"Solstice "shore excursion TR57 White Water Rafting... grade 5 waterfall... rough?

[C-sea]

We will be on Celebrity's Solstice in Tauranga, NZ in a few weeks. Our family has booked a white water rafting excursion. This is grade 3 river with a grade 5 waterfall on the Kaituna River. Has anyone done this shore excursion or been on this river on their own? Two of us are 61 and 59 years old. The other three are the younger generation! Any words of advice for the older two?

[Docker123]

I have not done this. However, this seems to be a video to give you an idea.

 

[MicCanberra]

Grade 5 rapids can be dangerous, but if all of you in the raft do it all right, then it is no problem. I am not sure if age will be an issue but fitness certainly will be.

 

BTW, Niagara is rated as a Grade 5 rapid.:eek:

[MicCanberra]

I have not done this. However, this seems to be a video to give you an idea.

 

 

Awesome video.

[C-sea]

I have not done this. However, this seems to be a video to give you an idea.

 

 

Thanks Docker123 for the "a picture is worth a thousand words" video. I think it will be intense and great!:D

[MicCanberra]

Thanks Docker123 for the "a picture is worth a thousand words" video. I think it will be intense and great!:D

 

So are you going to do it? I hope you will be, it will be in your memories for a long time.

[C-sea]

So are you going to do it? I hope you will be, it will be in your memories for a long time.

 

I believe we will :eek: Our family of four did a less intense white water rafting tour on an Alaskan cruise 25 years ago when I was a few months pregnant with our third son... fast forward 25 years later... We are a family of five looking forward to Kaituna River's ride/soak!

[MicCanberra]

I believe we will :eek: Our family of four did a less intense white water rafting tour on an Alaskan cruise 25 years ago when I was a few months pregnant with our third son... fast forward 25 years later... We are a family of five looking forward to Kaituna River's ride/soak!

 

Good on you all, embrace life, make it exciting and push yourself (within reason) and you will feel better for it.:D

[Willow45]

We did this rafting tour in February and it was amazing. Great fun in the rapids, not too rough and the waterfall was wow. It was such a big drop that the whole raft went under water. If you listen to your guide you will have no issues at all. And we were lucky to get the fun guide that he got us to jump off a rock and to bob down the river at one point in the water.

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

Great pics.:D

[Willow45]

I have more. It was the best white water rafting I have done and the best photos as well.

 

 

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[Willow45]

Sorry but realizing a short while ago C-sea, while being on a cruise we actually booked off ship with Rotourua White water rafting. But we definitely did the same river and there is I think 1 other different rafting people we saw on the day.

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

I have more. It was the best white water rafting I have done and the best photos as well.

 

 

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I have done some rafting on rivers all around the world and NZ certainly does it best. Safety and thrills:D

[3littlepigs]

We did this one a few years ago, it was crazy, I wouldn't do it again. They give a safety briefing before they take the raft over that waterfall and only proceed if they are happy it's safe. It's in the middle of the trip so they can judge by then how people are coping with the rafting. And remember being NZ the water is cold.

 

I wouldn't say it was particularly an age thing more a health and fitness thing :)

[Cwood Cruiser]

We did grade 2 and mostly 3 rapids with Mohaka Rafting out of Napier. It was a couple of years ago and we were in our late fifties and had never rafted before. Instruction before we got in the water was scrupulous and we had two staff for four clients. There was also an opportunity to jump into the river off a riverside cliff about 20-30 feet above water level. Clothing provided kept us warm even when wet, and our guide was very solicitous and checked regularly to ensure there were no problems with hypothermia. upper body strength is an asset, rotator cuff issues are not. We had a great time!!

[MicCanberra]

We did grade 2 and mostly 3 rapids with Mohaka Rafting out of Napier. It was a couple of years ago and we were in our late fifties and had never rafted before. Instruction before we got in the water was scrupulous and we had two staff for four clients. There was also an opportunity to jump into the river off a riverside cliff about 20-30 feet above water level. Clothing provided kept us warm even when wet, and our guide was very solicitous and checked regularly to ensure there were no problems with hypothermia. upper body strength is an asset, rotator cuff issues are not. We had a great time!!

 

The instructors may seem slapdash about the safety here in Australia and NZ and laugh it off as being a joking subject but that is our nature here. Safety is paramount and if you do not want to do something they will make allowances.