Kaituna White Water Rafting (Kaitiaki Rafting Co.)

one of many Grade V rapids

We opt for another bout of white water action down the Kaituna river, 10km outside Rotorua, where the ultimate highlight is a 7 metre drop waterfall rapid. As it turns out 7 metres is more like 3.5 but it's still enough to write home about and enough to get the adrenalin high going. Our raft guide Joel does his best to hype it up, reciting an ancient Moari prayer for good luck and getting one of our crew members to throw a symbolic silver fern leaf over her shoulder into the water and, if it lands green side up, we'll survive. It's our turn so we paddle hard up to the edge then jump down into the raft, tuck in our chins and hold on to the ropes for dear life. We go over headlong and get sucked into the splash pool before emerging victorious. We made it!

Thereafter follows some more pretty serious rapids, each one a significant drop and we get the option to float over one swimming, holding on to the boat and another standing up inside the boat- 'the first one to sit down buys the first round of drinks'. Another fun-filled rafting experience (it's becoming one of my favourite activities) and its on to the relaxing Wia Ora Mud Bath and Spa just around the corner. The volcanic mud is renowned to contain many healing properties and certainly I notice my skin to be very soft afterwards, but you aren't to stay in for more than 20 minutes and, to be honest, the sulphurous smell gets quite overwhelming. We sweat it out in a hot pool with a view out to the thermal reserve behind us from where the mud is gathered for the baths and the water is pumped for the pools.