---
title: "White water rafting operators in New Zealand: Which brands are most popular in search?"
description: "Compare the white water rafting operators visitors and locals book in New Zealand. Share of Search among Rotorua Rafting, Kaituna Cascades, Queenstown Rafting, River Valley and River Rats, the white water rafting operators Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-white-water-rafting"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# White water rafting operators in New Zealand: Which brands are most popular in search?

Compare the white water rafting operators visitors and locals book in New Zealand. Share of Search among Rotorua Rafting, Kaituna Cascades, Queenstown Rafting, River Valley and River Rats, the white water rafting operators Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: White water rafting operators
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Brands compared**: 5
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Rotorua Rafting, 60.4%

## Which brand is most popular in search among white water rafting operators in New Zealand?

- In August 2026, Rotorua Rafting was the most searched among white water rafting operators in New Zealand, with an estimated 2.5K branded searches and 60.4% estimated Share of Search within this set.
- Kaituna Cascades is in 2nd place, 37.8 percentage points behind at 22.6% Share of Search.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Queenstown Rafting’s estimated Share of Search among white water rafting operators in New Zealand decreased from 11.6% to 9.6%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, River Valley’s estimated Share of Search among white water rafting operators in New Zealand increased from 5.5% to 6.9%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Rotorua Rafting’s estimated Share of Search among white water rafting operators in New Zealand peaked at 61.4% in February 2026 and was lowest at 53.1% in May 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Kaituna Cascades’ estimated Share of Search among white water rafting operators in New Zealand peaked at 33.4% in May 2026 and was lowest at 22.5% in October 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Queenstown Rafting’s estimated Share of Search among white water rafting operators in New Zealand peaked at 11.6% in October 2025 and was lowest at 6.9% in May 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, River Valley’s estimated Share of Search among white water rafting operators in New Zealand peaked at 9.5% in June 2026 and was lowest at 3.2% in December 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Rotorua Rafting, Kaituna Cascades and River Rats held steady: their estimated Share of Search among white water rafting operators in New Zealand each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Rotorua Rafting vs Kaituna Cascades: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/kaituna-cascades-vs-rotorua-rafting): 60.4% against 22.6% Share of Search.
- [Rotorua Rafting vs Queenstown Rafting: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/queenstown-rafting-vs-rotorua-rafting): 60.4% against 9.6% Share of Search.
- [Rotorua Rafting vs River Valley: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/river-valley-vs-rotorua-rafting): 60.4% against 6.9% Share of Search.
- [Kaituna Cascades vs Queenstown Rafting: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/kaituna-cascades-vs-queenstown-rafting): 22.6% against 9.6% Share of Search.
- [Kaituna Cascades vs River Valley: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/kaituna-cascades-vs-river-valley): 22.6% against 6.9% Share of Search.
- [Queenstown Rafting vs River Valley: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/queenstown-rafting-vs-river-valley): 9.6% against 6.9% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand white water rafting operators in August 2026?

- In August 2026, Queenstown Rafting overtook River Valley to rank 3rd among white water rafting operators in New Zealand, at 9.6%.
- In August 2026, Rotorua Rafting gained estimated Share of Search among white water rafting operators in New Zealand, from 55.6% to 60.4%.
- In August 2026, Kaituna Cascades lost estimated Share of Search among white water rafting operators in New Zealand, from 28.9% to 22.6%.
- In August 2026, River Valley lost estimated Share of Search among white water rafting operators in New Zealand, from 7.7% to 6.9%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for River Rats in New Zealand fell 33.3% over 11 measured months, from 30 to 20 in August 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Rotorua Rafting | 60.4% | 2.5K | +21.8% | Rotorua Rafting |
| 2 | Kaituna Cascades | 22.6% | 920 | -12.4% | Kaituna Cascades |
| 3 | Queenstown Rafting | 9.6% | 390 | +50.0% | Queenstown Rafting |
| 4 | River Valley | 6.9% | 280 | 0.0% | River Valley |
| 5 | River Rats | 0.49% | 20 | 0.0% | River Rats |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Rotorua Rafting | 4.5K | 59.9% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Kaituna Cascades | 1.7K | 22.5% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Queenstown Rafting | 880 | 11.6% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | River Valley | 420 | 5.5% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | River Rats | 30 | 0.4% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Rotorua Rafting | 6.8K | 58.2% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Kaituna Cascades | 2.9K | 25.1% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Queenstown Rafting | 1.3K | 11.1% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | River Valley | 630 | 5.4% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | River Rats | 30 | 0.26% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Rotorua Rafting | 10.3K | 60% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Kaituna Cascades | 4.4K | 25.6% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Queenstown Rafting | 1.9K | 11% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | River Valley | 550 | 3.2% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | River Rats | 30 | 0.17% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Rotorua Rafting | 10.3K | 58.2% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Kaituna Cascades | 4.8K | 27.1% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Queenstown Rafting | 1.9K | 10.7% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | River Valley | 660 | 3.7% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | River Rats | 40 | 0.23% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Rotorua Rafting | 8.4K | 61.4% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Kaituna Cascades | 3.4K | 24.8% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Queenstown Rafting | 1.3K | 9.6% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | River Valley | 550 | 4% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | River Rats | 30 | 0.22% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Rotorua Rafting | 6.9K | 58.6% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Kaituna Cascades | 2.9K | 24.7% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Queenstown Rafting | 1.3K | 11.1% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | River Valley | 640 | 5.4% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | River Rats | 30 | 0.26% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Rotorua Rafting | 4.6K | 54.7% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Kaituna Cascades | 2.5K | 29.3% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Queenstown Rafting | 880 | 10.5% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | River Valley | 430 | 5.1% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | River Rats | 30 | 0.36% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Rotorua Rafting | 3K | 53.1% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Kaituna Cascades | 1.9K | 33.4% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Queenstown Rafting | 390 | 6.9% | 3 |
| May 2026 | River Valley | 350 | 6.2% | 4 |
| May 2026 | River Rats | 30 | 0.53% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Rotorua Rafting | 2K | 57.3% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Kaituna Cascades | 860 | 24.8% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | River Valley | 330 | 9.5% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Queenstown Rafting | 260 | 7.5% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | River Rats | 30 | 0.86% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Rotorua Rafting | 2K | 55.6% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Kaituna Cascades | 1.1K | 28.9% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | River Valley | 280 | 7.7% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Queenstown Rafting | 260 | 7.2% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | River Rats | 20 | 0.55% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Rotorua Rafting | 2.5K | 60.4% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Kaituna Cascades | 920 | 22.6% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Queenstown Rafting | 390 | 9.6% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | River Valley | 280 | 6.9% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | River Rats | 20 | 0.49% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Kaituna Cascades | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Queenstown Rafting | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | River Rats | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | River Valley | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Rotorua Rafting | — | — | — |

## What is being compared

- **Kaituna Cascades**: Measured on the search terms “kaituna cascades”, “kaituna cascades rafting”, “kaituna cascades reviews”, “kaituna cascades white water rafting” and “kaitunacascades”, summed into one figure.
- **Queenstown Rafting**: Measured on the search terms “queenstown rafting” and “queenstownrafting”, summed into one figure.
- **River Rats**: Measured on the search terms “river rats kaituna”, “river rats rafting” and “river rats white water rafting”, summed into one figure.
- **River Valley**: Measured on the search terms “river valley lodge” and “river valley rafting”, summed into one figure.
- **Rotorua Rafting**: Measured on the search terms “rotorua rafting”, “rotorua rafting co nz”, “rotorua rafting kaituna”, “rotorua rafting waterfall” and “rotoruarafting”, summed into one figure.

- [Kaituna Cascades](/demand/nz/brands/kaituna-cascades)
- [Queenstown Rafting](/demand/nz/brands/queenstown-rafting)
- [River Rats](/demand/nz/brands/river-rats)
- [River Valley](/demand/nz/brands/river-valley)
- [Rotorua Rafting](/demand/nz/brands/rotorua-rafting)

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among white water rafting operators in New Zealand?

In August 2026, Rotorua Rafting was the most searched among white water rafting operators in New Zealand, with an estimated 2.5K branded searches and 60.4% estimated Share of Search within this set.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "White water rafting operators in New Zealand: Which brands are most popular in search?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-white-water-rafting

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-white-water-rafting. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.