page_title: Okere Falls
section_title: Economy
hierarchical_section_title: Okere Falls / Economy
caption_attribution_description: Okere Falls, Kaituna River
context_page_description: Okere Falls is a small town located 21 km from Rotorua on SH 33 between Rotorua and Tauranga on the North Island of New Zealand. The town is situated on the shore of the Okere Inlet of Lake Rotoiti, from which the Kaituna River flows north towards the Bay of Plenty.
  The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of drifting" for Ōkere.
  Okere Falls is a popular spot for fishing & rafting and is known for its beautiful lakeside and waterfalls. There are commercial rafting companies and holiday park accommodation within the town. A seven-metre-high waterfall lays claim to being the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world.
  The community at Okere Falls is home to a shop, and a school at Wangamarino.
context_section_description: The Okere Falls area has drawn visitors for well over 100 years, with the area being a popular day trip destination from Rotorua.  By the late 19th century, trout fishing had become very popular, and for a while the hydro-electric power station was a tourist attraction in its own right.
  A well-formed bushwalk with scenic lookouts over Okere River and its spectacular waterfalls, the Okere Falls and the Tutea Falls, as well as the remains of the hydro-electric power station, can be found on Trout Pool Road. There are car parks and toilets at both ends of the 30 minute walk, which starts at Okere Falls, passes Tutea Falls about halfway, and finishes at Trout Pool Falls.
  At Tutea Falls, named after a local Māori chief, a lookout provides a good vantage point to see kayakers and rafts plunge over the seven-metre-tall waterfall. From the viewing platform, steps lead down to the river and Tutea's Caves.  These steps were cut into the cliff face in 1907 as an attraction for early tourists, who would have their photo taken at the bottom of the steps.
  The trout pool at the northern end of the track is a popular trout fishing spot.
  The Okere Falls stretch of the Kaituna River is popular with whitewater rafters and kayakers and is classified as Grade 3/4 and tutea falls being a solid grade 4.
  Okere is also home to the Okere Falls Power Station.
caption: Raft plunging over the seven metre Tutea Falls
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