We made a weekend trip to Rotorua, and there were exciting rafting trips available on the Kaituna River. Tutea Falls, the largest commercially rafted waterfall globally at 7 meters tall, is situated on the Kaituna River. We chose Kaitiaki Adventures as our rafting company, which also offers sledging. The Kasituna River features level 5 rapids.
Our guide, Keaton, was very friendly. The drop-off point was approximately a 20-minute ride away, where we went through the basics of rafting and paddling before launching off.
Here is the order of the rapids:
- The Chute (Class 3)
- Cascade Rapid (Class 3)
- Powerhouse (Class 5)
- Tutea Falls (7m, Class 3)
- Sks Board Rapid (Class 3)
- Boiling Pot (Class 3)
- Swimmers Rapid (Class 3)
- Eya Ripples (Class 2)
- Abyss (Class 3+)
- Bottom Hole (Class 3)
Tutea Falls is named after the Maori Chief Tutea, buried in a cave behind the falls. Additionally, the water in the river is surprisingly warm, enhancing the rafting experience. When we reached Tutea Falls, our guide informed us that 60% of the time, people went over without flipping, and 40% of the time, they did. Unfortunately, we fell into that 40%. Although all other boats before and after us were fine, we were told beforehand that if you flip, swim to the cave, but don’t hold on to the boat!
We all ended up missing a paddle, but aside from that, we were okay, just a little wet. I got some water up my nose, and KB got a little freaked out. On the remaining rapids, I and my mom got hit on the elbow, and KB got her chin hit with a paddle, which is never fun. Despite these incidents, I had a great time rafting, and we got to see the photos afterward. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for something fun to do in Rotorua!