3 hours · Grade 5
Raft the Kaituna River
Fourteen rapids and the seven-metre drop.
| Per rafter | NZ$146.25 |
|---|
Editorial spotlight · Rotorua
2026 Southern Cross Awards nomineeBest Cultural Adventure
Kaitiaki Adventures
A Māori-owned adventure company that has run the Okere section of the Kaituna since 1999 and holds the sole concession to guide visitors to the summit of Mount Tarawera. Every river trip opens with a karakia. The drop over Tutea Falls is seven metres — the highest commercially rafted waterfall anywhere.
- Kaituna rafting
- NZ$146.25
- Tutea Falls
- 7 m
- Tripadvisor
- 4.9
- Reviews
- 1,749
Editorial spotlight. Kaitiaki Adventures is a nominee in the 2026 Southern Cross Awards. They did not pay for this page and had no say in it. We earn a commission when you book through the links here; your price is the same.
The operation
Guardianship, and a seven-metre drop
The company dates itself to 1999 and describes its founding as a mix of adventure professionals and local entrepreneurs built on manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga. It explains the name on its own About page: the basic meaning of tiaki is to guard, but it also means to preserve, keep, conserve, nurture, protect and watch over. Guides come from Te Arawa, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāpuhi and other iwi, and the company lists more than twenty-six of them with senior raft, sledge and mountain guide grades.
The Kaituna run drops over Tutea Falls, which the company and its reviewers both describe as the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world at seven metres. Reviewers consistently mention a karakia offered to the river before the trip begins. Separately, Kaitiaki holds the sole concession to take manuhiri to the summit of Mount Tarawera, the volcano that erupted in 1886. The company states it is 120 percent climate positive.
“As Kaitiaki we take our responsibility to the sustainability and the wellbeing of Papatuanuku seriously.”
- S
Guide, 23+ years
Stevie
- B
Raft guide
Ben
- C
Raft guide
Curtis
- D
Mount Tarawera guide
Dan
Guides named repeatedly by reviewers. The company lists more than twenty-six guides in total; it has not yet confirmed which names and roles it wants printed.
The one to book
Raft the Kaituna River
About three hours from the Okere Falls base, with roughly an hour on the water. Fourteen rapids on a Grade 5 run through native bush, finishing with the seven-metre drop over Tutea Falls. Wetsuit, helmet, buoyancy aid and guide included.
No rafting experience needed and the minimum age is 13. Reviewers routinely name the falls as the moment that made the trip.
| Per rafter | NZ$146.25 |
|---|
Checked against FareHarbor on October 2, 2026.
Check AvailabilityOn the water and on the mountain
Three very different days out
Per the company’s own listings.
Kaituna rafting
- Grade
- 5
- Falls
- 7 m Tutea
- Minimum age
- 13
White water sledging
- Craft
- One person per sledge
- River
- Kaituna, Okere section
Mount Tarawera
- Access
- Sole concession
- Erupted
- 1886
Book it
Trips
Prices are per person and were checked against FareHarbor on October 2, 2026.
3 hours · One per sledge
Kaituna White Water Sledging
The same river, face down, on your own sledge.
| Per sledger | NZ$151.51 |
|---|
Full day · Summit
Mount Tarawera & Te Puia Te Pō + Haka & Hāngī
The summit by day, Te Puia by night, with haka and hāngī.
| Per hiker | NZ$499.78 |
|---|
Full day · Summit + river
Mount Tarawera & Raft the Kaituna Combo
The volcano in the morning, the falls in the afternoon.
| Per person | NZ$352.48 |
|---|
Half day · Summit
Mt Tarawera Volcanic Crater Experience
A shorter guided walk on the crater rim.
| Half day | NZ$219.90 |
|---|---|
| Child | NZ$93.64 |
Half day · Both craft
Kaituna River Raft and Sledge Combo
Raft the top half, sledge the bottom half.
| Per person | NZ$247.26 |
|---|
Before you go
Know before you go
Departure
Okere Falls for the river trips; Mount Tarawera trips depart Rotorua. Confirm your pick-up when you book.
What to bring
Togs and a towel for the river. Wetsuit, helmet and buoyancy aid are provided.
Minimum age
13 for the Grade 5 Kaituna run. The crater walk and the combos have their own limits.
Before you book
Reviewers have reported charges at checkout they did not expect. Check the total on the booking page before you pay.
Reviews
What guests say
- 4.9Tripadvisor1,749 reviews as of October 2, 2026
- 1999Operating sincePer the company’s About page
- SoleTarawera concessionThe only guided access to the summit
Reviewers praise the guides by name, the safety briefings and the cultural grounding of the trips, and single out the seven-metre waterfall. The recurring complaint is fees at checkout that guests had not expected; a smaller number mention restrictions on helmet-mounted cameras.
Questions
Good to know
Where does the rafting leave from?
Okere Falls, about twenty minutes north of Rotorua.
What does it cost?
NZ$146.25 per rafter on the Kaituna. Checked October 2, 2026.
How high is the waterfall?
Seven metres. The company and its reviewers both describe it as the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world.
Can anyone climb Mount Tarawera?
Only with Kaitiaki. The company holds the sole concession for guided access to the summit.
A river with a karakia, and a mountain nobody else can take you up
Rafting from NZ$146.25, sledging from NZ$151.51, the summit from NZ$219.90.
Check Availability