Aratiatia Rapids

Aratiatia is a narrow gorge where the Waikato used to run through a set of rapids, until the river was dammed for power in 1964 and the gorge was left mostly dry. What happens now is a scheduled release: the control gates open, and within a few minutes the gorge fills and the rapids run at full volume, then the gates close and it drains back to a trickle. Releases run several times daily - typically 10am, noon and 2pm with an extra 4pm in summer, though the schedule changes, so check before driving out. There are three viewing platforms above the gorge, and the trick is to watch the first release from the lower one, where the water arrives visibly as a wall, then walk up for the second. Boat trips run into the gorge below and jet boats operate downstream. Outside the release times there is very little to see, which catches out anyone who arrives unplanned.

What you actually see

• The gorge filling - a dry channel to full rapids in minutes.
• The three platforms - different vantages over the same run.
• The drain-down - the gorge emptying again after the gates close.
• The boats - trips into the gorge below the rapids.

When to go

Only at a release - typically 10am, noon and 2pm, with a 4pm addition in summer. Check the current schedule before going; outside those windows the gorge is nearly empty.

Honest expectations

The whole event lasts about fifteen to twenty minutes. Arrive early for a platform spot - it is a popular stop. The schedule does change seasonally, and turning up between releases means seeing nothing.

Nearby

Huka Falls and Craters of the Moon are close; Taupo is fifteen minutes south.