There was excitement in the air yesterday as the first group of 30 Queenstown Rafting customers to hit the water since the slip was cleared last week donned their wetsuits.
By the time they reached the end of their journey, everyone was looking forward to a long, successful summer on the river.
The river was closed for seven weeks from July 8 until yesterday because a massive rocky landslip was threatening to plunge into the river.
The Queenstown Volunteer Fire Brigade eventually used high-pressure hoses to moisten and loosen the slip and 30,000 tonnes of rock slid down the hillside late last week, prompting the authorities to consider lifting the ban on rafting the river.
Although rafting resumed yesterday, Queenstown Rafting guides will monitor what remains of the slip daily and make sure there were no changes before venturing out on the river.
"It is great to be back on a river that challenges our skills as guides," Queenstown Rafting guide Gabby Lloyd said.
"It is a beautiful scenic river - it feels so remote with the helicopter ride in."
She said the river was still quite low at the moment but as soon as the snow on the mountainous back-country began to melt there would be plenty of "good, fast water" to raft on.
"It should be a good spring [for rafting]," Ms Lloyd said.
