Queenstown remains one of my favorite places in all of New Zealand. Call me an adrenaline junkie, but I love all the insane activities you can do here. I first came to Queenstown in my early 20’s as a student where I braved jumping off the Kawarau Bridge, the first-ever commercial bungy site. And let me add, I told my mom AFTER I jumped, since I knew she’d freak out. And let’s just say the photo didn’t help calm her nerves.
Hanging off the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown.
I knew I’d never get my husband Kevin to go bungy jumping. And to top it off, I’ve had several knee surgeries and figured it’s best not to risk it (and yes, it sucks getting old). But we’re coming all the way to Queenstown and we have to do something a little nuts. But what? That’s when it hit me — a jet boat adventure!
So Many Jet Boats, But Which One Should I Pick?
There are many operators in Queenstown, each offering their own spin on the experience. I always do my homework on any activity (especially adventurous ones). This is one activity that you’ll want to go with a skilled operator. KJet Queenstown is considered one of the best with over 60 years experience. Plus, you can’t beat its central location right in the smack-dab middle of Queenstown on the Main Town Pier.
You won’t have a hard time locating KJet, conveniently on the main pier in downtown Queenstown.
KJet invited us to join their 1-hour tour. I’m the planner, so Kevin was clueless about what he signed up for. And asked, “So we’re going on a boat ride?” as we walked onto the pier. Oh, he has no idea what he’s in store for.
Kevin is excited for his KJet ride – even though he has no idea what it is. Don’t you just love his blind trust?!
But this got me thinking, I’m sure a lot of people don’t know what a jet boat actually is. I literally had no idea before coming to New Zealand.
Jet Boat 101: What is it Anyway?
The simplest way to describe it is that it’s a boat propelled by a jet of water, ejected from the back. The jet boat also doesn’t use any external propellers like a motorboat. Rather, it draws water from under the boat and shoots it out the back.
The jet boat is a kiwi invention and KJet (formerly known as Kawarau Jet) was established in 1958 as the the world’s first commercial jet boat operation. Local brothers Alan and Harold Melhop made their first jaunt in one of these back in the late 1950’s. The pair were soon getting attention from vacationers who were willing to pay money to try the thrill ride. And as they say, the rest is history. Today, KJet is still locally owned and operated and is one of Queenstown’s most successful tourism operations and offers tours 365 days a year, rain or shine. Oh, and we definitely got the rain on our visit. But figured, hey, we’re getting wet anyway.
All Aboard: The KJet Experience
We’re bundled up and ready to go. It’s going to be a cold and wet one.
Tours run pretty much every hour, on the hour all day. Before we joined the tour, we were informed by email to prepare accordingly for the weather. If you’re going in the summer (October – April), you should come with a warm jacket or fleece as well as the usual sunglasses, sunscreen, etc. In the winter, they recommend warm layers, a snow jacket, goggles, gloves and a warm hat. In short, if you think you’ll be cold, bring more warm clothing. We’re from LA so we freak out if the temperature drops below 80 degrees. We came prepared (well, mostly) but were grateful to have sunglasses (keeping the water out of our eyes) and the wool hat and gloves. We looked ridiculous, but we felt nice and toasty on the boat.
KJet driver, signal to do 360-degree spins.
Our driver Jake gave us an overview of the landscape and its importance as a backdrop in New Zealand film. You’re in Lord of the Rings country after all. We couldn’t help but marvel at the dramatic mountains rising sharply from Lake Wakatipu.
The ride is fast, wet and dizzying. Our driver loved doing 360-degree turns, so it was sort of like riding the Mad Tea Party spinning teacups in Disneyland, over and over. We were joined by about 12 other people who loved egging him on to do it again. We loved the spins, too, so were part of the mob scene cheering him on!
We made it back. The 1-hour ride goes by quickly.
Exit Through the Underwater Observatory
After the jet boat adventure, you’re still not done. Make sure you head downstairs to their Underwater Observatory, which is free with any ride. We loved seeing the diving ducks, massive trout and the freaky eels all battling for some food. You can even feed them yourselves through an automatic dispenser. I’m not sure who was more amused, the kids or us? Next we moved our way over to the photo wall. It turns out they were taking video and snapping photos of us the entire time.
The photo wall, where you can pick up all your embarrassing, I mean, gorgeous photos.
And yes, we looked as ridiculous as we thought we would.
There are a variety of options you can purchase, such as the photo pack (for $25 USD), which includes 3 large photos, 1 postcard, a key ring and free digital photo downloads all together in one flashy booklet. They also have other packages that include videos. You know, to impress your friends and family with your high-pitch scream (or maybe that was just me?). It was quite an adventure, and who needs to go bungy jumping? After all, that’s just a few seconds of fun. A jet boat ride gives you a full hour of thrills — oh, and screams.
THE LOWDOWN:
- KJet Queenstown departs every hour on the hour (10 AM to 4 PM), 365 days a year, from central Queenstown.
- Their offices can be found at the Main Town Pier. You can’t miss it — just look for the bright yellow boats.
- KJet is the world’s first Jet boat ride, and has a stellar reputation for safety. And that’s the reason they’ve been around for more than 60 years.
- Pricing is $88 USD for adults and $45 for children. They also offer a discounted package for families (2 adults and 2 children) for $200 USD.
- Be sure to check out their website for occasional specials and discounts.
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