Recipe: The Best Dressing Ever!
Recipes From the River Valley Kitchen The Best Dressing Ever! Gluten Free, Dairy Free & Vegan From our kitchen manager Miranda Aylward So easy and quick to make! Drizzle this dressing all over a fresh, Summer salad, or some grilled veggies. Ingredients: 4 Cloves of garlic 1/3 Cup of tahini A BIG handful of mint, [...]
Respect Goes Both Ways
Respect Goes Both Ways Recently the New Zealand government came out with a new system of covid alert levels called the traffic light system. This new system will come into effect on the 3rd December 2021. There are plenty of details online about how it works in general, so I will not take up any [...]
Staying in the Current
Staying in the Current Since I guided my first raft in 1986, the rafting "industry" has seen many changes. One of the most important of these has been the development and improvement of guide skills. Being a raft guide in New Zealand now means holding a qualification, with sections of that qualification needing to be [...]
The Reluctant Wedding Planner
The Reluctant Wedding Planner Back in what seems to me to be the distant past, River Valley was first and foremost an adventure company. We cut our teeth in the early 1980s on the Grade 5 white water rafting section of the North Island’s Rangitikei River. This stretch of river, voted by Red Bull as [...]
After the Darkness of Winter and Lockdowns, We All Need Time in Nature
After the darkness of winter and the frustrations of Covid induced lockdowns, it is that time of year when our thoughts inevitably move towards the warm long days of summer. For the team at River Valley, warmer days and more sunshine lead to thoughts of multi-day river trips! We cannot be the only people with [...]
Looking for Feedback – Cycling, the New Golf?
In this post, I would like to present an idea we have and get your feedback. You can either comment on Facebook or send Brian an email – brian@rivervalley.co.nz In these changing times, with the effects of Covid likely to last for years, businesses like River Valley have some real challenges. We have to adapt, [...]
What to Expect When Travelling in New Zealand this Summer
As I write this post, in New Zealand, we are about to enter our third week of lockdown. New Covid cases dropped in the last 24 hours, encouraging signs that this outbreak is coming under control. Will it be the last lockdown as we continue the struggle to keep the population safe? Probably not. The [...]
What is Normal?
The Challenge of Staffing a Tourism Business as we plan for the 2021 – 2022 Season
Some of the River Valley staff, pre-covid There is no doubt that hospitality and tourism are people industries. Lousy service – there is a post for a future date! – can quickly break a business, damaging both its reputation and its finances. The key to excellent service is having great people. Having great people [...]