There was no trace of her. 0 : parseInt(e.thumbw); Louise had written about these risks in a blog posted less than a month before her death. 14 awesome drops, including two waterfalls and some other great rapids in a stunning jungle setting. The Kaituna is a white water enthusiast's dream come true. Rotorua Rafting: Kaituna River rafting - See 1,518 traveler reviews, 219 candid photos, and great deals for Rotorua, New Zealand, at Tripadvisor. "I'm super proud of all the people who tried to help him, my guides, the nurse and St John." 2023 DIVERGENT TRAVELERS | ADVENTURE TRAVEL BLOG, Rotorua Rafting the Kaituna River: Our Personal Experience, White Water Rafting: Rotorua New Zealand Planning Tips, Location of the Kaituna River and How to Travel There, Training For Your Adventure on the Kaituna River, 15 Fun Things to do in Tauranga, New Zealand, 20 Awesome Things To Do In Queenstown, New Zealand, Two Week New Zealand South Island Itinerary, 19 North Island New Zealand Photos That Inspire Travel, 25 New Zealand Photos That Showcase the South Island, The Tongariro Crossing is the Best Hike in New Zealand, Two Week North Island New Zealand Itinerary, Kaikoura Whale Watching: The Ultimate Guide, 21 EPIC Things To Do In Kaikoura, New Zealand, Karangahake Gorge: Off the Beaten Track in NZ, Best Time to Visit New Zealand: Month by Month Breakdown. 1 : (pw-(e.tabw+e.thumbw)) / (e.gw[ix]); top: 2% !important; Let the river take you for a wild ride. color: black !important; Never did Ryan expect he would be looking skyward at Louises funeral and making a promise to honour her wishes. margin: auto !important; She had navigated this section of the river without incident numerous times that summer, including just four days earlier. She wasnt the first of Ryans friends killed in the sport; she hasnt been the last. border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; The crew are called River Rats because they spend every hour of every day on the river, you are in safe hands. width: 150px; z-index: 0 !important; But again, youre unlikely to fall out as long as you follow the commands given by your boat leader. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The water can spray two rows back flowing over the front two rafters. } } .bottom-text-block{ On this guided tour, you will spend 50 minutes sailing down Kaituna, one of New Zealand's most famous rafting destinations. min-height: 183px; Snaking through bush-clad canyons, the Kaituna River is a mystical gorge of fast-moving water, steep drops and turbulence. Furthermore, about 30% of those deaths come from heart conditions or heart attacks. He hangs at a vertical angle, with the nose of his kayak pointing directly into the mist that rises from the foot of the falls. Dying. Whatever your group we can take you on an epic rafting trip! .bottom-text-block { Ryan calls them the river people and proudly counts himself among their number. 0 : e.thumbw; .footer-1 .wpb_raw_code.wpb_content_element.wpb_raw_html{ .mobile-navigation{ The Kaituna River is the most exhilarating waterway in New Zealand, packed with white water rapids and home to the world's largest commercially rafted waterfall.It's a place like no other for adventure seekers, and it's found just outside of Rotorua, in the heart of the North . And I said well thats going to be a fat lot of use and she said yeah Im not sure what Im really standing here for, he chuckles. An all day combo taking you from the volcanic crater of Mt Tarawera, to the Okere section of the Kaituna River, where you will raft the world's highest commercially rafted waterfall, take on 14 rapids with world class guides and gear. Located in the heart of kere Falls, Rotorua Rafting is directly opposite the put in (the start) of the Kaituna River (see map), allowing us to show our knowledge of the surrounding areas. Louise, who came through the canoe slalom ranks with Jones, had been gunning for selection for the London Games in 2012 but was unable to make the mark on the international stage shed hoped. Raft past beautiful cascading waterfalls, including the stunning Tutea Falls, and even take the opportunity to do some adventurous cliff diving. Rotorua Rafting was built around the love of the river, extensive local and cultural knowledge, as well as the best-handpicked guides to best showcase the aroha of the kere awa. } The tour companies generally bring along a photographer with them too, to take shots along the river, including when you make the final drop over the adrenaline-inducing Tutea Falls. Your safety is our No.1 priority at Kaituna Cascades. It is here that he has spent all his summers since he was a kid. Vavrinec Hradilek, who first met Louise when she bounded up to him on the steps of his home boat club at a canoe slalom event in Prague, has been a regular visitor since 2009. color: #000000; //}); Our journey for the day started in Rotorua. var nl = new Array(e.rl.length), for (var i in e.rl) nl[i] = e.rl[i](e.gw[ix]+e.tabw+e.thumbw) ? 2hr30min - 3hrDuration. @media (max-width: 1400px){ body .fh-button-true-flat-red:hover, body .fh-button-true-flat-red:active { This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. top: 75px !important; What begins as a meandering stream from Trout Pool Falls quickly becomes a lot more committing as the river tightens and the flow of around 27-40 cumecs (cubic metres per second) is forced through a passage just 2m wide in places. background-position: top center !important; It features powerful rapids, large drops, abrupt turns, weirs, fast boiling eddies, and numerous obstacles in the main current. Weve been back a few times. Kaituna Cascades Rafting Company | Activity in Rotorua, New Zealand Join us 'the original Kaituna Rafters' for some epic rafting while you visit Rotorua. } } } Its still hard going through there, I have to admit. Things were starting to get back to normal it felt like, back to those days where we paddled together all the time. Roy then dragged Ryan from his kayak and revived him. He is a passionate outdoorsman with loads of energy and a desire to share with you, the wonders of the Kaituna River the place he calls home. Its interesting, we worry about our kids when they are at home when theyre under your roof youre always conscious of what theyre up to but when theyre away we kind of decided that we couldnt worry or wed drive ourselves mad, says Liz. text-decoration: none; e.tabh = e.tabhide>=pw ? margin-bottom: -20px !important; Ryan describes returning home that night without his girlfriend as the most gut-wrenching moment of his life. .sticky-mobile-on .mobile-navigation { e.thumbw = e.thumbw===undefined ? } } Sledging is available from November 1st to April 30th, subject to availability, water levels and minimum numbers. He was Madhu Shah, a tourist who is understood to be from Mumbai (Bombay) in India. display:block !important; You just need to be physically fit and ready for a lot of adrenaline and a lot of water. In January this year, 58-year-old Turangi woman Catherine Farrington died while on a private sledging trip near Paengaroa. Raft the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world! 0:00 / 5:25 Kaituna River Rafting, New Zealand - 21ft Waterfall! . .gform_button { Grade 5. color: #3A444D !important; The river has been run regularly by rafting and kayak since 1991. e.thumbw = e.thumbhide>=pw ? } Spend three adrenaline-crammed hours white water rafting down the Kaituna River on this tour from Rotorua. margin-left:0px; color: #000 !important; newh; } As they neared the town, they got in touch to arrange a place to meet. As you keep paddling, the sounds of water falling over the rocks become the soundtrack of your day while your guide tells you how to navigate the river. img.ult-align-right { #carousel-container { Trailhead coordinates: -37.63345, 176.1747 (37 38 00.42S 176 10 28.92E) View Mount Maunganui in a larger map. With the raw power of the rapids carrying the pair further away from the spot where Louise had got into difficulty, it took a huge amount of effort for them to reach the side of the gorge where they could stop and assess the situation. The rest of the river seems pretty tame after that rush but you push on through more rapids. } With New Zealand native scenery and Maori History lining the gorge of the beautiful Kaituna River, let Rotorua Rafting show you our backyard. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Our sweet Rafting Base in Okere Falls is in an awesome sunny location, surrounded by a scenic reserve and backs onto the shores of the Kaituna. Dont let the water splashes and the crashing of the rapids scare you away. Five minutes later, Louise had talked the woman into allowing her to camp out in the store for the night. margin-left: 30%; They knew their daughters chosen pursuit came with unthinkable risks, but it never made them overly anxious. Rotorua is a popular stop on many travel itineraries, and youll find the city itself easy to reach, with good links to Auckland, the Bay of Plenty and other destinations too. Gallery AUD 118.90. Ryan had just come back from a five-month injury lay-off the longest of his career and was eager to spend any spare moment on the water. According to legend, the caves were also a place of refuge. right: 5% !important; They know the rapids well and will have dropped over the big waterfall countless times. The group had only just entered into Gnarly gorge Morley went through first, followed by Ryan, with Louise trailing the pack a decision Ryan still beats himself up over. .dt-mobile-menu-icon:not(.floating-btn) .menu-line:before { padding: 7px; align-items: center !important; background-color: #fff; We went down the river in groups of three rafts and waited after every large fall to make sure someone was not unlucky and fell out of the boat. The local guides though will always have final say over the matter when it comes to the weather, and if the rapids are deemed too intense after a heavy storm, then the trip may have to be rescheduled. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. You and your team put your paddles together to give a celebration yell. right: 85px !important; No further information is available and the death will be referred to the Coroner., "Eventually the additional tax burden will have to be passed to tenants". Book your spot and find out why Rotorua Rafting was ranked #1 Travellers choice experience in New Zealand, 1 HOUR OF EPICNESS ON THE MIGHTY KAITUNA RIVER WILL LEAVE YOU STOKED, 1 HOUR OF STANDUP PADDLE BOARDING / FAMILY FLOAt, Zipline over waterfalls, Rotorua newest Must Do Activity, MAKE A DAY OF IT AND ADD A HOT POOL AFTERYOURTRIP. } #mobile-menu span.menu-item-text { .footer-logo-row { The only hint that this is the epicentre of whitewater paddling in this country is the haphazardly parked cars that line the highway, some sporting brightly coloured kayaks on their roofs. max-height: 30px !important; span.menu-text { Others have returned in their own time. The demands of the tourist town quickly outstripped the supply from the station, and it was decommissioned in the mid-1930s. top: 7% !important; Youll get kitted out and made to go through the motions of paddling by your guides before you are even allowed near the boat. .dt-owl-item-description { window.RSIW = window.RSIW===undefined ? margin-left:0px; The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The Kaituna River is the most exhilarating waterway in New Zealand, packed with white water rapids and home to the worlds largest commercially rafted waterfall. River Rats picked us up at our hostel and away we went for a 20-minute drive to their main office. There are around 14 big rapids in total not counting smaller bumps along the way! background-color: #f7e222; One thing she couldnt make happen was the Olympics. /*color: #3A444D;*/ Renowned for some of the best white water in New Zealand Kaituna Cascades was established in 1991 and is still today locally owned and operated out of Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand. body .main-nav > li.book > a .menu-text { .fh-button-true-flat-yellow.fh-fixed--bottom.fh-size--small{ position: absolute; width: 98%; font-weight: 500; .wprs_unslider { In that moment his life quite literally hangs in the balance. max-height: 25px !important; Once kayakers emerge from the gorge, the pace changes dramatically as the river broadens, calming the pushy, high-volume river to a flatwater stream that flows all the way to the Maketu estuary, out into the Bay of Plenty and the great oceans beyond. But it is also a story Lucas has been reluctant to tell. We are all shaken by his death." Louise didnt have dreams, she had plans, says Adrian. Ryan was knocked unconscious after his head slammed into the front of his kayak on landing. .top-header .main-nav.level-arrows-on>li.has-children>a .menu-text { Mr Chhagan said the man was with his wife, son, daughter, son-in-law and some friends when the incident occurred. Jump aboard and enjoy the fun with the team at Rotorua Rafting. Adrian Jull finds himself obsessing over the smaller details the seemingly inconsequential elements that conspired against his daughter. } } It is a winter destination for paddlers from the northern hemisphere. bottom: 50%; It was inevitable that their paths would cross here. .footer-1 a.kaituna-button { You drop in, heres the lines, stick the moves, dont go upside down.. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Did a wasp go past and she flicked it and that put her off course? Revenue Code For Cpt 59409. margin-top: -70px; } Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. margin-bottom: 10px; If you have your own action camera, such as a Go Pro, then as long as you have suitable accessories to ensure you dont lose it, then you can bring this along too. .contact-imb-boxes .elementor-widget-container .the7-box-wrapper{ line-height: 1.1; 0 : parseInt(e.tabhide); } a.book-btn.fh-button-true-flat-yellow.fh-fixed--bottom.fh-size--small { This reflects the fact that things are very much busier in New Zealand during the summer season, which roughly runs from November to March. .kaituna-button { Search whitewater kayaking on YouTube and you will fall down a rabbit hole of video content, where, from the vantage point of GoPro cameras fixed to their helmets and kayaks, you can watch thrill-seeking paddlers taking on towering waterfalls and treacherous stretches of water in some of the most remote corners of the world. 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