More than 2000 Police will converge on the Bay of Plenty this week to compete in the annual New Zealand Police Association Raft Race on the Kaituna River.

This year is the fifth anniversary of the event, which has grown to be one of the largest police sporting events in New Zealand.

Police will be taking on the Kaituna River to find out who is the best in the country as they compete in the annual police raft race.

Event organiser Constable Aaron Holloway says 42 teams of four people will compete in the whitewater rafting, with team members coming from as far away as Wellington and Northland.

'The races are being held on a 1.2 kilometre stretch of the Kaituna River, which includes seven sets of grade three rapids with names like The Abyss and Boiling Pot.

'If this wasn't enough, competitors will also need to navigate three waterfalls – one of which is the world's highest commercially rafted waterfall just to reach the start line.”

This year's competition will include four different race types including whitewater rafting, whitewater kayaking, riversurfing and, banshee bungee boarding.

Aaron says this event is socially competitive.

'This is a highly contested event which has grown significantly from the nine teams who competed in the inaugural event.

'The rules state there is to be no grabbing of other rafts – however competitive contact between the rafts is encouraged.

'This is a spectacular part of the country, and we are lucky to have the Kaituna River on our backdoor step. It's the perfect location for the NZ Police Association Raft Race.”

He says there will be seven whitewater rafting heats and five riversurfing heats held across the day, with the finals expected to take place between 5pm and 6pm.

Teams will enter the Kaituna River at Okere Falls and raft over three waterfalls to reach the official start line below the Tutea Falls.

One member from each team stands on a metre high rock, jumping into the river and swimming to the raft to officially start the race.

Aaron says a Department of Conservation walking track adjacent to the Kaituna River will provide excellent vantage points for supporters and members of the public.

A spectator raft also accompanies each race, with a small charge for each person on board. Aaron says all the profits from the spectator raft will be donated to a fund that has been established for the three-year-old son of a police staff member from Westport.

He says the boy was born with a number of serious health issues and more than three years on, his family and medical staff are no closer to a diagnosis.

His father, Constable John Woodward started a fundraising campaign to raise funds for possible treatment overseas.

To help raise awareness, Constable Woodward has embarked on a mission to bike from Westport to New Plymouth, via Nelson, Blenheim, Picton, Wellington, Palmerston North, Wanganui.

For further information about the raft race, check out www.nzpolicerafting.co.nz