Your Guide To Murchison’s Must-Do Activities

Relax at a nature retreat

Murchison is renowned as a place of hidden gems, and you'll discover one of them on the banks of the Maruia River. Maruia River Retreat is a luxury nature and well-being destination, set on 500 acres of pure, untouched New Zealand, surrounded by abundant native beech forests, a pristine river and picturesque mountain ranges. You'll get to stay in your own luxury private villa whilst enjoying the array of unforgettable experiences on offer, including gourmet evening dining, forest bathing, nature therapy, a day spa, yoga classes, meditation immersion, massage treatments, naturopathy consultations, a chroma-therapy sauna, guided nature walks, stargazing or river rafting. Maruia also offers regular multi-day well-being workshops, events and retreats.

Visit the Maruia Falls

The captivating Maruia Falls were formed as a result of the 1929 Murchison earthquake, which caused a landslide in the Maruia Valley and diverted the course of the Maruia River, forcing it to cut a new channel over an old river bank. Able to be heard before they are seen, the sound of water plummeting into the deep pools below provides a forewarning of the majestic waterfall that awaits at the base of the track. The rocky open riverbed offers an unobstructed view of one of New Zealand’s must-see waterfalls, distant enough to appreciate it in its full glory but close enough to feel the lashings of river spray on your face.

Jetboat down the Buller Canyon

Plunge wild and free along the length of the mighty Buller River, feeling the rush of the wind through your hair and the rush of adrenaline through your veins. A mind-blowing 40 minutes on board the Buller Canyon Jet will have you carving through pink granite rock canyons, bouncing over rippling rapids and spinning around 360 degrees. With gorgeous mountain scenery, native beech forest and picturesque waterfalls surrounding you, there’s nothing quite like a journey down the majestic and unspoiled Buller Gorge.

Go on a rafting adventure

Known as the white-water capital of New Zealand, Murchison’s ‘four rivers plain’ is the perfect place to ride along the cascading river rapids and drift through the crystal-clear pools of the Buller Canyon. Ultimate Descents offers a range of unforgettable white-water experiences, from gentle family rafting and fun wave trains to extreme adventures crossing over undulating passages and rocky riverbeds. The grandeur of the Buller Canyon and the stunning natural landscapes surrounding it exemplify the exhilaration you feel when rolling down the river.

Cycle The Old Ghost Road, New Zealand's Great Ride

A place of rural charm, gold mining heritage and stunning natural landscapes, The Old Ghost Road is a popular mountain biking and tramping trail connecting the Lyell (Upper Buller Gorge) with the Mokihinui River on the West Coast. Stretching a whopping 85km over mountainous valleys and rushing rivers, the trail is certainly not for the faint-hearted but promises breathtaking views of open tussock tops, weaving rivers and lush native forest.

Try your luck at gold panning

Murchison is a historic gold rush town, and as you journey through the township, you’ll discover many buildings still in their original form from the late 1800s, despite the town almost being destroyed by a large earthquake in 1929. In an ode to its gold mining past, there are plenty of opportunities throughout your stay to learn about Murchison’s unique history, whether through a visit to the Murchison District Museum or a gold panning tutorial at the Buller Gorge Adventure & Heritage Park.

See the natural forest flames

The saying “nothing worth seeing is ever found easily” springs to mind when traversing the rocky terrain by 4WD in the remote Murchison backcountry, only to reach what is quite possibly the only place you will ever find flames burning on the floor of a forest without causing a forest fire. This four-hour tour will take you through a magical woodland full of ancient mosses and native canopies, the only sound being the soft birdsong ringing from the treetops. Eventually, you’ll reach the natural flames, flickering gently on the forest floor, as though awaiting your arrival. Then, be treated to an afternoon treat of hot tea and pancakes, courtesy of the heated soils in the Murchison backcountry.

Get knee deep in fly-fishing paradise

We truly mean it when we say that Murchison is every angler's dream, with the Buller and its tributaries offering some of the country’s finest fly-fishing environments. From the Owen to the Mangles, the Gowan to the Matiri, and the Ohikanui to the Matakitaki, the pristine flowing rivers that weave their way through the Murchison district are home to a plentiful supply of brown trout. Whether you seek out your own adventure or join in with a guide from one of the luxury fly fishing lodges dotted along the riverbank, you won’t find the same combination of spectacular scenery and gin-clear waters anywhere else in the country.

Cross New Zealand's longest swingbridge

There’s plenty to keep the whole family entertained at the Buller Gorge Adventure & Heritage Park, from gold panning and nature walks to activities that get the heart pumping. Walk the heights of New Zealand’s longest swing bridge above the pristine flowing river below and enjoy the tracks on the other side, or step out of your comfort zone and strap into the comet wire, zipping 160m across the Buller at full speed.

Top things to do in Murchison