“Paddle one of New Zealand’s most beautiful rivers, carve your own locally sourced limestone”.
Welcome to Paddle ’N Carve, we are a small family owned business based in Punakaiki, New Zealand. Come experience this South-Pacific paradise! Our freedom rentals, guided tours and carving workshops are designed to bring you into the present moment as you connect with the natural world. You can find us at the iconic Punakaiki Beach Camp, just 1 km north of the famous Pancake Rocks and Blowholes.
Open Daily Nov - April
9-5:30pm
PORORARI RIVER
Discover the Pororari, one of NZ’s most spectacular rivers. Flowing from Paparoa National Park, it winds through an ancient landscape before meeting the Tasman Sea. The river will take you on a journey over deep emerald pools, around giant rock formations, and past sub-tropical nikau palm groves. Connect with the timeless beauty of the Pororari River. Your adventure starts here with Paddle ‘N Carve.
PADDLE
Rentals Pororari River - 2 Hr Freedom Hire
Hire a Kayak or Stand-Up paddleboard to explore the Pororari river. We have single/double kayaks and stand-up paddleboards available for hire with river shoes, life-jackets and dry bags supplied free of charge.
All rentals begin with a briefing where we cover guidelines for the use of our equipment, explain the features of the river and offer basic paddling instruction for those less experienced. After fitting you out, we take you to the river’s edge to launch.
FROM $30
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Float back at your own pace with a generous 2 hrs of freedom paddle hire.
At Paddle ‘N Carve our goal is for river users to find their “Peak Experience”; less experienced paddlers will find this in the lower & less technical reaches of the river, while more experienced adventurers will find this further up the river.
Through the briefing we educate this concept and share geographical landmarks so peak experience can be found.
River rental briefings take place daily 9am / 1pm / 3:30pm at the Paddle ’N Carve base.
We recommend booking as spaces are limited.
*Under 18 yr old’s must have parental / caregiver supervision
CARVE
Limestone Carving
Carve your very own piece of this ancient landscape, taking home a unique limestone memento that holds the essence of your journey.
If you’ve already found an amazing stone, bring it along to our carving studio. If you haven’t found a stone on your travels yet, jump on one of our tours or we can point you in the right direction to find one! The Punakaiki beach and lagoon holds beautiful stones, right next to our studio.
● Find your own limestone in the Pororari lagoon, or beach.
● Hang out in our unique carving zone.
● Design and carve your own limestone using our custom made carving equipment and sanding stands.
● Take home your creation to remember your time here in Punakaiki.
FROM $30
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What’s included
– 1 Hour in carving zone with instructor guidance
– Use of carving station, (cabbing machine) and sandpaper
– Leather wax cord for necklace
Our offering is a short and basic carving workshop. If you are after a more educational/traditional carving experience there are various established carving studios accessible on the west coast and throughout NZ.
We recommend booking as spaces are limited.
*Under 18 yr old’s must have parental / caregiver supervision
TOURS
Paddle 'N Carve Package - 3 Hour Combo
The Ultimate half day Punakaiki experience.
Kayaking or Stand-Up Paddle Boarding followed with a stone carving workshop!
The Paddle ’N Carve package is a one-of-a-kind adventure, split into 3 sections :
* 1 hour of guided Lagoon & River Exploration
* 1 hour of freedom paddling
* 1 hour at the stone carving studio
FROM $100
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During the first part of the Paddle ‘N Carve Combo, our guides share local geological facts & stories of the landscape, while paddling we look into the lagoon & let the river reveal the ancient stone awaiting you to carve into the ultimate keepsake.
We then head to the jungle beach, (where your freedom paddle starts) and provide in detail instructions of river features and a recommended turn around rock 40 minutes up stream. Giving you 20 minutes to return to the launch zone, with your stone.
Back at the Paddle ‘N Carve headquarters the carving action is starting up, starting with stone design and carving equipment introduction. Over the next hour everyone carves and sands their stone through stages to reveal the beauty of the stone. Creating connection between people and the natural world resulting in an epic and memorable experience.
We recommend booking as spaces are limited
Book Your Experience Now
Rates Per Person
Kayak
2 Hours
Freedom Rental
Single Kayak
• Child (under 15) $30
• Adult $50
Double Kayak
• Adult + Child $80
• 2 Adults $100
• 4 Seater Kayak $200
Stand - Up Paddle Boarding
2 Hours
Freedom Rental
Adult $50
Child $30
8 Years Old Minimum
Limestone Carving
Child (under 15) $30
Adult $50
Paddle 'N Carve Package
Child (under 15) $100
Adult $120
Gift Card
Gift adventure and memories with a Paddle ’N Carve gift card.
Simply email us with the experience you would like to gift :
– Paddle Rental ( S.U.P or Kayak )
– Paddle ‘N Carve tour
– Carving Session
Including the name (s) of who the gift will be addressed to.
Once we have received payment for the experience we will email through your custom Gift Card.
Get In Touch
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0272713534 (between the hours of 9 – 5pm only)
We are closed when the weather or river conditions are unsuitable and will contact you if we believe the activity should be canceled due to environmental factors.
You can check conditions by giving us a call or email prior to your activity.
LOCATION
The Paddle ’N Carve base is located within the grounds of the Punakaiki Beach Camp. All customers are required to find street/ roadside parking and follow Paddle ‘N Carve signage to our base.
Criteria
Read up on our Expectations and Guidelines to keep everyone safe at Paddle 'N Carve!
Read Our Criteria
Customer Criteria (River Rentals & Guided Tours)
For the safe operation of all river rental equipment owned and operated by Paddle ’N Carve all participants must meet the following Customer Criteria.
- You must ensure you make us aware of any medical or physical conditions that may affect you or the members of your group’s ability to undertake the activity.
- No children under the age of 3.
- All youth under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. If any of your party is under 18, the adults are responsible for following the instructions and ensuring the party uses the safety equipment provided.
- All Kayakers must be able to sit up unaided.
- Stand-up Paddleboards only for 8 years +
- All Clients must correctly fit and wear the life jacket provided by Paddle ’N Carve. Clients may bring and wear their own life jackets, provided they adhere to NZ Safety standards.
- Weight limitations: Single Kayak 150kg, Double Kayak 250kg.
- All Kayakers and Stand-Up Paddleboarders must understand and follow our instructions. All instructions are provided in English only, sorry we do not provide a translation service.
- Paddlers must return with all equipment to the Paddle ’N Carve base within the 2 hour rental slot.
- All participants should be dressed appropriately for the river. For your safety please wear light summer casual clothing e.g comfortable active wear and river shoes.
- Please bring: Sunhats/sunblock essential for hot sunny days, raincoat for rainy/breezy days. A towel & change of clothes is a good idea to leave in the car to change into if you get wet. A water bottle and you may like to take snacks.
- The Pororari River is a gateway into Paparoa National Park, no dogs are allowed and please respect the wildlife. Be tidy and take all rubbish out with you.
- No alcohol/drugs/illegal substances are allowed while using the Kayaks/Stand-Up Paddleboards.
- To ensure safety we reserve the right to refuse hire due to adverse weather/river conditions or if a client is unsuitable due to age, size, ill health or poor fitness or in our opinion are likely to endanger themselves or others.
- The Paddle ’N Carve base is located within the grounds of the Punakaiki Beach Camp. All customers are required to find street/ roadside parking and follow Paddle ‘N Carve signage to our base.
Customer Criteria (Stone Carving)
For the safe operation of all carving equipment owned and operated by Paddle ’N Carve all participants must meet the following Customer Criteria.
- You must ensure you make us aware of any medical conditions that may affect you or the members of your group’s ability to undertake the activity.
- All youth under the age of 18 must be accompanied and supervised by a parent or legal guardian.
- For safety reasons children under the age of 15 are not permitted to use electric carving equipment.
- Safety equipment provided must be worn correctly at all times in the carving studio;
- Safety glasses
- Gloves
- Ear muffs
- Respiratory mask
- Carvers must understand and follow our guidance and instructions for safe use of carving equipment and machinery. All instructions are provided in English only, sorry we do not provide a translation service.
- Industrial strength carving equipment is available for use. It is essential that all carvers using this equipment pay close attention to the guidance you will receive during your basic carving workshop.
- Be wary of your own carving ability and only use equipment you feel comfortable and confident to use.
- No alcohol/drugs/illegal substances are allowed in the Paddle ‘N Carve carving studio.
- All participants should be dressed appropriately for the carving studio. For your safety please wear a short sleeved top, closed in shoes and tie loose hair out of the way. Sunhats and sunblock are essential for hot sunny days.
- We recommend bringing a water bottle and you may like to bring some snacks.
- Paddle ‘N Carve operates within the premises of the Punakaiki Beach Camp on the doorstep to Pororari National Park. Please respect the wildlife, be tidy and take all rubbish out with you.
- The carving studio is an out-door setting and in certain conditions is exposed to the elements. To ensure safety we reserve the right to refuse carving services and close the studio due to adverse weather conditions.
- Paddle ‘N Carve offers a short and basic carving workshop. If you are after a more educational/traditional experience there are various established carving studios accessible on the West Coast and throughout NZ.
- To ensure carving safety we reserve the right to refuse a client if they do not meet our criteria by being unsuitable due to age, size, ill health or poor fitness or in our opinion are likely to endanger themselves or others.
- The Paddle ’N Carve base is located within the grounds of the Punakaiki Beach Camp. All customers are required to find street/ roadside parking and follow Paddle ‘N Carve signage to our base.