Harnessing the force of the awa

The Aratiatia Dam is one of eight dams embedded along the Waikato river. When the dam is opened, 80,000 litres of water roar through the Aratiatia rapids. While it is an awesome feat of engineering, the construction of the Aratiatia Dam changed the river and, by extension, our people.

Before the dam, the natural power of the awa as it crashed through Aratiatia is immense; the rapids were the largest in Australasia. The Waikato river naturally falls 28 metres over just one kilometre, forcing those 80,000 litres of water per second through the narrow gorge, blanketing the boulders in white foam.

The Aratiatia Dam was opened in 1964. The dam generates electricity by diverting the awa through a tunnel to the power station, harnessing the huge force of the water and converting it to enough electricity to power tens of thousands of homes.

The dam’s completion meant that the once-dramatic gorge ran dry – except for a few thrilling minutes each day, when the full force of the awa was released. These timed releases continue today – up to four times a day, the rapids return to their former splendour. And from the comfort and safety of an AWA jetboat, you can have a front-row seat of this thrilling white-water release.