Passionate, adventurous – Arno pioneered commercial packrafting in NZ some 12 years ago.
About us
We are a bit old school but effective
For the love of adventure
Our love, passion and knowledge for the great backcountry comes from spending over 25 years operating commercially in the outdoors.
We only use high-quality gear that’s long-lasting, fit for purpose and right for you.
That’s why we started Light and Fast – to connect you to better gear for better adventures.
If you like the gear we use in our expeditions, and want to begin your packrafting journey, head over to the website.
Skill Development
Build a strong foundation
Arno, meet Alpacka raft
Back before he had the idea of starting a business, before he even knew about packrafts at all, Arno had another idea–to swim down the West coast of New Zealand from Milford sound to Bluff. As crazy as this sounds, Arno’s past life had taught him all about towing backpacks through rough seas. But with the southern ocean being notorious even as rough seas go, and owing to the distance of the proposed trip, Arno knew that he’d have a LOT of gear, and so wanted a better solution than what he was used to. What about towing an inflatable raft? With some research, he found Alpacka Raft. They liked his idea of crazy and introduced him to his first packraft, an Alpacka Llama.
This is where it all started.
During training missions in 2011 and early 2012 Arno ticked off the length of the west coast swim in bite-sized pieces and fell in love with his packraft along the way. Then, in September he made an attempt at the full 400 km distance, fully unsupported, and with just a couple resupply stops along the way. The adventure was cut short a week into the journey as bad weather moved in and a broken backpack made the occasional inland journey next to impossible. Arno waited out the weather on dwindling food supplies and pulled the pin. That started the idea of a Packrafting Business.
Explore the wild
Using a packraft to go places where other can't go
Why not start a business?
Arno was between jobs at the time of his thwarted swim and as he had the freedom to choose, his girlfriend (now wife) suggested that he start a packrafting company. This coincided nicely with Alpacka releasing a redesigned boat that was much more stable and better suited. for beginner paddlers. The decision was made, the bank loan signed, and the first few boats ordered. Commercial guiding permits were secured, safety audit passed and Packrafting New Zealand (Expedition X) officially opened its doors to the general public on 01. 12. 2012.
The company was initially called Expedition X because Arno thought he might combine packrafting with other outdoor pursuits. He soon saw how perfect New Zealand was for packrafting , however, and realized he didn’t want to do anything else! The name was changed to…you guessed it, Packrafting NZ.
Pushing the Limits
Even the strongest person will need some help one day
The new Packrafting HQ
The company was originally located in Queenstown. Now from the beginning, Arno had big plans for the company to be an expedition and education based company, but found this hard to achieve surrounded by the hustle and bustle and volume-based tourism experiences being hawked all around him. A change was needed, and Arno planned to look for a more suitable place to base the company once he had a few years of taking tourists on day trips under his belt.
Change in the right direction
But the change came sooner than expected, and from America of all places, when an American ex-pat called out of the blue and asked for a job as a guide. Arno was intrigued (this guy had actually knew what packrafting was) and so the pair met in Kingston in the winter of 2015. It turns out that Andy, the American, had been packrafting since 2004 and had paddled already plenty of trips under his belt in Fiordland. Over the next few months, the two paddled together and hatched a plan–they’d open up trips in Fiordland which Andy could guide (once Arno trained him up) and Arno would carry on in Queenstown. But between all the training and testing of rivers there was an awful lot of backwards and forwards for Arno which, after a while, became too much, even for the German who loves driving.
But Arno also remembered that he loved Fiordland. His new wife loved Fiordland, and the trips were, well, better in Fiordland–more remote, more pristine, more genuine wilderness. All things Arno loved. So in 2017 the company moved to Te Anau.
What an awesome world we live in
Every once in a while slow down and enjoy the moment
A solid team
Ever since Andy joined Arno, he became an integral part of the crazy German/American operation that is Packrafting NZ. Over the years they’ve had to tweak things here and there–working hard to find the market, stay true to themselves, and stay in the flow. .And even after a pretty bad 2020–where epic floods and world ravaging pandemics brought on thoughts of end-times, Packrafting New Zealand is still standing–stronger than ever. It is still, at its core, a small operation offering value to anyone who wants to get into packrafting and experience a genuine wilderness adventure. You need to join us to understand the true meaning of the crazy German/American Team. We’ll hope to see you sometime in the future. Maybe on our Hollyford Pyke Expedition 😉
Arno Marten
Owner
Arno Marten
Owner
Andy Magness
Minion (2IC)
Andy Magness
Minion (2IC)
Started packrafting 15 years ago as a climbing bum as means of transport to get to the remote climbing sites.