Kayak into the night to experience the natural wonder of glowworms as they light up in the dark!
Join Riverside Adventures Waikato for a magical evening kayaking the calm waters of Lake Karapiro and the Pokaiwhenua Stream.
Starting our paddle from the southern edge of Lake Karapiro, your guide will fill you in on the interesting history of the Horahora village as the sun begins to set.
We will make our way slowly up the Pokaiwhenua Stream and through a canyon hundreds of years old whilst enjoying stunning views of native trees and ferns.
Once darkness falls - the magic begins - as thousands of glowworms come to life, sparkling on either side of you like constellations in the night sky.
Also, check out our Daytime Canyon Kayak Tour
All prices are shown in NZD ($)
Thank you so much for your lovely message! We’re really glad to hear you had such a wonderful experience and thoroughly enjoyed the tour. I’ll be sure to pass your kind feedback on to Neil, he’ll be thrilled to hear it. We’re also pleased the halfway treats were a nice surprise! Thanks again for joining us, and we hope to see you back out on the water again sometime.
Amazing, fantastic. Glow worms. Very good ,kind staff. It was good evening. Recommend this adventure.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re so pleased to hear you had a fantastic evening and enjoyed seeing the glow worms. Our team will be delighted to know their kindness helped make the experience special. Thanks for the recommendation
Very friendly staff who were extremely detailed during the tutorial before we got into the kayaks. They not only made it easy for kayak newbies to enjoy the experience, but also made the trip more interesting with their knowledge of the local village, plants, and especially the glowworms. Even though it was tiring and cold during the midway break, the hot drinks and snacks were so relaxing and got us prepared for the next part of the adventure. All in all, I highly recommend it—whether you’re from overseas or living in nearby cities, it’s always a fascinating adventure for a vacation.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! We’re really glad to hear our team helped make the experience enjoyable and comfortable, especially for first-time kayakers. It’s great that you enjoyed learning about the local area, the plants, and of course the glow worms. We’re also pleased the hot drinks and snacks gave everyone a nice boost during the break! Thanks again for the recommendation , it means a lot to our small team, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future.
Lovely tour. Well worth the money. Very serene way to experience glow worms, gently drifting down the river through the caves as they surround you. Tour guides were knowledgeable and made the experience interesting and enjoyable. The snacks and drinks were a nice touch. Good fun kayaking around.
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the serene experience of drifting down the river and seeing the glow worms up close. It’s great to hear our guides helped make the tour interesting and enjoyable, and that the snacks and drinks were a welcome addition. Thanks again for joining us , we’re delighted you had such a good time kayaking with us!
Brilliant, informative tour hearing about and seeing native plants and wildlife as well as the history of the lake and area. Our guides were highly skilled and engaged, keeping us all entertained and feeling safe during our kayaking experience. The glow worms were incredible and we will be back again and again with more family and friends! Thanks so much to the staff for taking such good care of us all!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed learning about the native plants, wildlife, and the history of the lake and surrounding area. It’s great to know our guides helped you feel safe, engaged, and entertained throughout the experience. The glow worms really are something special! We truly appreciate your kind words and look forward to welcoming you back again with more family and friends. Thanks for joining us!
Copyright © 2026 Bookme Limited.
This award identifies a business with a high level of professionalism, a keen awareness of the impact it has on the environment and a commitment to a customer centric approach.
This award is evidence of a sophisticated tourism business that consistently exceeds visitor expectations. Their proactive leadership and management ensure the business's focus on continuously improving their economic, social and environmental performance to create genuine, constantly evolving and sustainable tourism experiences.
This award recognises the best sustainable tourism businesses in New Zealand. It denotes exceptional customer experiences at the heart of everything the company does. This business is leading the way in making the New Zealand tourism industry a world class sustainable visitor destination.
When you see the Qualmark logo, your activity of choice is endorsed by New Zealand Tourism's official quality assurance organisation and backed by leaders in the industry. It's your trusted guide to iconic activities and experiences that are awarded for their exceptionally high level of quality, safety and sustainability.
This item will be deleted immediately. You can't undo this action.




mariop1 from Canada wrote on 05 March 2026
Just Amazing!
What a wonderful experience. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Neil was a fantastic guide and the treats half-way through our journey were most unexpected and appreciated!