Our company was founded in 2012 by Arno Marten and initially named Expedition X. It offered guided tours on the South Island of New Zealand using packrafts. At the time very few people had even heard of packrafts, let alone used one. Expedition X was the first commercial packrafting company offering guided trips and packrafting education in New Zealand–maybe even on the planet!
We soon realised that that packrafting was growing quickly and began trading as Packrafting New Zealand in 2013.
Packrafting NZ offer a breadth of ways to get involved in amphibious adventuring – and a range of levels of involvement as well. From base line set up of kit and skills, through planned and guided expeditions, ultimately aiming to create a community of packrafters, a forum for information and planning, and an educational resource that imparts knowledge from all corners of the globe. The expeditions themselves are founded on the ‘leave no trace’ principle – with care of the environment rating high on the list of priorities as we navigate through wild spaces.
Arno founded Packrafting NZ to share this redefinition of outdoor adventure. Knowing that if bodies of water can become your route, not your barrier, then previously inconceivable journeys can be made possible. And that ability to transform the impossible into the logical will continue to open up new terrain for outdoor adventuring worldwide.
Want the long version? Read on…