement, we can take inflatable kayaks as well as rafts.
The trip includes lunch, transport and all equipment.
At River Valley Lodge we major in Farm-To-Table style cooking. We don't publish a menu, as we do not have one! Our menu changes each day and our chef creates fresh and delicious dishes with whatever produce is freshly harvested from the gardens that day.
Our meat is locally sourced and free range, organic or grass-fed.
Our on site organic vegetable gardens, River Valley Acres, supply many of our vegetables, ensuring freshness and taste.
All our meals are augmented with relishes and chutneys again produced from ingredients sourced from our gardens.
We do require pre-booking for dinner, and can cater for vegetarian or other dietary requirements if told in advance.
The dinner price includes a 3 course Farm to Table dinner - starter, main and dessert
River Valley Lodge sits within a beautiful part of New Zealand. While many guests prefer to explore the, often dramatic scenery, by raft or horse, there is also another way, and that is by E-bike. The backcountry roads in the local area, combined with the ease of travel offered by an E-bike, makes exploring fun and doable.
Who Can Ride?
We have a range of bike sizes, from S to XL. Our policy is that if you can comfortably fit and control the bike, you can ride it.
Where To Ride
The roads around River Valley are backcountry gravel roads and would be Graded 2 – 3. You will be sharing the road with other traffic, though you will most likely encounter very few other vehicles. When you hire an E-bike through us we will provide you with access to a .pdf file with marked rides, such as “High Point” and the “Tour de Moawhango”, or you can do your own thing. We encourage you to ride to the conditions and your ability.
Reviews
Reviews
If someone was interested in coming to New Zealand, I would definitely recommend River Valley. That would be one of the first things I would say. You have got to stop by River Valley
A great trip for taking the children along. You just don't feel that you have to keep your eye on them the whole time
We had such a wonderful weekend at River Valley, everyone is still buzzing, especially Mum and Dad. We could not have asked for a more relaxing setting that suited all our needs with the age range from 5 months to 80 years!
If someone was interested in coming to New Zealand, I would definitely recommend River Valley. That would be one of the first things I would say. You have got to stop by River Valley
A great trip for taking the children along. You just don't feel that you have to keep your eye on them the whole time
About your host, River Valley
Whether you are looking for a scenic weekend retreat, an adventure holiday or simply a beautiful place to put your head for a night we would love to invite you to come and stay with us, but be warned: once you experience the valley, some people never leave!
Within our extended family we can lay claim to three generations of Rafting and Horse Trekking Guides. Unique amongst adventure operators. Experience, knowledge and insights, that have not been lost with each change of staff, but rather treasured and added to over decades by the family.
The business has always been family owned and run, and started out on the family farm.
Being away from the main tourist centres, we have tended to develop systems and ways of doing things that are often unique to us. This approach is quite holistic, whether it be Natural Horse Training at the Stables, growing our own vegetables for the Lodge kitchen, having an extended family relationship within the staff, or doing practical things for the natural environment.
From the very beginning our focus has been on delivering a quality, fun experience to our guests, maintaining good relationships with our local community, and operating with a minimum footprint in our natural environment.
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