Rotorua Rafting among Māori tourism operators redefining sustainable travel

July 13, 2025

•

2min

In a recent NZ Herald article by Jessica Wynne Lockhart, Rotorua Rafting was placed up there with some of the leading Māori tourism operators in the country.

Along with Kai Waho (Taupo), Rua Awa Lodge (Taumaranui),Te Wharewaka o Pōneke (Wellington) & Whanganui River Adventures (Whanganui), Rotorua Rafting was commended for our role sustainability efforts in the community.

Lockhart saw the humour in our “wonderfully cheeky tagline for Rotorua Rafting's sustainability endeavours : Make Ōkere Great Again.

Rotorua Rafting is now widely recognised for our sustainability efforts through initiatives like trapping in the Ōkere Falls Reserve, helping to reduce predators along the Kaituna River, gorse removal along the Kaituna riverbanks and planting over 5,000 native trees (with plans to plant 10,000 more)

‍

As a carbon positive business it's our goal to continue to be recognised as leaders in the industry, give back to Papatūānuku, and encourage others to strive for sustainable greatness.

‍

Read the full article by Jessica here

‍

More from the blog

ALL BLOG POSTS

Two Rotorua Rafting staff members picking up rubbish from the roadside verge at Ōkere Falls in wet weather, with wheelie bins alongside them.

Conservation Week | Catfish, Gorse, and Monday Mornings: The Full Picture of Conservation at Rotorua Rafting

Catfish nets in Lake Rotoiti. Gorse and blackberry cleared from 12,000m² of farmland. Monday mornings picking up rubbish by the river. Native trees growing in our on-site nursery. This is what conservation looks like when it is woven into how a business works — not bolted on. Happy Conservation Week from the team at Rotorua Rafting.

Aerial view of a yellow Rotorua Rafting raft and a green kayak navigating the base of a waterfall on the Kaituna River, surrounded by dense native bush and ponga ferns.

Conservation Week | What Does 'Carbon Positive' Actually Mean — and Why Did We Chase It?

Rotorua Rafting became New Zealand's first carbon-positive tourism operator in 2021. Here's what that actually means, how they achieved it, and why they are not stopping there.

ALL BLOG POSTS