Frequently Asked Questions

On our Grade 5 rafting trips you must be 13+ years or older – There is also a half river Grade 3 option available for 10 – 12 year old’s at $80pp.

There is no maximum age however you must be fit, healthy, active and flexible with no major health issues.

This is NOT SUITABLE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN.

Also please note – This is an exciting GRADE 5 RAFTING EXPERIENCE and is NOT SUITED FOR OLDER OR BIGGER PEOPLE, or people that aren’t comfortable in the water. We have a weight limit of 120 kgs. There is no minimum weight limit

People must be fit and healthy.

Rafting in the rain is the best wet weather activity ever – Your gonna get wet anyways!

The Kaituna River drains the two big lakes in the area, Rotorua and Rotoiti & is dam controlled at the source. This means the flows are regulated and man controlled so even after hard rain the river will normally still be the same flow (the lakes just fill up a bit…).

In the event of a flood – we will contact everyone and 100% refunds are given.

See you here singing in the rain

You just need to bring your swimwear, shorts, and a towel. We will provide you with the rest of the gear which will include wetsuits, fleece tops, wetsuit booties, and splash jackets depending on the weather conditions. Our life jackets, helmets, and paddles are the best you can buy and are are provided to everyone.

We also rent/sell the following

We also rent towels for $5
GoPro strap rental – $5
And you can buy Glasser straps to keep for $5 also
Digital Photo’s of your tour – $40

No experience on your part is necessary as full and comprehensive training will be given. You will need to have a reasonable level of fitness, and a sense of adventure.

Ideally you will know how to swim, but it’s not necessary. Our life jackets are also to the highest industry standard.

A professional photographer will be taking photos along the way, and photos are available by the raft full for an additional charge. We are GoPro friendly, if you have one feel free to bring it along. Please bring a chest mount or alternatively we have a limited few chest mounts at our base to rent out.

Kaituna Cascades is located right next to the Okere Falls scenic reserve and the Okere Falls walking track. Stretch your legs and watch the rafts tumble over the falls. You can walk with our photographer to the two viewing platforms before walking back to our base. The walk will take you around 30 minutes.

Kaituna Cascades designs and hand builds custom rafts specifically for running the big waterfalls on the Kaituna. All our rafts are self bailers with three thwarts and, exclusively to us, we had handles built into the floor to help us keep you safely in the raft.

Yes, we have many different types of bookings for each tour ranging from bookings for 1 person to group bookings. You will be in a raft with up to 6 others and have plenty of opportunity to make new friends.

We are taking all precautionary safety measures to give you a safe (and amazing) trip down our iconic Kaituna River, Wairoa & Rangitaiki Rivers. However River Rafting is an adventure activity with a degree of risk which increases with the grade of rapids. Rafts can capsize, and people may fall out of the raft in fast flowing & violent water, people may be injured.

The Kaituna & Wairoa River’s are class 5 rivers and both have waterfalls and hard rapids.
Grade 5 = Very difficult rapids, High-powerful-irregular waves, difficult to negotiate, the extreme for commercial operations. This said – The Kaituna river is an amazing river & is normally good for most fit and healthy people”

Also please note – This is an exciting GRADE 5 RAFTING EXPERIENCE and is NOT SUITED FOR OLDER OR BIGGER PEOPLE, or people that aren’t comfortable in the water. We have a weight limit of 120 kgs.

PARTICIPANTS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT KAITUNA CASCADES CANNOT GUARANTEE YOUR SAFETY.

Layer 2@1X 1 - Frequently Asked Questions
  • tripadvisor stars 5 - Frequently Asked Questions  Fantastic outfit. The crew were cheeky as but super professional. We felt safe throughout the entire experience. 11/10 and a big shoutout to Rob for being a GC.

    TheKiwiBadger
    July 3, 2021
  • tripadvisor stars 5 - Frequently Asked Questions  As soon as we showed up the staff were super friendly and chilled. The Changing rooms and equipment are really clean.
    We had a quick tutorial of what to do... read more

    Rutw77
    July 11, 2022
  • tripadvisor stars 5 - Frequently Asked Questions  This was an extremely fun activity!! My biggest fear was that the water was going to be too cold but that wasn't the case. And even the wetsuits provided were... read more

    Chufina
    May 8, 2022
  • tripadvisor stars 5 - Frequently Asked Questions  Second time here, never fails to disappoint. Had a great time with our guide Elvis. Heaps of fun! Will be back again

    Imthecaptainnow
    January 1, 2022
  • tripadvisor stars 5 - Frequently Asked Questions  Absolutely amazing! Our first time rafting, Hamish and the team were brilliant, kept us safe, entertained and smiling from the moment we arrived. They made sire we all had an... read more

    TraceyC2275
    September 18, 2022
  • tripadvisor stars 5 - Frequently Asked Questions  We had such a great time on the river, stunning scenery and adventurous waterfalls, great guides ... thanks, very highly recommended!

    T9078NNhelenm
    June 18, 2022
  • tripadvisor stars 5 - Frequently Asked Questions  Seriously one of the best experiences to do in NZ, tourists and fellow kiwis alike. I’ve been wanting to raft Kaituna for years and it totally lived up to all... read more

    Kate
    July 1, 2021
  • tripadvisor stars 5 - Frequently Asked Questions  If you want a Rotorua experience then this outfit is one of the best outfits to experience with

    They really made this trip for our family and... read more

    Raptor72
    May 7, 2021
  • tripadvisor stars 5 - Frequently Asked Questions  I started quite nervous about the big waterfalls, but the guide was very informative and put me at ease. I'm so glad we went, it was the highlight of our... read more

    Melanie A
    March 1, 2022
  • tripadvisor stars 5 - Frequently Asked Questions  Highly recommended. The staff was amazingly helpful and friendly. Our guide Owen (I hope that's right) was awesome! He guided us throughout the rafting. Great communication. We never felt unsafe... read more

    Tanzmalik
    July 15, 2021
TA logo primary@1X - Frequently Asked Questions