A year ago, with the future of tourism looking increasingly grim due to Covid, Sonny Jowsey was an unemployed professional rafting guide wondering what to do. But now, he’s running not one business, but two.
“I was looking for something to do workwise as there was no rafting,” he says.
When the prospect came along to take over the lease to run the Riverside Holiday Park, Sonny and his partner Nicky Waters decided to take up the opportunity. But then, his former boss at Ultimate Descents decided to sell the river rafting business.
“I didn’t want to see it die,” says Sonny. “It’s been in Murchison for too long.”
And so was born the idea to purchase Ultimate Descents, along with a couple of friends, and relocate it to the holiday park.
“The holiday park is right on the river beside one of the best swimming holes, so it was a perfect place to be able to integrate the river rafting in with the holiday park.”
In addition to their popular whitewater rafting tours and multi-day/overnight West Coast adventures, they’re also providing half-day family trips. The family rafting trips, suitable for kids ages five years and up, provide an opportunity for parents to either come along rafting with their kids, or have the morning to themselves while “we take the kids away rafting”.
Sonny says that they have even custom-made paddles for the child rafters.
“It gives even the youngest travellers an opportunity to experience river travel in a safe and enjoyable manner.”
For those who live in Nelson or elsewhere in Tasman, Sonny says that it’s a real getaway without having to go too far.
“With the price of fuel and rising costs, Murchison is a lovely weekend getaway location.” Set on 16 hectares, he says that even when the camp is really full, it never feels too crowded or busy. Instead of being a place simply enroute to somewhere else, Sonny insists that Murchison is a destination in itself.
“Murchison is an awesome location. There is quite a lot you can do – hiking, swimming, rafting, golf, mountain biking, kayaking, jet boating. There’s a lot you can do with your family or a group of mates – plenty to keep everyone entertained.”
by Judene Edgar
