Rotorua White Water Rafting | Kaitiaki Adventures + Transport
Description
Free central Rotorua pick-up sets this Kaituna River whitewater rafting experience apart, making your adventure seamless from the moment you book. Take on the world-famous Tūtea Falls (7m), the highest commercially rafted waterfall on the planet, and ride a thrilling stretch of Grade 5 rapids through a native bush-clad volcanic gorge. What truly elevates this experience is the depth of connection to place, your local and Māori guides share rich cultural storytelling, including whakapapa (stories of place), tikanga (customs and protocols), and the significance of the awa to iwi. We keep groups small for a more personal experience, provide premium cold-weather gear for comfort, and ensure every detail is taken care of from start to finish, including return transport and optional professional photos to capture the moment. This is more than rafting; it’s a seamless, high-energy adventure grounded in authentic Māori storytelling and connection to the river.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
MEETING POINT: 1135 Te Ngae Road, Tikitere Rotorua 3074 We offer pick ups at over 50 central Rotorua Accommodations, including the i-SITE and Information centre! - Contact us directly by phone or email if you cannot see your pick up on the list.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund.
Reviews(807)
You will get cold and wet!! So much fun though, and well worth it. All the instructors are very experienced and super friendly. Would love to do it again in Summer.
Kia ora Keran, Thanks so much for your fantastic review! It's great to hear you enjoyed your time with our team and felt well looked after by our experienced guides. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to them. Summer is a whole different experience on the river, so we'd love to welcome you back for another run down the Kaituna when the weather warms up! Ngā mihi nui, The Kaitiaki Adventures Whānau
Amazing experience with Rob and his team. Rob took good care of entire group and assured everyone on our raft was enjoying. Best was the way health and safety was priority 👌 I will definitely come back but if you are doing it for first time or not just book with them and fun is guaranteed. Thanks Rob and team...
Kia ora, Thank you for the fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear you had such a great time on the river with Rob and the team. Safety is always our top priority, so it's wonderful to hear that helped you feel confident while still having plenty of fun along the way. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to Rob. Thanks again for choosing to adventure with us. We look forward to welcoming you back for another run down the Kaituna! Kaitiaki Adventures
Have done a lot of white water rafting in my life and this short but incredibly awesome trip was maybe my favorite. The class 5 at the end was so incredible as well!
Kia ora, Wow — that's high praise from someone who's done a lot of white water rafting! We're thrilled to hear the Kaituna has earned a spot as one of your favourites. That Grade 5 section certainly packs a punch, and we're glad it left such an impression. Thanks for joining us and for sharing your experience. We hope to see you back on the awa again someday! Kaitiaki Adventures
Amazing rafting experience! We had so much fun going down the big waterfalls, and got to swim down a more chilled rapid which was an awesome time! Thanks so much to Caruso and the crew, we had a blast!
Kia ora, Thank you for the awesome review! We're so glad you enjoyed the waterfalls and had the chance to jump in and experience the river from a different perspective too. We'll make sure Caruzo and the crew see your kind words. Thanks for joining us on the Kaituna — we'd love to have you back for another adventure someday! Kaitiaki Adventures
Mint trip, professional but funny guides. Shared our raft with some awesome tourists from Scotland, UK and indigenous Australians. Bloody good fun. Highly recommend 👌🏽 Massive mihi to Caruzo our guide and guy on the waka, thank you bro.
Kia ora, Thank you for the awesome review! We're stoked you had such a great time on the river and met some great people along the way. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to Caruzo — he'll love hearing them. Ngā mihi nui for joining us, and hopefully we'll see you back on the awa again soon! Kaitiaki Adventures
Very slick outfit. Guys that run it know exactly what they are doing. Felt confident and comfortable at all times. Safty is paramount. Guides great laugh. Seem like they love their jobs
Thanks so much for the awesome review! Stoked to hear you felt safe and looked after while still having a good laugh out there. Our guides are definitely passionate about what they do, so they’ll love hearing this. Hope to see you back on the river again sometime!
Incredible experience, thrilling and adventurous. felt very well looked after by our wonderful guides! Highly highly recommend
Kia ora! Thank you so much for your kind words — we’re stoked to hear you had such an incredible and adventurous experience with us. It’s awesome to know you felt well looked after by our guides, that’s exactly what we aim for. We really appreciate the recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon! 🌋😊
We went rafting with our guide Uri and we had the best time. It was pretty scary at times but we felt safe in the hands of the expert team guiding us. Absolutely loved the rapids and waterfall drop. Defo recommend this trip for everyone seeking some fun and an unforgettable experience!
Kia Ora, Amazing fun is exactly what we love to hear! 😄 It sounds like the guides took great care of you out there, they are legends when it comes to balancing those heart-racing moments with keeping everyone feeling safe and confident on the water. That mix of a few nerves, big laughs, and taking on the rapids (and of course Tutea Falls!) is what makes the Kaituna so unforgettable. Stoked you loved every minute of it! Thanks so much for the recommendation, it really means a lot to our team. Ngā mihi nui,
This rafting was absolutely stunning and adventurous. We had a really good time and Jackie our guide just made it perfect. We had so much fun and I loved the connection to nature combined with action. Would definitely do it again. Thank you.
Kia Ora Katharina, Nature and action at its best – we couldn’t have said it better ourselves! 😄 So awesome to hear you had such a great time out there. Jackie will be stoked to hear your feedback too, she’s fantastic at blending the thrill of the river with that deeper connection to the awa and surroundings. We love that you felt both the adventure and the natural beauty coming through. That’s exactly what makes the Kaituna so special. We’d absolutely love to have you back for round two anytime! Ngā mihi nui,
Super fun and awesome crew. Very respectful of nature and excellent customer service.
Kia Ora, Thanks so much for this, really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review 😊 So glad you had a fun trip and enjoyed the crew. It’s awesome to hear you noticed the respect for nature too, that’s something that’s genuinely important to us. Hope to see you back again sometime! Ngā mihi nui,
