Kaituna Cascades - Grade 5 Wairoa River near Tauranga
Overview
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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
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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
422 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
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
Adventure starts from here
GrandTour55623227677,,Dec 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was amazing experience. The coach was Pablo. We gave a nice fun with him. All other Staff was also very helpful. Thank you we will definitely come back.
Thrilling Team Adventure on the Wairoa River!
549erangar,,Dec 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our company team had an incredible time rafting the Grade 5 Wairoa River with Kaituna Cascades near Tauranga, a perfect mix of adrenaline, teamwork, and natural beauty. The guides were professional, fun, and made everyone feel safe throughout the experience. it’s great value for an unforgettable adventure through lush native scenery. The group sizes were 21, the atmosphere was energizing, and it’s absolutely ideal for team bonding or anyone seeking a thrilling outdoor experience in New Zealand.
A ‘must do’ experience if you can.
E4885LYlindam,,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00After incredible week of mountain bike riding in Rotorua we wanted our last day to be as exhilarating- so chose this amazing nerve racking rafting trip. It was SO MUCH FUN. (Thanks for making us feel safe & encouraging us to swim one section Dan). The guides are skilful and entertaining and their colleagues looking out for us in kayaks were also part of the entertainment, one chap was paddling vertically. 😳
Camp
A6953ZSchrish,,Dec 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Best company best rafting in NZ! Highly reeccomsnd it,warm, fun, scenic, safe as. We come with school each year and is always a highlight
I'm going to name my firstborn after Josh, even if she's a girl. Best rafting trip of my life.
cheyennecsa,,Dec 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I want to cancel the remainder of my New Zealand itinerary and just book this trip again and again. I took my 68 year old mom with me and I've never heard her scream so much and then ask to do it all again. Our raft guide was Josh. I would follow Josh into battle. If they opened up rafting trips on Niagara Falls, but Josh was a guide, I would book it. If the world was ending and a mile-high tsunami was hitting my hometown, I would hire Josh to get us through it in a raft. If you have limited rafting experience and the class 5 Wairoa is too daunting, please book the Kaituna trip at the very least, as anyone can do it. It is an experience you will remember for a lifetime and I think everyone should do it at least once. All of the guides were friendly, funny, and knowledgeable, and every boat looked like they were having the time of their lives. But unfortunately, I'm sure they didn't have as much fun as us, because we got Josh. Thank you Josh.
Fantastic adventure!
699jannaw,,Dec 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00From start to finish, an amazing experience! We were conveniently picked up from our hotel and dropped off afterwards – great service. The guides were not only incredibly funny and entertaining but also very safety-conscious, which made us feel completely comfortable throughout the tour. The Grade 5 white water rafting was a true highlight: we went down smaller waterfalls, swam in the river, even swam down a waterfall – and of course the ultimate highlight: rafting the world-famous 7-meter Tutea Falls! Sitting in the front was very much fun and made the adventure even more exciting. An unforgettable moment! Kaituna Cascades offers a unique adventure that we highly recommend to any adrenaline seeker and nature lover. Absolutely top!
Fantastic experience .. do it!
Alex K,,Dec 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an absolutely amazing day out! We are a father & son who are travelling around the north island doing lots of tours, trips and adventures and this is top of our list so far! Neither of us had rafted before but along with the others in our group we threw ourselves into the activity under the great guidance of Josh (absolute top guide with a great sense of humour). Our group had a tough start getting “surfed” at the first rapid (mothers) but that only strengthen our bond and focussed our minds. I am in my 50s and have many joint issues so was a tad apprehensive about this activity but Josh put me at ease straight away and off we went. We did the combo which if you can afford it is totally worth doing. Shout out to josh as well as the other lovely people we were extremely fortunate to have in our raft as whilst as the adventure was great it was totally made awesome by the adrenaline gremlins! I totally recommend if you are able to then do this tour
I think this location should go viral.
DayTrip19461452101,,Dec 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00That was extraordinary experience, and loved the location, the guidance and the team… Pete was pur guide and he is absolutely stunning and amazing at his job, go there guys it’s worth it
Awesome white water rafting
X7310IFdominics,,Nov 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Josh was awesome and made our experience fun and enjoyable. He was knowledgeable and made us feel comfortable the whole time.
From NZ$190.00
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