After such an enjoyable morning climbing Mt. Tarawera with Kaitiaki Adventures, we departed on their 2:45pm white water rafting experience. Prior to our arrival in New Zealand, I knew that there was one thing I wanted to do in Rotorua: raft down a waterfall. Unbeknownst to me, not only do you get to raft down one waterfall with Kaitiaki Adventures, but three!
After gearing up, we boarded a truck to the Kaituna River, meaning eel food; it is home to the largest fresh water eels in the world. Like Mt. Tarawera, this river is owned by the Maori, specifically by the Iwi tribe. Kaitiaki Adventures is the only rafting company that has directly connected with the Iwi to ask for use of the river. Because the place is sacred to them, Kaitiaki recites three traditional prayers throughout the course of the rafting experience as a means of respecting the land, the river, and those before us. To put it briefly and simply, the Kaituna River is considered a sacred place to the Maori people because a long time ago there were wars over land; the Warriors that died in battle were laid to rest in the river. The eels would eat the flesh of the bodies, and then the people would collect their bones, wrap them up, and put them in caves surrounding the Kaituna River. So, technically, we white water raft through an old cemetery, so it’s common courtesy to pay your respects.
To read more about this amazing adventure, please click here: http://www.thefivefoottraveler.com/rafting-worlds-highest-commercial-waterfall/