A MUST DO if you like crafting! It's the most enjoyable and rewarding activity I've payed for in 5 months spent travelling around New Zealand! You'll know everything about the blacksmith job and how a forge works. Rob and Arja take a great care to make sure you feel good, the atmosphere is familial and the food was absolutely delicious! I've spent a full day with Rob, We've made a fantastic sturdy Khukuri knife and I really did a lot of it myself. It's greatly rewarding to leave with your own creation.

This was the most wonderful experience you can imagen! With Nicole and Shawn who told us about their life and about NZ history while riding in beautiful the surondigns we couldn´t have wish for more. The horses were very nice and we loved their dog, Luk who came with us on our tour. Thanks a lot and an extra tanks for the cold and lovely milk!!!

I would highly recommend this activity to anyone. Nicole is a great teacher and makes you feel welcome and safe from the very beginning. The horses are beautiful and very friendly. Not to mention the track gives you access to the most surreal, relaxing scenery. 10/10, we loved it!

It was the best ride I've had in a long time. The horses were awesome, the nature incredible (there are some spots where they shot a scene for The Hobbit) and Nicole was really nice. When you book through this site and are an experienced rider make sure to give Nicole a call before you go do you don't end up in a beginner's group. This way you'll be able to trot and race up the mountains as well. You definitely leave with a smile on your face

Rob & Arja were very welcoming and the course was awesome. I did full day course so i was available to forge my own kitchenette knife i'm so grateful to have a knife i'll carry for all my carrer. I'll not forget to tanins Arja for the beautiful lunch. (And thank's again for the receipe!!!!) well if you want to spend a good day and learning some blacksmith that's definitly the place to be Cheers Seb

I'd give it 6 stars if I could. For anyone wanting to learn the ancient art of the Blacksmith or just have a fun day and go home with something you've made and a great story to tell, this experience is well worth it. Rob is always willing to pass on his wealth of knowledge and experience. His enthusiasm for the craft is contagious and the full day experience is honestly not enough for any avid fan of crafting glowing hot metal. I could have spent a week there. Arja's authentic, home cooking was phenomenal and really added to the whole experience. You can't learn on an empty stomach. I will definitely be going back to Kowhai Forge.

There are not many most do in Nz but this is definitely one. Just go for it. You wont doubt it. I did it with my father and we both enjoyed it really much. Together with the waitomo caves the two best things on the north island. It is just awesome, Rob is funny, friendly and knows and loves what he does. The food is good and so are the drinks. It came out that the knife in the end was just ,,Das Sahnehäubchen" as we would say in Germany. Hands down that's a 5/5 without any hesitation.

Set high in the hills this workshop is a great place to spend the morning. Very welcoming and friendly atmosphere. With no past experience we crafted a piece of artwork under Rob's skilled guidance. Enjoyed a scrumptious morning tea and left with a great sense of achievement. Even got to keep our prized creation! Amazing to see the skill and passion Rob has for blacksmithing Thanks Rob and family

This was such an awesome experience. Blacksmithing is SO HARD! But Rob makes it look so easy, bringing life into steel! So good.

Thanks for an awesome trek. Definitely recommend and we will be back!

My partner and I were total beginners, but Nicole made sure we both felt comfortable and knew what to do. The farm is beautiful and there's some nice variety on the track (hills, bridges, etc.) to keep things interesting for two hours. We stopped for a snack, including fresh spring water and homemade bread. Overall a really lovely experience. Would definitely recommend!

Highly recommend. Professionally guided, conscientious of safety and a wonderful experience in nature. Tandem kayak tour was fun and informed us of the river's history. Our guide was kind, funny and pointed out many unique landmarks or rather "former" landmarks in the river and surrounding areas. He told stories that helped us better understand how very special that area of NZ is. We debarked at a mid-point for sunset, small snacks and more educational sharing. Our evening kayak returning through the silence of the dark canyon was magical. It was sprinkled with glow worms glowing and several small mountain drips/waterfalls that added musical ambience. Our evening was a clear sky, and filled with stars and their reflections. Only caution... we were misguided by both Apple and Google Maps. Neither got us to the correct location. Team was helpful when we called, but there is limited cell reception and our inconvenience set us back in time and miles of gas to drive for reception for instruction. Do keep going 1/4 +mile past the point map says you have arrived. Vendor Sign is tasteful, but not large on opposite side of launch off road.

It was one of a kind experience, the views were amazing, we were the first time kayakers the team made it real easy for us.

We absolutely loved the kayak tour last night! Steve was a brilliant guide - very knowledgable and friendly and made everyone feel very safe throughout the experience. Others on the tour were good fun too and the glow worms themselves were spectacular - a truly memorable experience! Would recommend to anyone. Thanks a lot!

This was the highlight of our trip in the north island. Our guide was knowledgeable, friendly and funny. Cannot say enough good things about the experience, our guide or the company itself. They went above and beyond to make our tour memorable. Seeing the glow worms on a kayak, at night in a stunning gorge is definitely a must do if you are on the north island. We had the most wonderful time. Thank you so much to the team at Riverside Adventures. Mike and his SIL were the best!!!!!

What a treat! Novice kayakers well taken care of and given an informative river tour by friendly and knowledgeable guides. It was cloudy so no stars were visible but the glow-worms more than made up for it. Would do it again without question and highly recommend to others. Just remember that you may get wet - it is a river after all!

That was the best kayak tour I (We) 've had so far. Not only was the route beautiful, it was a perfect mix of stops, paddling and information. The tour leader was more entertaining than my companion (no offense) and made the experience perfect with his jokes and knowledge. If i could, I would give 6 star! They are also providing everything you could possibly need, so even if you d show up in a sports bra, you ll be fine!