Kaituna Cascades - Grade 5 Wairoa River near Tauranga
Overview
Available languages
5 hours
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Take on the mighty Wairoa River in an adrenaline pumping rafting expedition you'll never forget! The Grade 5 Wairoa River near Tauranga is renowned for having some of the best white water action in New Zealand.
Kaituna Cascades run the whole section of the river including the bottom three rapids and the lower waterfall!
Hold on for dear life as you tackle 'Mothers Nightmare' which has a technical grade 4+ rock garden ending in a sweet 2 meter waterfall.
Experience the thrill of 'The Rollercoaster' - a long bouncing staircase of awesome whitewater that will get a giggle out of the hardest of souls!
Feel the rush of 'The Waterfall' which has an awesome 3 meter drop into a churning pool of white water and then kick back and enjoy the next 4km's of fun grade 3/4 rapids and waterfalls all the way through the Wairoa Rivers boulder-strewn rock canyon - ending with a sweet 5 meter cliff jump for those that want to send it.
Get amongst the action !
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
Must be 13+ years old up to 65 years of age
MUST be under 120kgs
No expectant mothers
Must be able to swim
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
• Duration: 1.5 - 2 hours on Class 5 White Water • Availability: 26 days Sundays per year available over summer • Times: One trip per day at 9.30am • Transport: Self drive is recommended or Free transport from Rotorua can be provided. We will pick you up from your accommodation at 8:30am in Rotorua, and you will return by 2pm. • What to bring: Sense of adventure, swimwear & a towel. • What we provide: Custom built rafts, wetsuits, helmets, lifejackets, paddles, fleece tops, wetsuit booties and splash jackets. • Location: The river is located just outside Tauranga at - 1376 State Highway 29, 20 minutes drive from Tauranga or 1 hour drive from Rotorua. • Conditions: 13 - 65 years of age • 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.
What‘s Included
Wetsuits, Booties, Fleece Tops & Splash Jackets
Photos
Options
9:30am Wairoa Rafting Trip
Some of New Zealand's finest whitewater rapids like the 'Rollercoaster' 'Mothers Nightmare' and the 'Waterfall' provide big drops as the river cascades through a boulder-strewn rock canyon.
Reviews
432 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
My mom was a chicken but didn’t lay any eggs.
Guide620971,,Jan 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We came, we saw and turned non-believers into advocates. Bal was amazing and made the trip memorable for all of us! We’ll be recommending this to friends and have the memories that will last a life time.
Action packed fun family activity
pwherrmann,,Jan 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This, was great simply great fun. Our guide Balthazar (aka Bal) from Ecuador was a great sport, well experienced, friendly & funny - and very good in instructing us, making us feel safe and comfortable throughout the event. Everyone from the team was great, the rafting itself through the waterfalls were adrenaline kicking. 👍 We did it as a family with both our kids (13&15) and enjoyed from the beginning to end. Great photo shots taken by the crew will make this a lasting memory. Thank y‘all!
Absolute rafting highlight 🤗
prinzessinulli,,Jan 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An incredible and exciting experience. Cobba our guide guided us safely and adventurously through the rapids and slides. From the organization to the actual rafting, everything is super professional and focused on the safety of all participants. Fun is guaranteed.
dirtbag Americans group of 4
huntercI2628NT,,Jan 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Went rafting down the Katina Cascades and can easily say it was a blast. Jasper was super cool and very communicative. His USA shorts made him even more badass. Overall would 100000% recommend jasper and rafting at this location!!
Best in Rotorua
michaelkolinds,,Jan 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00great experience - safety first, super guide and in addition to plenty of adrenaline also a huge nature-experience to raft through deep canyons and wild forest.
High Stoke the Whole Time
Roam48128872167,,Jan 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The experience was a 5/5! The guide, the area, and their system were awesome. Everyone working there was kind And handsome.
Fantastic experience! Loved it!
Voyager62043805355,,Dec 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We loved our white water rafting trip! Was very professional, well organised, and all equipment provided. Our guide, Cole, was fantastic! He made it a great experience for all of us. Thanks Cole!
Amazing experience!
Courtneymc9,,Dec 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Pablo took such good care of us! Amazing experience on the Kaituna in the pouring rain! Even my 10 and 12 yr old had a great time and were well taken care of doing the “half river” option. Highly recommend!
Novaci
romanan812,,Dec 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was an amazing experience. We enjoeyd ourselves and had a wonderful time. The guides were perfect and funny, especially Jasper and Dan. We loved the ride!
Amazing Experinece
nitinb204,,Dec 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was a great experience and must do activity when you are at Rotorua.. Amazing experience of forest when u do rafting.. Our guide was Cole and he is amazing and just fabulous entertainer
From NZ$190.00
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Operated by Kaituna Cascades