font-weight: bold; In that moment his life quite literally hangs in the balance. Its been [two years] but its still a struggle to think about, it just gives me nightmares.. Its a wild trip; you cross your arms and put your feet forward while the rapids suck you downstream. padding-left: 85px; You paddle once again, as hard as you can with your whole body then you quickly jump down holding on to the water-soaked rope as you have the sensation of free-falling. I think people need to see the good stuff and the bad, and know the reality of it, he says. A man in his 50s had got into difficulty in the Kaituna River and, despite attempts by medical staff, [was] unable to be revived and died at the scene. top: 0; We are all shaken by his death." Now with no one paddling, you sort of lose track. TALES OF BANKS PENINSULA Second Edition. .light-preset-color.masthead:not(#phantom):not(.sticky-on):not(.sticky-mobile-on) .menu-line:after, .light-preset-color.masthead:not(#phantom):not(.sticky-on):not(.sticky-mobile-on) .menu-line:before { font-size: 22px !important; Many who testified grappled with the issue of the risks associated with the sport, and at what point those risks become unacceptable. There is no world championship or formal circuit for extreme kayaking. a.dt-mobile-menu-icon { Ryan already had a thirst for testing his limits. } A grassy embankment next to the control gates that feed out of Lake Rotoiti marks the put-in area, where paddlers sit in their kayaks, teetering on the edge before they slide down a steep path into water below. window.innerWidth : window.RSIW; A police spokeswoman said police and Hato Hone St John Ambulance personnel were advised of an incident at Trout Pool Rd, Okere Falls in the Rotorua district about 3.10pm. Shes just a crack-up, she has so many amazing stories from her adventures, Jones says, skipping between past and present tense, as if she still cant get her head around the fact her best mate is gone. max-height: 30px !important; It is every year now for me that one of my friends leaves me, he says. This is where the lower gorges begin and the rapids have much more consequence. text-align: left !important; } Embrace a thrilling whitewater rafting adventure infused with Maori culture. Remember that this is a Class 5 section of rapids, so you will need to be prepared to get wet and to put in a lot of physical work paddling. input#input_1_3 { display: flex !important; I think we really worked together because we wanted the same things in life, and that was to kayak and travel and live life to the full, says Hamilton-born Ryan. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Like the others, Luuka Jones carries the memories of her best mate around the globe. There was no trace of her. Raft down the world's highest rafted waterfall before lathering up in the MUD BATHS. flex-wrap: wrap !important; e.tabw = e.tabhide>=pw ? Grade 4 | White Water Rafting Bay of Plenty, One Hell of a combo | With Hells Gate & Kaituna Cascades. bottom: auto; Trailhead address: Pilot Quay, Mt Maunganui, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, 3116, New Zealand. Her paddle came downstream straight away, followed closely by her upturned yellow and lime kayak. We went down the river in groups of three rafts and waited after every large fall to make sure someone was not unlucky and fell out of the boat. body .fh-button-true-flat-red { Things were starting to get back to normal it felt like, back to those days where we paddled together all the time. position: absolute; He acknowledged risk-taking in sport was a big societal question, but was difficult to legislate against without taking away the free will of the athletes. padding: 5px 0 5px 0; font-size: 16px !important; .light-preset-color.masthead:not(#phantom):not(.sticky-on) .main-nav > .book > a .menu-text { font-family: Roboto; The Kaituna River is home to kere Falls, Kaituna Falls, and the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world 7m Tutea Falls. width: 100%; For paddlers of the skill level of Louise, Ryan and Joe Morley, this stretch of water would have been a nice, gentle way to ease themselves into their evening paddle, before they hit the relentless rapids in the lower gorges. Occasionally, the rafts will flip over when they hit the water at the bottom of the falls. Those conversations were only ever supposed to be philosophical, rather than instructional. background-color: #f7e222 !important; Okere Falls marks the beginning of the Kaituna River. e.thumbhide = e.thumbhide===undefined ? padding:0px 10px !important; @media screen and (max-width: 874px) and (min-width:769px) { } }} white-space: nowrap; These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. body .page-title.solid-bg.bg-img-enabled { This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Youll get kitted out and made to go through the motions of paddling by your guides before you are even allowed near the boat. He was just 20. Her family tells us she saved a life before losing her own. font-weight: 500; } The Kaituna River is home to kere Falls, Kaituna Falls, and the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world 7m Tutea Falls. As a guide to the level of fitness required, participants should be capable of sprinting 100 metres and recovering reasonably quickly. } z-index: 100; Tutea Falls is 7 meters tall and definitely a Class 5 drop! This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Why would I jump out? The Kaituna River is the most exhilarating waterway in New Zealand, packed with white water rapids and home to the world's largest commercially rafted waterfall.It's a place like no other for adventure seekers, and it's found just outside of Rotorua, in the heart of the North . We are the closest and most accessible company to the river. On this guided tour, you will spend 50 minutes sailing down Kaituna, one of New Zealand's most famous rafting destinations. } This reflects the fact that things are very much busier in New Zealand during the summer season, which roughly runs from November to March. } Book your spot and find out why Rotorua Rafting was ranked #1 Travellers choice experience in New Zealand, 1 HOUR OF EPICNESS ON THE MIGHTY KAITUNA RIVER WILL LEAVE YOU STOKED, 1 HOUR OF STANDUP PADDLE BOARDING / FAMILY FLOAt, Zipline over waterfalls, Rotorua newest Must Do Activity, MAKE A DAY OF IT AND ADD A HOT POOL AFTERYOURTRIP. position: relative; Photo / NZME. Vavrinec Hradilek, who first met Louise when she bounded up to him on the steps of his home boat club at a canoe slalom event in Prague, has been a regular visitor since 2009. Kaituna Cascades was established in 1991 and is still today locally owned and operated out of Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand. opacity:1; One trip you should not miss on the North Island when you visit Rotorua is a rafting trip with River Rats Rafting. Maritime New Zealand carry out investigations into all deaths on New Zealand waterways. .admin-bar .dt-close-mobile-menu-icon { A 50 minute action packed ride down 14 epic rapids featuring the worlds highest rafted waterfall! border-radius: 3px; But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. }} What they know is Louise got her line slightly wrong and was sucked towards a partially submerged log, flipping awkwardly on to the debris. Going into the Olympics, Jones had a world ranking of 28. align-items: center !important; .mobile-header-bar .mobile-branding img, .branding a img, .branding img { width:100% !important; } 16 Kaituna River: 3.5-Hour Whitewater Rafting Experience. } .sticky-on .main-nav > .book > a .menu-text { z-index: 999 !important; /* Home Carousel */ He insisted on supplying footage where things have gone wrong. /* height:100px !important; */ In times of war, women and children would lower themselves down the seemingly impenetrable curtain of water, seeking safe haven behind its frothy skirts. They couldnt walk more than 10m without being swamped by competitors, many of whom have stayed at their Otaki home over the years. } The group had only just entered into Gnarly gorge Morley went through first, followed by Ryan, with Louise trailing the pack a decision Ryan still beats himself up over. It is not a stretch to say she felt her presence in Rio de Janeiro last year, when she pulled off the run of her life to claim the silver medal. Sitting in the kitchen of the home he and Louise shared over her final months, he shifts in his seat to try to find a comfortable position to confront the memories of that day. Things will start to get more intense after the second waterfall, as you hit more and more rapids in the build-up to the big drop at Tutea Falls. Rotorua police and Maritime New Zealand officials are investigating after the 66-year-old man, believed to have suffered a heart attack after being thrown from a raft on the river, near Rotorua, died at Rotorua Hospital in the early hours of yesterday. Our aim is to be the highlight of your holiday in New Zealand and give you the best rafting experience ever! .vc_custom_1619577787216 { This section offers Grade 5 rapids the highest grade for rafting you can tackle, unless your a professional but dont worry, because even if youve never rafted before youll be given prior training. Kaituna River G5 Rotorua's favourite adrenaline pumping adventure. .footer .widget .post-content .text-secondary { 17 Kaituna River and Tutea Falls Whitewater Rafting. } "Eventually the additional tax burden will have to be passed to tenants". He was Madhu Shah, a tourist who is understood to be from Mumbai (Bombay) in India. You may want to bring a few snacks to enjoy after the rafting, and some water or other refreshments too. The Kaituna River is home to kere Falls, Kaituna Falls, and the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world - 7m Tutea Falls. span.menu-text { The positioning of the log in the middle of the flow would have made it impossible for her to right herself, forcing her to exit her kayak. What begins as a meandering stream from Trout Pool Falls quickly becomes a lot more committing as the river tightens and the flow of around 27-40 cumecs (cubic metres per second) is forced through a passage just 2m wide in places. margin: 0 !important; margin-top: 30px !important; American Whitewater reports that on average, there are only 6 to 10 whitewater rafting deaths for each 2.5 million user days on guided rafting trips. A GoPro camera fitted to the bow of Ryans kayak facing back towards him was the only witness to Louises final moments. If you are not scared of the water, you and your team can paddle up the rapids into the waterfalls to let the falling water spray into the front of your boat. Its an adrenaline rush like no other, and of course, you will end up completely soaked too. As she exited, her spray skirt - what paddlers wear to clip them into their kayak - got caught on a branch protruding from the log. } z-index: 0 !important; Our journey for the day started in Rotorua. } } } } color: #fff; max-height: 25px !important; A common thread of the research is athletes seem to hold the romantic view that doing something inherently dangerous puts you on a higher spiritual plane. padding: 12px; All promotions. White Water Rafting: Rotorua New Zealand Planning Tips. e.tabhide = e.tabhide===undefined ? ix = 0, The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". } } }; It is also where Ryan and Louises love story began and the starting point of their fateful trip on March 11, 2015. Simply show up and get ready to raft! 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