1980s:
Originally the brain child of five local farmers, the starting of Rangitikei River Adventures was a pioneering step in the world of adventure tourism. As rafting was still in its infancy the locals brought in an experienced US 'boatman' , Tom Kemper, to guide the business through her beginnings. Pretty soon the Kiwis were catching on and the staffing became a little more homegrown, however we never stopped enjoying having our international friends coming in to inject a little outside flavour into the scene.As the company evolved so too did its range of operations. Rangitikei River Adventures developed a roadside base throughout the 80's and, just to gather a little bit of attention, plonked aircraft on a pedestal right on State Highway  in Mangaweka.

1990s:
During the 90's adventure tourism started to change and a new sport called Bungy Jumping charged onto the scene. Not to be left behind the team at RRA built first one, then two Bungy sites in the Rangitikei, the former Mokai Gravity Canyon. The company had internal changes throughout this period as well, with John and Viv Eames taking over the whole of the company, hoping that one day it might be something their boys, Paul and Mark might like to run.
‍The boys became well involved in the industry, both as raft guides and whitewater paddlers, first travelling around to see a few more rivers before returning home to work the Rangitikei.
Paul and Tricia Eames took the reigns of the rafting part of the business in 1999 and changed the name to Mangaweka Adventure Company.

Now:
For many years the DC-3 aircraft was a significant feature of Mangaweka, some would say it put us on the map. It's currently closed and awaiting redevelopment. In 2021 the plane was moved to the town of Shannon for restoration. Mangaweka eagerly awaits her return...