Please Note: You must arrive at the Kaituna Cascades Rafting base 15 minutes before your booking time. MAybe even a beer, Rafting, motocross, rafting, kayaking, rafting, SUPing, Shark Tank. * This week's death was the third as a result of an incident on the Kaituna River since last August. Location: Okere Falls, Rotorua, BOP/NZ Product code: Kaituna Rotorua Rafting are the Kaituna River (Okere River) Specialists. He was introduced to the sport by Okere Falls local, Sam Sutton, who was beginning to get recognition on the extreme paddling scene. According to legend, the caves were also a place of refuge. opacity:1; #about .ult-vc-seperator.top_seperator { Although none of their four children compete in slalom any more, Louises parents volunteered to be judges. Of course, though, the rapids require rain to make them formidable, and you will find the most intense white water rafting Rotorua just after a rainstorm! .mini-contacts.phone.show-on-desktop.in-menu-first-switch.in-menu-second-switch.first a { Kaituna River G5 Rotorua's favourite adrenaline pumping adventure. Pulled back aboard after a short time in the water, Mr Shah collapsed about 10 minutes later and died at Rotorua Hospital on Thursday. That was her, she would always just go ahead and do it.. width: 96%; text-align: center; max-width: 100px; font-size: 16px !important; #carousel-container .carousel-container-content { text-align:center; I expected to hear her whistle back straight away, he says, gnashing his teeth as he clenches his jaw to prevent himself from breaking down. A big part of the sport is documenting their adventures. left: 55% !important; Raft past beautiful cascading waterfalls, including the stunning Tutea Falls, and even take the opportunity to do some adventurous cliff diving. He routinely looked back to check on Louises progress. .light-preset-color.masthead:not(#phantom):not(.sticky-on) .main-nav > .book > a .menu-text { margin-left:0px; There was a guy who wanted to paddle the Huka Falls, so the kayak shop put him in touch with Louise and they did it. While he clings tightly to those conversations he had with Louise and the knowledge she would have wanted him to keep going, he would most likely still be paddling even if they hadnt spoken about it. Thats because it is a pool drop river, meaning every section of rapids is followed by a calm stretch allowing paddlers the opportunity to be reunited with their craft should they come to grief. margin: auto !important; newh = Math.max(e.mh,window.RSIH); @media screen and (min-width:770px) { They decided to go further downstream. float: none; /* width: 230px !important; */ @media(max-width:1024px) and (min-width:769px){ } Kaituna Cascades is the most fun and experienced rafting company in Rotorua. They knew their daughters chosen pursuit came with unthinkable risks, but it never made them overly anxious. #section2 > div:nth-child(1) > div > div > div.tourDetails > a, #page > div.masthead.inline-header.right.light-preset-color.widgets.shadow-mobile-header-decoration.small-mobile-menu-icon.mobile-menu-icon-bg-on.mobile-menu-icon-hover-bg-on.dt-parent-menu-clickable.show-mobile-logo.sticky-off.fixed-masthead > div.top-bar > div.right-widgets.mini-widgets > span.mini-contacts.phone.show-on-desktop.in-menu-first-switch.in-menu-second-switch.first {display:none !important;} 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. You dont need any prior experience prior to doing this, and tour companies claim you dont even need to be able to swim as youll be fully kitted out in lifejackets the whole time. line-height: 100%; They will take action shots as you fall over the edge, and make the splash below. This is the story of her death but it is also a story of renewal, as those closest to her keep her memory alive by celebrating her sense of adventure. I always try to think over her exact words. Only a few highly skilled paddlers dare to venture beyond Trout Pool Falls, the take-out point for the commercial rafts. .soc-ico .facebook{ e.thumbhide = e.thumbhide===undefined ? She was right behind me and then I never saw her again.. 0 : parseInt(e.tabw); pw = pw===0 || isNaN(pw) ? Occasionally, the rafts will flip over when they hit the water at the bottom of the falls. .mobile-header-bar .mobile-branding img { } width:100% !important; Her body was still ensnared on the log when a rescue team was deployed the next morning, after the river level had lowered. } This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Maritime New Zealand carry out investigations into all deaths on New Zealand waterways. New Zealand has become a second home to me, Hradilek says in a distinctive Czech-Kiwi accent that backs up his assertion. If you are not scared of the water, you and your team can paddle up the rapids into the waterfalls to let the falling water spray into the front of your boat. .elementor-button.elementor-size-sm { It isnt every day that you get a chance to raft class 5 rapids and negotiate a 7-meter waterfall, the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the World. text-align:center !important; Adrian Jull finds himself obsessing over the smaller details the seemingly inconsequential elements that conspired against his daughter. The coronial inquest, held before Dr Wallace Bain, didnt just focus on the hows, but the whys. } 18 Rotorua: Hell's Gate Geothermal Walk. With the gorge framed by native bush, fallen logs also pose a major hazard for kayakers. "I'm super proud of all the people who tried to help him, my guides, the nurse and St John." She was known to get up at 5am and do a couple of laps before work then squeeze in another paddle in the evening. I have always been an outdoorsman so becoming an adventure traveler was just the next natural step. Some of them dont use it as much as others, but theres always some link back to that river. 3 hr Kaituna River features grade 5 rapids plus the awesome 7 meter (23 feet) Tutea Falls, the worlds highest commercially rafted waterfall. display:none !important; Your local guides are going to be experienced and well versed in taking newcomers and old hands alike out onto the Kaituna River. Co-owner of Kaitiaki Adventures Jason Wright said his sympathy went out to the Shah family. e.thumbh = e.thumbh===undefined ? She had navigated this section of the river without incident numerous times that summer, including just four days earlier. In all, Ryan has lost seven friends, all drowned. Feb 17, 2023 | louisiana high school 100 meter record | louisiana high school 100 meter record font-size: 20px; The Cave: An Adaptation of Plato's Allegory in Clay; Chasing the Shadows; The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf: A Stop-motion Adaptation There is one particularly striking picture taken just after he has gone over the edge of the 30m high Ram Falls in the Canadian Rockies. var m = pw>(e.gw[ix]+e.tabw+e.thumbw) ? Before the group dropped into the lower gorges, they came together to go over the plan of attack. /* elementor */ line-height: 1.1; If you are joining a local white water rafting Rotorua tour, then in peak season trips leave several times a day, from the morning through to the afternoon. The crew are called River Rats because they spend every hour of every day on the river, you are in safe hands. Youll be out of Rotorua for around 2 and a half hours in total. div#bottom-bar { } body .main-nav > li.book > a .menu-text { } by Matthew Martin matthew.martin@dailypost.co.nz A man has died after a rafting adventure down the Kaituna River turned to tragedy. Depart ship for Kaituna River Transport type: Motorcoach Transport Capacity: 50 Travel time: 01:00 White water rafting Transport type: Raft Transport Capacity: 50 Travel time: 04:00 Time at site: 04:00 Inside visit: No Air conditioned: No Walking distance: 150 Steps: 5 Wheelchair accessible: No Restroom available: Yes Shopping available: No Give someone the gift of white water rafting an experience theyll never forget! Its an epic section of whitewater, says Ryan Lucas, one of the countrys top extreme kayakers. This spectacular 2.0 - 2.5-hour experience provides all the gear you need, initial training, and around 50 minutes on the water. } The Kaituna River begins at Lake Rotoiti, which is just north of Rotorua, before continuing its long journey to the Bay of Plenty, a journey of around 50 kilometers in length. e.mh = e.mh===undefined || e.mh=="" || e.mh==="auto" ? You may want either a chest harness or a helmet mount or at the very least a wrist strap with a floatation device. border-radius: 3px; Mt Tarawera and Rafting Combo. color: #000 !important; console.log("Failure at Presize of Slider:" + e) With New Zealand native scenery and Maori History lining the gorge of the beautiful Kaituna River, let Rotorua Rafting show you our backyard. right: 5% !important; If you want to enjoy slightly calmer rapids but great weather, then consider traveling to Rotorua in the spring shoulder season, just before summer, when the rivers will be full and the sun will begin to emerge from the New Zealand clouds. As they neared the town, they got in touch to arrange a place to meet. Dont worry about hitting a rock just let the powerful rapids take you for a wet n wild ride. .mobile-branding{ These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. .footer-logo-row { text-align: center !important; .transparent .mobile-branding .sticky-mobile-logo-second-switch img { New Zealand is known for its extreme activities and sports throughout the country. /*color: #3A444D;*/ Two others were reportedly floating on an inner tube, two fell off a paddleboard and one person was in a kayak. Gnarly gorge is where things get particularly, well, gnarly. He was trapped under water for more than three minutes before his expedition partner, Canadian paddler Mike Roy, was able to free him. All her friends have a story to tell of her madcap adventures around Europe, where going with the flow landed her in some unlikely situations. text-align: left; } The Kaituna River is home to kere Falls, Kaituna Falls, and the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world - 7m Tutea Falls. The company you book with will provide most of the equipment of course, including wetsuits to keep you warm in the water, helmets, boots, and top of the range lifejackets. for (var i in e.rl) if (e.gw[i]===undefined || e.gw[i]===0) e.gw[i] = e.gw[i-1]; 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. 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