Rotorua, New Zealand 🇳🇿- Day 4 (March 19, 2026): Rafting, Waterfalls and a Māori cultural experience 

We left Auckland this morning in our rental…this will take some getting used to! We will be driving on the left side (just like we did with the e-bikes), and the driver sits on the right. Everything is reversed so instead of the turn signal, Brendan turned on the windshield wipers many times!

We arrived in Rotorua around noon and stopped at Lake Rotorua—the volcanic crater lake in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty region.

🌊 We Went Over the Highest Rafted Waterfall in the World

We did the most extreme thing I’ve ever done—white water rafting on the Kaituna River, charging through Class V rapids and a series of waterfalls you actually go over in a raft.

And then came the moment: Tutea Falls.

At 23 feet (7 meters), it’s the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world…and yes, we went straight over the edge.

💥 The Experience

This was an adrenaline rush like no other.

For the first few falls (Maybe they were rapids?), I sat right up front—which meant taking the full force of every drop. Think: a wall of water straight to the face and more than a few unintended gulps of river water.

By the time we approached Tutea Falls, I made a strategic decision and moved to the back of the raft. When we plunged over and fully submerged, I held on for dear life—but this time, I knew enough to hold my breath. Progress. 😅

I will take you through a series of photos of us going down the waterfall. My son had on his GoPro and will post when he downloads it. We were a group of 3 rafts. We went first over the falls. The second raft flipped going over and everyone but 1 person fell out—all ok! The 3rd raft repeated our performance.

🚣 The Crew

We went with Rotorua Rafting (through Viator), and they were fantastic.

   •   3 rafts in our group. Brendan and I were with our guide and then two others (one happened to be a former guide).

   •   Our guide, Jure from Slovenia, was equal parts hilarious and incredibly skilled

   •   You could tell instantly we were in good hands, especially after the prayer for good luck before we headed over Tutea Falls.😂

👉 If you want a preview of just how wild this is, their Instagram says it all.

🌿 Not Just Adrenaline

What surprised me most? The setting.

You’re not just battling rapids—you’re floating through what feels like a lush, jungle-like canyon with the rush of the water. It’s equal parts chaos and beauty.

At one point, we even got to jump out of the raft and swim down a smaller waterfall/rapids, which somehow felt both insane and completely unforgettable.

🤔 Would I Do It Again?

Heck yes.

Would I recommend it? That depends on your comfort level, but if you’re even considering it, take the leap—literally. This is the kind of experience that sticks with you… the kind I will be talking about for years to anyone who will listen.

TE PA TU – a living Māori cultural experience🥢

We slowed down the pace and went to Te Pā Tū this evening and the 4 hours was everything I expected plus more.

Our time at Te Pā Tū is brought to life by the Tamaki family, who are storytellers, performers, and guardians of the Māori culture and traditions. The performers are all related (many cousins).

After the welcoming, it’s not just a show you sit and watch. You’re pulled into it pretty quickly, moving through different parts of the experience while the family shares Māori stories, traditions, games, and history in a meaningful way. We tried our hand at the Māori poi balls, which are weighted tethered balls that are used in performance and help hand-eye coordination.

We also learned about the traditional Māori stick games like Titi Torea, where players throw short sticks to each other or ti rakau (long sticks) where you pass the sticks left and right. Both help with rhythmic coordination and focus.

The performance ended with the Haka, an up close experience that is intense and way more powerful than anything you see on video.

And the food… yum! The hāngī alone is worth it. Btw, hāngī is a traditional New Zealand Māori method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a pit oven.

I left feeling like I learned so much about the Māori culture and left with a greater appreciation of just how special it is. ❤️

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