Kaitiaki Adventures White Water Rafting & Sledging Guides
We're on a 'mission'
We take great pride in offering a safe,
exciting and highly professional water
sport experience.
To us this means welcoming our clients
as genuine guests with utmost care, respect and
attention to their individual and personal needs.
Kaitiaki strives for long term success as a result
of our commitment to providing our guests with the
best experience possible.
What makes us unique...
Safety instructions and workshops - we
offer a full and comprehensive training for
our clients, allowing clients to participate
without prior experience.
We offer the total package
- action, adventure, culture, adrenaline
and fun-not only are our trips action packed
but they touch on local history and focus
on giving clients a touch of culture- so
each person leaves informed, exhilarated
and with a basic understanding of aspects
Maori.
Our theme is 'Peace' - encourage
New Zealand as a peaceful destination.
Our role is Kaitiaki- guardian,
custodian and caretaker of the river-We
take our role seriously not only as guardian
of the river but to encourage an environmental
consciousness. We have begun our journey
with our environmentally friendly toilet and water collection from
the roof. We feel this will encourage others
to do the same.
Respect Wairua(spirit)-Our
Karakia(prayer) is delivered prior to all
trips, allowing us to show respect to the
people of the river (Ngati Pikiao) - those who live now
and those of years gone by.
MANAAKITANGA IS OUR STRENGTH
Our
purpose
Our
purpose or role is to ensure we expand the
Kaitiaki name beyond just a name. To create
an environment honouring the Kaitiaki name,
to encourage all within and around the company
to grow and learn... respect.
Kaitiaki Adventures
offer many different experiences. We take
great pride in offering a safe, exciting
and highly professional water sport experience.
All our guides are specifically
trained to offer an unforgettable trip,
using their extensive overseas experience
to compliment their guiding on the waterways
surrounding Rotorua.
Sustainability is hard
to achieve in such a transient work environment
but we at Kaitiaki adventures pride ourselves
on our crew.The environment created is more
of a Whanau(family) unit, with guides leaving
but returning after the season, refreshed
but having attained more knowledge and being
more world wise.
Glenn "Weka" Kay - Senior Raft/Sledge Guide
After leaving Tai Poutini, where Glenn completed his adventure tourism course, he came to work for Kaitiaki. Venturing overseas to work but returning after each raft season away.
Glenn comes from a sporting background where not only kayaking, rafting and sledging became a big part but also surfing.
Glenn is an easy going sociable character whose amiable personality is a great asset to both the clients and the Kaitiaki team.
Jamie Mead - Senior Raft Guide
Jamie came to Kaitiaki after he had spent 2 years glacial guiding on Franz Joseph glacier. He is a great person to have around with his large industry knowledge and as an ex- ambulance officer, Jamie's skills helped him to be an essential part of the team.
Geni Walters - Senior Sledge Guide
Geni is a Rotorua born and bred Te Arawa girl. After completing an outdoor recreation course at Tauranga, Geni then came to Kaitiaki. With her background in swimming at a national level, she naturally took up the challenge to sledge. Trained under the worlds top sledge guides, Geni quickly developed into the first female sledge guide. Geni's enthusiasm coupled with her determination is a great asset to the Kaitiaki Whanau.
Adam "Chonk" Walker - Senior Raft Guide
Chonk has been with Kaitiaki Adventures since 2003 after graduating from Tai Poutini and a short stint with a few companies from the west coast of the South Island. Chonk's fun loving personality enables him to get on well with his clients and work colleges alike. Chonk is now an important part of the Kaitikai crew.
Ben "Jimbo" Macleman - Senior Raft Guide
On leaving Tai Poutini Ben has worked for Kaitiaki Adventures. 5 years on Ben is a senior raft guide.
An outstanding sportsman capable of turning his talent to whatever sport that appeals.
His passion for whitewater has led Ben to do 3 first descents (including Huka falls) and has taken him worldwide to discover new countries, people and rivers.
Bens casual manner and quirky humour helps to put clients at ease.
Ben is a fundamental part of the Kaitiaki whanau, having been with the company since the outset.
Barry "Baz" Goes - Senior Raft Guide
Baz second season with Kaitiaki brings extensive rafting knowledge that he’s gained from rafting in places such as Rangitikei and the Tully in Australia, baz is awesome and easy going personality has enabled him to fit straight into Kaitiaki Whanau.
Joel Flamank - Senior Raft/Sledge Guide
Joel came to Kaitiaki directly after his Tai Poutini course. An extremely energetic person, Joel had no problem at directing his energy into whitewater sports. Joel is an integral part of Kaitiaki not only as both a senior sledge and senior raft guide but as an energetic presence within the company.
Hamuera Maika - Senior Sledge Guide
After his adventure tourism course at Waiariki Polytechnic in Rotorua, Hamuera came to Kaitiaki Adventures to immerse himself in the world of whitewater. Coming from an extensive sporting background and being NZ's junior kick box champ, whitewater rafting and sledging was an ideal step. A Ngati Pikiao descendant, fluent in Te Reo Maori (Maori Language) combined with his amazing entertainment skills, Hamuera blended quickly into the Kaitiaki Whanau.
Takarua Mutu - Senior Raft/Sledge Guide
Tak attended Waiariki Polytechnic's adventure tourism course and was top student in his year. From the course he came to work with Kaitiaki. Water polo was Tak's passion so sledging and rafting came naturally to him. A great person to have in Kaitiaki not only as one of Kaitiaki's senior sledge guides but because of his calmly pleasant manner with people. Tak's ancestors are the people of the river Ngati Pikiao.
Wade Gumson - Senior Raft Guide
One of the most experienced commercial guides in NZ with extensive overseas experience including; USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Italy, Nepal, Costa Rica and Ecuador. With 14 years of back to back raft seasons and having represented NZ in rafting, with his Cook Strait Waka Ama crossing where Wades team came in first and only team to finish - battling high seas and wind,… his experience is unmatched Wade has helped mould an exceptional guide crew, for Kaitiaki bring his professionalism to blend with our already exceptional standards. Wades interests include mountain-biking, surfing, kayaking and Whaka Ama.
As management of Kaitiaki it's not only a privilege to have Wade on our crew but gives peace of mind knowing that our customers will gain from Wades experience.
Nigel Middleton Turner - Senior Raft Guide
Nigel came to work with Kaitiaki after finishing his work with the “youth at risk course” where he spent 4 seasons. Nigel has been rafting for 6 years working his way up from an aspirant guide to a senior.
Nigel is our river manager, his relaxed manner is a bonus in the stressful times and he is an integral part of the Kaitiaki team.
Stevie Wall - Senior Raft/Sledge Guide
Stevie is one of the original company shareholders and is still involved in the day to day running of the company. Stevie was prominent in the pioneering of the Kaituna sledging in 1999. He began sledging in 1999 and once Kaitiaki progressed into rafting Stevie followed suit.
Stevie's main outside interest is touch Rugby. He began in 1990 and played for Taranaki in the mixed open and has continued to excel. He captained the NZ mixed touch team on the tour to South Africa in 2007 and came away as the winners of the ‘Touch Rugby World Cup” As Stevie was self taught in the Kaitiaki environment a trip with Stevie is a true Kaitiaki trip.
James "Bhutty" Moore - Senior Raft Guide
James is a senior guide for Kaitiaki. He has been guiding since 1996. James has represented NZ internationally in the NZ raft team in 1998 in Costa Rica. He then went on to captain the team in 1999 and 2000.
His interest in photography led him to establish Adrenalin Shots-where James photographs various whitewater activities.(including Kaitiaki's Photos)
James spends his spare time with Waka Ama,kayaking and mountain bikes in the amazing tracks around Rotorua.
Grant Aumua - Senior Raft/Sledge Guide
Grant is one of the original shareholders in Kaitiaki as a senior raft and sledge guides he is a key member in Kaitiaki Adventures. He began rafting in early 1990 and as a natural progression then moved into the sledging field. Grant helped pioneer the infamous Kaituna sledge run in 1999 and represented NZ in rafting in 2001. Grants interests include bodybuilding, rugby league and mountain biking .
Nikki Kelly -
We are privileged to have Nikki Kelly within Kaitiaki Adventures. It is hard to sum up Nikki's many successes over the years. She is world renowned in the kayaking having made a career for herself in rodeo kayaking, creeking and expedition kayaking, Nikki's rafting team has represented NZ since 1999. She recently took out the Top Place for the Extreme Down-River White Water Kayaking Championship held in Vail, Colorado 2009.
John Berry - Senior Sledge Guide
John played an integral part in the establishment of Kaitiaki Adventures Rotorua. With his easy going personality and approachable manner he is a valuable member of Kaitiaki. Between working on the river as well as within the business John dedicates time to spend with his 3 children Ewai, Ezrah and Emilija and a new baby on the way. John's hard work is helping to move Kaitiaki through to the level achieved today.
Nick Wimslett - Senior Raft Guide
Kayak and rafted through-out the world an awesome exponent of white water having rafted in places such as Canada and Costa Rico brings his world wide knowledge back to Kaitiaki and absolute privilege to have someone of nicks caliber within the Kaitiaki environment.
Sam Smith - Senior Raft Guide
Trained in Queenstown but has rafted around the world in places such as Canada and Costa Rica. Sam’s first season with Kaitiaki as one of our senior guides with a huge personality adds true value to the team in his own unique way.
Andy "Lovo" Loveridge - Senior Sledge Guide
Born and bred in Taranaki, Andy attended OPC (Outdoor Pursuits Centre) gaining his outdoor guiding qualification working as a tramping, mountain bike and kayak instructor. He also attended Waikato University where he earned his Sport and Leisure Degree. Andy’s first season with Kaitiaki saw him fit straight into the Kaitiaki environment bringing a true understanding of manaakitanga from travelling the world. A true asset to Kaitiaki.
