The swimming hole is in Ngatuhoa Stream, south of the lodge and is a favourite place to cool off. A Tarzan rope swing adds to the fun; children must be supervised.

About 200 metres further upstream is the jumping hole, a six-metre deep pool below a five-metre high bank for leaping off. An excellent confidence booster, jumpers must be supervised. Please check the pool for obstructions before jumping, especially after wet and windy weather.

Tubes and compresser are stored in the garage. The best place to enter the river for tubing is upstream of the swing bridge. Bamboo poles for constructing rafts are stored in the canoe shed.

A confidence course is a great and challenging activity for developing teamwork skills. It includes a scaling wall, balancing walk, seesaw, overhand walk, hanging planks, swing ropes over a water-filled pit etc. Children must be supervised.

This activity can only be used by trained operators. Within 200 metres of the lodge are two cliffs for teaching and practicing abseiling, from beginners to advanced. Only qualified instructors are permitted to take this activity.

Five hundred metres east of the lodge is a 25 metre rifle range - contact Mountain Safety Council for instructors. Procedures are posted at the range. All firearms must be locked in the gun cabinet at Ngatuhoa Lodge when not in use. Remember you are in a forest park and permits are required for all firearms. (Rim fire and spotlighting are not permitted under any circumstances!)

Available from the custodian/instructor, are 20 compasses and a mapped-out compass course, which can be used by teams of students. This exercise helps to learn the use of the ‘Silva' compass, setting, and following bearings. The custodian/instructor also holds maps of the area surrounding the lodge, which can be used to put map-reading skills into practice.

Kayaking is not an instructor led activity. Twelve kayaks, along with paddles and life-jackets, are available for all lodge users. These are to be used in the canal only. Please carry the kayaks to and from the canal bank as the plastic wears badly when dragged. Lifejackets must be worn at all times and children well supervised. Please return everything to the shed as you found it, hanging up lifejackets to dry out properly after use.