Incredible flood of water from the flood gates showing off the mighty Waikato river. A magnificent sight from empty canyon to raging torrent in 5 minutes. read more

I found this place online and decided to check it out. The rapids are in a narrow canyon and are interesting by themselves. But if you come at the right time (10AM, noon, 2PM, etc), they open the floodgates - literally. Upstream there is a reservoir and they let water spill from that into the rapids, and it's incredible. Was was once a small stream transforms in a matter of minutes into a raging river with lots of rocks in it, creating the rapids. Seeing the transformation was truly impressive and really cool. If you get there a few minutes late, it's ok! You will still see the rapids raging. Definitely worth a short detour when driving between Rotorua and Taupo. read more

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Come here when they open the dam if you really want to see some action. It's a good short hike to see the rapids. read more

Aratiatia Rapids - Local Flavor Near Me - Rotokawa, WKO