Hi Steph, We cover just under 7km all up. It is around 3.2km to the Hot Pools and about 3.6km back via the Glow Worm cave. Depending on how well people paddle, wind conditions etc it takes anywhere from about 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours paddling each way. Provided it is not windy the paddling is fairly cruisy. Regards Justin

Conditions are generally quite settled although there may be the occasional cold snap. Trips run all year round and there is a good variety of gear to keep you warm regardless of the weather.

All trips except the Wairoa Rafting and Evening Guided Hot Pools Kayak operate year round subject to minimum numbers and water levels. The Wairoa is a dam release river and usually operates on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month in October, but exact release dates are not available till around Mid July.

The Kaituna River is a unique stretch of River, known as a pool-drop River. It is our most popular trip as you get the excitement of the 14 rapids, including 3 waterfalls, without having to work too hard. The 7m waterfall, Tutea Falls, is also a major reason for clients wishing to experience this trip. Although it provides full on action the rapids are less technically difficult so you can concentrate on having a good time, and enjoying being surrounded in native NZ bush in a deep gorge. Although it is rated as grade 5 for around 80% of the customers on this river it is their first time rafting. The lifejacket will provide floatation so it is not essential to be able to swim. From a customers point of view you need to paddle in time and hold on tight and be comfortable that around 1 boat in 20 will flip upside down at the main waterfall. The waterfall and all the other major rapids run into calm water so there is time to get the boat upright and get everyone back in. Minimum age limit 13 (children under 10 can join the trip at the halfway point) You will spend around 45 -50 minutes on the water, all up you need allow 2 - 2 1/2 hours from the start time at our base. The trip is $105 per person

Hi, you can wear sandals but we do have wetsuit boots available if you want. Thanks Justin

The Twilight Kayak is a sea kayak trip on Lake Rotoiti. The trip is generally pretty placid but this does depend on wind. The White Rafting is in a raft on a river with rapids. The difficulty of the trip varies with the grades. The Grade 2 scenic trip is the easiest and the grade 5 Wairoa and Kaituna are the hardest. I hope this answers your question. If you have any other questions let me know.

Apologies for the delay in replying. For some reason we did not receive a question alert. The Kaituna River trip is about 2.2km long. The trip takes around 50 minutes on the river. All up you need to allow around 2 - 2 1/2 hours or 3 including transfers.

Thank you for your enquiry. They need to be accompanied by an adult. They need to walk around one small section near the beginning of the trip. This is only around 150m out of the 14km trip. If water levels are low we walk everyone around this section. They need to fit all the safety gear. If they are 40kg or over this will not be a problem. If they are less than 40kg we would recommend coming into our head office before hand to check that they fit the gear o.k. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have further questions. Regards Justin

Hi there, Thank you for your question. We have both sea kayaks and sit on top kayaks in both single or tandem. The weight limit for the tandem kayak is 225kg. With the sea kayaks, bigger people may have trouble or be uncomfortable sitting in the cockpit. There is no weight limit for children, they need to be strong and capable enough to kayak on their own. If they are not, we recommend seating them in a tandem kayak with a adult. Please dont hesitate contacting us further if you have any further questions or would like to make a booking. Regards, River Rats.

Thank you for your enquiry. It would most defiantly be possible for you to raft the Kaituna Grade 5. We could organise a shuttle service that would drop you off to our head office for the 12.30pm tour, we would return you back to Rotorua in time for the return shuttle that leaves from Rotorua I-site at 3.15pm. Please feel free to email for further details or to make a booking. Kind regards, River Rats.