sustainability

making okere great again...

We run on the Kaituna. So we're responsible for it.

The Kaituna River is not a backdrop... It is the whole reason Rotorua Rafting exists.
The same awa that carries our rafts, feeds our livelihood, and draws people from around the world to Rotorua and Ōkere Falls — we want our grandchildren to be able to drink from it.

That is not a goal we invented for a website. It shapes every decision we make.

Kaituna whitewater river rafting in rotorua

who we are

Built on this river, accountable to it.

"The Kaituna is not just our venue. It is the reason we exist. If we cannot leave it healthier than we found it, what are we doing here?"
‍
Sam Sutton | Founder, Rotorua Rafting & Rotorua Ziplines · 4× Extreme Kayaking World Champion

Rotorua Rafting was founded by Sam Sutton and four-time Extreme Kayaking World Champion. Sam did not just grow up near this river. He grew up in it. The Kaituna shaped him as an athlete, and his relationship to it shapes everything about how this business is run.Conservation was not bolted on later. It was built in from the beginning — because when your whole operation runs on the health of a river, the river's future is your business.

Our commitment

Not neutral. Positive.

In March 2021, Rotorua Rafting became the first carbon-positive tourism operator in New Zealand — certified through EKOS and offsetting our emissions by 120%. That means we are not just balancing the books on our environmental footprint. We are actively putting more back than we take out.But carbon positivity is a certificate that points in a direction. The real work is what happens on the ground, on the water, and in the reserve every week.

120%

Carbon offset via EKOS certification

12km²

Farmland cleared of gorse and blackberry

60,000+

Native trees planted, targeting 10,000 manuka

3→1

Reduced rubbish bins to landfill per week

PEST CONTROL

500+ pests eradicated.

Alongside Rotorua Ziplines, we run trap lines through the Ōkere Scenic Reserve in partnership with Predator Free Ōkere Falls. Since 2022, our combined effort has removed more than 480 pest animals from the reserve — rats, possums, stoats, and ferrets — giving native birds and plants a real chance to recover. In 2026 we committed to walking all trap lines at least once a week.
The results have been immediate: more rats caught in the first four months of 2026 than across some entire previous years.

Year	Rats	Possums	Stoats	Ferrets	Other	Total
2022	85	29	7	1	2	124
2023	46	19	3	1	0	69
2024	43	14	0	0	1	58
2025	119	15	0	1	2	137
2026 (to April)	87	5	0	0	0	92
Total	380	82	10	3	5	480

On the water

Planting. Clearing. Keeping it clean.

Conservation at Ōkere Falls does not stay in the bush. It runs along every edge of this place.

Native
replanting

12,000m² of blackberry and gorse cleared from surrounding farmland. 60,000 native trees in the ground. 10,000 manuka targeted for the river edge, stabilising the banks.

Catfish eradication

Working with Te Arawa Lakes Trust and the Catfish Killas, we check, clear, and monitor eradication nets to remove one of the most destructive freshwater pests in the region from Lake Rotoiti.

clean-up
mornings

Every Monday, our team donates an hour to pick up rubbish around the Kaituna River area. It is a small act. It adds up. And it is a statement about what kind of business we want to be.

Waste and waterways

Landfill waste down from three bins a week to one. Composting, recycling, and environmentally friendly cleaning products keep the operation clean without pushing anything harmful into the awa downstream.

How you can help

Help us help Ōkere Falls.

Every booking already contributes — that 7.5% goes in regardless. But if you want to do a little more, there is an easy way.

add a donation when you book

After you choose your date and time slot, you will see the option to add a small donation to our Ōkere Falls conservation fund. If you can add something, it makes a real difference.
If you just want to come and raft, that already helps too.

BOOK NOW