Put this on your NZ itinerary ...WOW! - Arriving at "Awastone" 2 nights ago couldn't have been more of a total WOW first impression to us - we were lucky enough to strike a great music night with the locals at their café overlooking a spectacular vista of the Mangaweka Gorge! We were directed by Isobel (a very pleasant & knowledgeable young German girl working on reception) to our campsite with fabulous views of the landscape all around with the river below. We could see that one night was not going to be near enough time here and after picking up our coffee the next morning, we booked a rafting trip with Awastone. They have so many options on offer to see and explore the river activities and for all ages and abilities! We are in our 70's now and still enjoy an adrenaline rush! Jure was our friendly guide (from Slovenia) and kitted us up with life jackets etc. We were lucky enough to have him all to ourselves on our trip and thoroughly enjoyed our time with Jure - we felt completely safe in his hands, and his knowledge of the geography and attention to safety procedures was excellent. A hot chocolate and cookie at the completion hit the spot, followed by a soak in the hot 🔥 tub...so nice! We are so impressed with everything about this little gem of a place and honestly believe it should be on everybody's travel itinerary - we will certainly be back and would love to bring the rest of our family, especially our grandkids as they would love it! Thank you to you all for making our stay so great! Chris & Paul Hopkins Cooks Beach NZ

A highly recommended place to stop - Everything all in one here: accommodation, cafe, rafting (which is suitable for all levels). Good food, friendly staff and guides

Other worldly magic - Awastone is other worldly magic! We just love this place and keep coming back. We have camped and loved the mangaweka doc site with our dog. This time we camped at Awastone and took the family rafting tour. Kelsey and Ry were excellent guides, making us feel safe and showing us the best swimming spots. The scenery - amazing. The wee rapids - super fun. The water was so warm and crystal clear. After the tour we spent the afternoon playing in the safe swimming hole by the camp. The hot tub on Sunday night while the band was playing in the distance was a great moment. Can’t wait to come back and bring our friends and family. Also - great coffee, while still in nature is a massive bonus. See you guys soon! Bee, Jared, Flo and Molly