Okere Falls

The Kaituna leaves Lake Rotoiti and immediately drops through a narrow bush gorge in a series of falls, and the walking track along the rim gives lookouts over each of them plus a set of steep steps down to Hinemoa's Steps and Tutea Caves, where local people sheltered in earlier times. The section is best known for what happens on the water: Tutea Falls, at seven metres, is run commercially by raft and is generally described as the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world. Watching a boat go over it from the platform is the free version of the experience and is genuinely worth the twenty-minute walk. The track is short, about an hour return with the side trips, and the steps down to the caves are steep and slippery when wet. The Kaituna is also a well-known kayaking run, and the trout fishing at the lake outlet is long-established.

History

The area is the homeland of Ngāti Pikiao, who called the river Okere, "the place of drifting", and its other name, Kaituna, refers to its importance for food, above all eels. Before the first road bridge was built in 1872, local Māori ran a ferry across the inlet, and travellers between Tauranga and Rotorua broke their journey at the nearby Fraser's Hotel (Wikipedia, Okere Falls).

Highlights

• Tutea Falls - seven metres, with rafts going over it.
• The rim lookouts - platforms above each drop in the gorge.
• Tutea Caves - down steep steps below the track.
• The kayakers - the Kaituna is a well-used whitewater run.

When to go

October to April. Rafting runs year round in wetsuits. Midday is when most rafts come through, if watching is the point.

Good to know

The steps to the caves are steep and slick after rain. Rafting is ticketed and booked separately, with a minimum age. The car park is small and shared with rafting companies.

Nearby

Lake Rotoiti and Rotorua are south; Hell's Gate is on the same road.