River Navigators 1-Day Course
Build confidence recognising river hazards, assessing conditions, and making safer decisions around moving water during this practical day of river safety skills.
Home » Courses and Programmes » Outdoorskills » River Navigators 1-Day Course
Introduction
Rivers are one of the biggest hazards in New Zealand’s backcountry, and knowing when not to cross is often the most important skill of all.
Spend a day in the Peel Forest environment learning how to read rivers, recognise hazards, and make safer decisions around moving water. This practical course focuses on judgement, awareness, and real-world scenarios so you can travel more confidently in the outdoors.
Whether you’re preparing for Te Araroa, planning summer tramps, or simply wanting stronger river awareness, this course will help you build skills that last well beyond the day.
Programme Overview
1 Days
Location:
Start and finish at the Peel Forest Outdoors Centre base located 20 minutes outside of Geraldine.
Time:
9:00am – 4:00pm
Age requirements:
Suitable for adults and older teens (16+).
What you’ll learn
River Safety Skills
Recognising river hazards and reading conditions
Decision points — when to cross, when to wait, and when to turn back
Risk assessment and safer travel strategies
Practical crossing methods and group awareness.
Backcountry Decision Skills
Giving intentions and emergency communication methods
Understanding weather forecasts and how conditions affect rivers
Planning safer routes in river environments.
What to expect
This is a practical, outdoor-based day spent near real river environments. You’ll learn through guided discussion, observation, and hands-on activities designed to build confidence and decision-making skills.
Our focus goes beyond technique, helping you develop the judgement to assess situations and make safer choices in dynamic environments.
Who this course is for
This course is ideal for:
Recreational trampers and hikers
Hunters and outdoor explorers
People preparing for multi-day trips or Te Araroa
Adventure racers and rogainers
Anyone wanting to improve river safety awareness.
Accommodation (optional)
If you’d like to stay overnight before or after the course, off-grid cabin accommodation is available at Peel Forest Outdoors. These insulated bunk-style huts offer a warm, simple DOC-hut style experience with solar shower and composting toilets.
Contact us to enquire about availability.
Food
Please bring your own lunch, snacks and water for the day.
Our Guarantee
No cancellations. We have many sites to choose from to help make our courses resilient. We’ll do our best to run no-matter the conditions. In the unlikely event we have to postpone due to extreme weather, we’ll find a date that works for you.
Please note we require a minimum of 10 people to run this course effectively.
No stress. Feel like you need a bit more time to soak in the learning? We can arrange private instruction at a discounted rate to help you get that bit further – so you don’t need to pay for another identical course.
Look at some of our participants in action!
Ready to book!
Book through our Rezdy booking site
If we have an active course you can book here.
Group bookings are welcome.
Otherwise contact us or look below for our other upcoming courses
Compulsory:
Day pack (~30L) with pack liner
Suitable active clothing for the weather (no cotton)
Waterproof raincoat and over-trousers
Thermal top and bottom
Fleece layer
Tramping boots (worn in)
Water bottle (minimum 2L)
Compass
Hat, beanie, sunscreen and sunglasses
Gear hire available:
Let us know if you need to borrow:
Pack
Raincoat
Fleece layers
Compass
Optional Gear:
Tramping poles
Puffer jacket
We are registered as an Adventure Activity Operator (AAO) with WorkSafe NZ. The Health and Safety at Work (Adventure Activities) Regulations 2016 established a safety audit and registration process. The regulations aim to enhance professionalism and ensure consistent good practices across the sector.
Get in Touch
Peel Forest Outdoor Centre
1222 Peel Forest Road, RD22, Geraldine, South Canterbury, New Zealand
Call us: 03 696 3832
Linkedin: peel-forest-outdoor-centre
YouTube: Peel Forest Outdoor
Join our mailing list
By filling out this form, you’ll be automatically subscribed to our quarterly newsletter, but you can select other topics you’d be interested in hearing about below.