Rotorua White Water Sledging | Kaitiaki Adventures + Transport

Staff was really amazing and Exton made our ride beautiful and we really enjoyed the our rafting.we are planning to come again with our friends

Exciting and challenging! A different way to play in the river. The guides were fantastic and made it a great experience.

Great crew, good communication by our skipper.

The white water sledging was an amazing experience. Being in the white water was a lot of fun. The guides were excellent. Always seemed to be in the right place and they all worked well as a unit. Never felt uncomfortable during the tour. Thanks to Cobba, Reiya, Aoife, Ginny and Maea!

Excellent guides who were proficient and very helpful. An exhilarating experience and would recommend if you like adventure and are not afraid of the water.

We loved it! Our guides (Ben and Caruso and Shenae) were fabulous! They helped us feel comfortable and safe. They learned all our names and made a personal connection. Sledging didn’t disappoint. We would definitely do it again!

What a rush! The sledging experience was what I was most looking forward to in visiting NZ for the first time! I have been a water rat my whole life and usually go boogie boarding when I visit my family in San Diego California. This was very different and exciting. Our guides Jackie and James were great at making the experience safe and exhilarating. I had a little trouble with understanding their nz accents and I am 62 so I may be losing some of my hearing, but they were great at repeating things slowly so I could follow directions. We all got the hang of sledging pretty quick. I will definitely do it again. They picked us up on time and its a pretty well oiled operation. Just do it!

Sledging in Rotorua was a physical challenge even for those much younger than myself. The guides were awesome in supporting me by aiding me through the first few rapids with a push/pull when I got stuck getting out of the rapids and into the clam waiting area. After traversing a few rapids/falls I started to get the hand of the river flow. Normally the rapids are class 3 and 4 but since we were in the midst of a huge rainstorm the rapids were now a class 4 and 5. The adrenaline pumped and the joy of sledging was felt. Kaitiaki Adventures, has a first class team from start to finish during our experience. If you are an adrenaline junkie and near Rotorua, New Zealand this is a must do activity.

Great experience. The guides were fantastic and made me feel like I was in very safe hands the entire time. You do need confidence in your swimming ability and a reasonable level of fitness. I was a little nervous at the start, but it ended up helping me tick off some fears and personal goals. So glad I did it.

Great experience. Guides were knowledgeable and safety was their number one concern. After going down the river, we get why. Had a blast. Little more work than we thought it was going to be but none the less, we had a blast

This white water adventure was awesome. Picked us up at hotel in Rotorua, then great briefing with the guides. Our guide Aoife was very enthousiatic, fun and made the advneture even more exciting. Highly recommend this company and this rafting experience

We did both the river sled and rafting. They were both great fun. The staff were friendly, the trips ran smoothly and the Kaituna river itself is stunning. I only wish the trip was longer - I didn’t want finish!

The sledging and rafting combo was great! The sledging was definitely hard, the guides were definitely saving me the whole time but so much fun!

We did a family sledging trip with Kaitiaki adventures. Sam and Andy were consummate professionals, setting nervous whanau instantly at ease and encouraging the adventurous to push themselves a bit more. Loved the respectful and peaceful Karakia. Highly recommend them.

What an experience; unlike anything I've ever done. It was so fun, I would do it again as the first time was quite the learning experience. I was very appreciative of the small group size (I think six) and having a guide in the front and the back had us feeling safe. While I did go solo, it's impossible not to create a bond with the others in the group as it was a challenging activity for sure, and we were all fit. I had never heard of sledging, so when I went to check it out, it looked so fun that I couldn't pass it up. Definitely call their office if the website says their online spots are full as that is how I scored a spot. I would underline everything they write in the FAQ about being a strong swimmer, as well as being able to carry to sledge down a pathway and stairs. I also loved the times when the Guides shared Māori words and phrases with us, and helped us remember to look around. It was all awesome!!!

Awesome experience with Kaitiaki Adventures! Staff were fantastic, safety was optimized, great vibes all round. 10/10 recommend

Sledging is a one of a kind experience, it was exciting and fun. Pretty exhausting fighting the current to get into position for the rapids, but that’s part of the fun. Had a blast

Excellent adventure, beautiful scenery very helpful and knowledgeable guides. That subtle blend of " this is fantastic" and "what am doing here?!?"

My son and I had an amazing morning white water sledging. Big shout out to our guides Hemi and Jackie for showing us the ropes and keeping us all safe. Would recommend for anyone who is comfortable in the water.

A great and very different adventure river sledging. Jackie and Hemi were a dream, super fun and very knowledgeable. Would highly recommend!

Having rafted Kaituna on a previous trip, I was keen to try something a little different and sledging ticked all the boxes; adventurous, unique and bloody good fun. Hemi and Jackie were engaging, professional and fun, ensuring we were safe and well guided the whole way. Thank you for an amazing experience!

The experience was outstanding! Having Hemi and Jackie as guides made the experience fun and safe. They also brought cultural aspects, which was really nice to see a company that values not only the culture but the land we use. Sledging was loads of fun, and will definitely come again! Thank you so much ✨

Sledging down the Kaituna with Jackie and Drax was an awesome experience. They made sure we knew what we were doing and were safe while also showing us how much fun sledging is. Totally recommend this trip. Thank you! 🤩

The white water and sledging adventure was amazing. Our guides Hamish, Ben, and Jace were so friendly and made the day an absolute blast! We are in Rotarua for part of our honeymoon and it was a super fun adventure to do together! I had never been rafting before and hadn’t even heard of sledging. As an added bonus, the water was 23 degrees Celsius! When I went in the water it was like a warm, chaotic, bath. Thank you to the team for a phenomenal day! *notes: wear your bathing suit, they have wetsuits you can put on. You get water boots (mandatory). If you’re doing both the rafting and sledging, bring a small snack for in between + water to sip when you reset before sledging. Don’t wear anything valuable (if you accidentally bring, they can lock up valuables for you/you can put your excess clothes and they get locked in the change room). Bring a fresh pair of clothes to change into for when you’re done!

Great thrill and great instructors leading you through the rapids. The river is warm and not too scary.

As others have noted this is for people who love to swim and are comfortable in whitewater conditions. You are in the water the entire time. If you love that idea you'll LOVE this. We had a blast! This is physically demanding as you need to be able to kick into and out of rapids. All that being said, the river is absolutely gorgeous reminiscent of Jurassic Park 😉

Sledging was awesome. Wish I had time to do the rafting also! My favorite part was surfing the wave and learning to do a barrel roll. Thanks so much to James and the team!

5/5 thanks to Jackie and Caruso who made the whole experience! Sledging is physically more challenging than rafting but with our guides and their help in the water, we road the rapids on our sledge boards! It was exhilarating! Our guides also gave us the local history of the water and its importance to the Māori people which is fascinating. AMAZING day!!!

The tour guides and all staff were very friendly. Captain Jack and Kyle were legends and made it fun. Would definitely recommend to anyone that loves an adventure

Sooooo much fun, adrenalin pumping, challenging, and different! Ben, Chucky, and Caruso made us all feel safe and the awesome vibes they give made for the perfect afternoon on the water. Thank you! 🤩🤩

My husband and I had no idea what we were going into. We did it anyway, and…. It’s absolutely a blast!!! We both love water sports and excitement. Sledging gives them all to you. However I don’t think I can do without our guides SAM and Coruso. They both were very helpful and caring. We felt very safe with them in the rapids. I cannot rave enough of Sam, the super energized guy. He is overloaded with energy. He has fun in the water and he makes sure everyone feel the same. We did it on Sep 8th, which was my 60th birthday. We were at NZ to celebrate the special day. Sam definitely made this my most memorable birthday celebration. Thank you Sam! I know you are just doing your obligation, but you don’t know how much your extra steps meant to me. Thanks again and I hope to be back for more celebrations 😊

For the adventurous heart! We had such a great time from arrival to the end. My husband is healthy and in good shape so he really enjoyed himself. I’m a plus size woman and honestly I was nervous about being able to do this. To be honest, if you can keep your mind strong (don’t overthink it) and trust your body then definitely consider this adventure because the views and the feeling of accomplishment at the end is so empowering. It will push you, but the guides are so capable of keeping you safe and on course you have nothing to worry about. You’ll need to do some walking to get to the river and have decent arm strength and leg strength to manage your sledge, but after that it’s pure fun! Thank you to our guides who were super patient, considerate, and understanding as we went along our adventure. You made our day awesome!

My friends and I had the BEST time sledging and wish we could’ve gone twice. Our guides were Ben and Coruzo who took great care of us and made us feel safe and prepared the whole time! Give those two a raise!!! cmon!! If you’re Bens mum reading this - he’s doing great, no need to worry! 10/10 recommend if you’re up for the challenge, it’s not for everyone so know what you’re getting into!

We had an amazing time with Ben and Caruzo! They were so funny and we had such a fun time. Highly recommend this experience! Riding the rapids was awesome!

Great experience! Whilst the rafting was great fun, it wasn't as scary as it looked. The sledging is both much more exciting and harder than I expected. Very different to the rafting, glad I did both

I bought the photo package after river sledging. They weren't uploaded in the initial Dropbox link that was sent out (other rafting times that day did have their photos uploaded). I had multiple exchanges of emails with the company, where they said things like "oh we're just doing it now", "we'll do it today and let you know when it's done" etc, none of which happened. I've asked for a refund for the photo package... no response. The river sledging itself was fun.

Such a fun experience! Very friendly staff and I enjoyed every minute. I was having so much fun it went far too quickly.

We were made to feel welcome from the moment we were picked up from our motel. The guides were very professional and clearly explained that the experience was going to be challenging and that we needed to be strong swimmers. they made us feel safe and that we were going on a real adventure! They supported myself and my sons to have an amazing experience that we feel was the highlight our our holiday.

Sledging, what an experience - certainly something I've never done before and truly unique. Had an absolute blast but had to put in some hard Mahi for this one. Amazing to be in the water and boosting down rapids and waterfalls on the sledge. Always felt safe and in control with the amazing crew, especially Jackie and Cruzo who took us down the river. Enjoyed our time with the Kaitiaki adventures whanau and would recommend them to anyone looking for a bit of adventure. Service was outstanding along with experiences we had with them. Will definitely go back!

So much fun! Jackie and Caruzo were super rad! Very professional and laid back at the same time and made the experience next level! Jump in the river, ride the rapids and smile for camera! Don’t worry if it’s raining or cold. Wetsuits keep you warm and you’re having too much fun to notice anyway! Make sure you dive in when you’re in Rotorua! Keph and Rooster

We had such a great experience! Our guides Stevie and Caruso were just the best. Tip top professional operation. The booking process was super simple and they worked closely with us to adjust our time to better manage our day's plans. Amy, our photographer, captured some incredible images of us too. I did this with my two teenage boys and we all agreed this was the best part of our trip to NZ. It was the right mix of adventure, with some aerobic requirements that made it feel like truly unique experience. Highly recommend this to anyone looking for an amazingly memorable time! Thank you for showing us such a great time!

We had an amazing time stretching ourselves way beyond our comfort zone! Our guides, Ben & Hemi, were really great at explaining, encouraging and watching over us. Even though I rolled through a couple of rapids, they were always there to grab onto me and guide me back onto the right path when I needed it. Their strength and professionalism made me feel 100% safe and comfortable. We're mid 40's, could be much fitter but love adventure and they made it work for us. All my muscles ache but in a good way - Thank you team! Loved it.

Was a great adrenaline rush, even for the mum who was scared. Jackie, Himmy and Amy were amazing experienced guides that helped out. Would definitely recommend.

We had an excellent time. Thanks to our awesome guides Drax and Caruso for making it a great experience. Recommended.

Had an awesome experience with great guides in Jackie, Cruso and Rocky! Well instructed, safe and a lot of fun. Highly recommended!

Highly recommend Kaitiaki Adventures, arranged a group booking of 15 people, did whitewater rafting and sledging. Staff were incredible and made the whole experience so much fun and felt safe the entire time! Lots of laughs and great adventure! 7M waterfall was awesome! Sledging was alot of fun! Definitely a MUST do on your next trip to Rotorua!

Had a great time , we went with ourselves and family friends 7 in total ! Ben and Ethan were Awesome guilds and keeps as all safe and we’re very knowledgeable on the river . Great experience overall and would highly recommended

What an amazing activity! Totally recommend. The team is super helpful and the water is amazingly warm! Best way to spend a day in Rotorua

After going white water rafting with Kaitiaki Adventures we were easily talked into going sledging with them as well. The team are passionate about their jobs and are very focused on both safety and ensuring guests have a fabulous time. Sledging was a lot more physically demanding than rafting, you need to be able to carry the sledge on your head for 5 to 7 mins, down a gravel path and stairs, before climbing over a fence to enter the water. Your guides make sure you know what to do, and you practice some rolls in quiet water before setting off. The guides are always alert and provide assistance where they need. There are regular stops and check ins with guests. Guides offer additional opportunities to ramp up the adrenaline for those who want it, while making sure everyone enjoys themselves. You do need to be a confident swimmer though. Can't recommend the company, and this adventure, enough.