Aratiatia Rapids

The spillway at the Aratitia dam is opened daily at 10:00 am, 12:00 noon, 2:00 pm (winter and summer) and also 4:00 pm in summer to recreate these rapids, showing how they were before the hydro scheme harnessed the head.

"ARATEATA (sic) RAPIDS." From the Imperial Album, 1890s...

The journey from Taupe to Ohinemutu takes the traveller past some of the most interesting sights in New Zealand, not so beautiful from the purely scenic point as curious and weird. When we say the road goes past these places it must not be understood that they are actually on the road, but so near that every tourist takes them en route. Such sights are the Huka Falls, with the intense and dazzling white of the churned foam, Karapiti, a chasm with huge volumes of steam rushing out, Rotokawa, the bitter lake, and, going further north, the wonderful Wairakei, and the beautiful rapids of the Waikato at Arateata, the subject of our illustration. On a bright sunny day the foaming and rushing of the waters at this spot, with the peculiar character which the waters possess of giving prismatic colour reflections, have a fascination which tempts the visitor to linger and dream until the call of the coachman rudely informs him he is not in fairy-land, but on, maybe, a round tour with a time-table to keep.

ARATIATIA RAPIDS TOUR

Heather Johnson comments:A real must. We send all our guests there when driving to Taupo. An amazing demonstration of the power of water.