So even though we relaxed in those sulfur and mud baths in the morning we were looking for some adrenaline in the afternoon and found the perfect activity

RAFTING A 7 meter waterfall

The Tutea waterfalls are the highest commercially rafted falls in the world. These are also located in the Rotorua region and we felt we could not let this opportunity pass by.
We booked this with the raft-it company Kaitiaki adventures and they really welcomed us and gave us a proper training on how to act and behave while riding the rapids.

On the programme were:

• 14 rapids
• a 2 meter fall
• a 1 meter fall
• the big drop; a 7 meter waterfall

The whole experience takes about 3 hours. And here we are taking that 2 meter drop.

But before we got to that point Drax (the guy with the tattoos in the next pic) made a karakia (incantation/prayer) for our protection in the river. This was in fact the first time we’d ever experienced a Māori karakia and it really brought home just how much respect the Māori have for their culture and the land

So the next pictures are us navigating in the boat (yes we did paddle but there is only the guide that steers in the waterfalls) and surviving this amazing experience ending with my shout of adrenaline after that final big drop.

Here we are taking the plunge and then dissapearing completely under water. Our boat was 4 meters long to put it in perspective. It really was a rush and was over to soon