Take meup the Whanganui
The Whanganui River has rich history and culture, is exceptionally beautiful, and is a foodie’s dream, with plenty of places to stay along the way, writes Brett Atkinson.
Framed by Whanganui National Park, the historic and culturally important Whanganui River is the remote backdrop to one of New Zealand’s classic outdoor adventures.
The facts
■ Established in 1986.
■ Area of 742 square kilometres.
■ Although it runs through the park, the Whanganui River itself is not deemed part of the park.
Why go
Steeped in Ma¯ori history and culture, the Whanganui River meanders for 290km from Mt Tongariro to the Tasman Sea, making it the longest navigable river in New Zealand.
It’s also a remote bush-clad waterway important to Ma¯ori in a spiritual sense. In 2017, groundbreaking legislation granted the river the same rights as a person. This guaranteed an enhanced level of environmental and cultural protection and, after a 140-year legal battle, brought closure to the local Whanganui iwi who consider the river to be an ancestor.
Visitors can discover the region along the wonderfully scenic Whanganui River Rd linking Whanganui to Pipiriki, but exploring the river by canoe or kayak while undertaking the Whanganui Journey is the national park’s quintessential experience.
Although it’s solely a waterborne adventure, the Whanganui Journey is regarded as one of the Department of Conservation’s Great Walks.
The flexibility to commit to the full five-day journey or focus on shorter, more accessible sections make it a good option for active travellers and families, and there’s also the option of negotiating the river’s winding way on one of New Zealand’s best cycle journeys.
When to go
October to April encompassing DOC’s Great Walk season is strongly recommended as the best time to undertake the Whanganui Journey. From May to September, conditions in the park are significantly cooler and wetter, and the water is very cold and running at a higher level.
Note the Whanganui Journey is very popular during school holidays and summer weekends, and booking well ahead for tours or canoe hire is recommended.
What to do
The Whanganui Journey is a great adventure. Canoeing or kayaking the Whanganui River downstream from Taumarunui to the historic riverside hamlet of Pipiriki is usually achieved in five days, a journey encompassing Ma¯ori and colonial history, natural scenic beauty, and the significant challenge of paddling for 145km. Along the way, there’s also the opportunity to explore bushwalks, including the intriguing Bridge to Nowhere track (90 minutes return), around 30km upriver from Pipiriki.
The Whanganui Journey can be undertaken on a self-guided basis, but many travellers choose the convenient option of joining a guided tour where all transfers and meals are taken care of.
Experienced operators offering canoe rental and/or guided trips include Adrift Tongariro based in National Park village, Whanganui River Canoes in Raetihi, and Taumarunui Canoe Hire
at the journey’s start point of Taumarunui. ¯ InO hakune, Canoe Safaris and Yeti Tours know the river exceptionally well. Most companies also offer shorter experiences from one to four days, including a three-day 87km option beginning at Whakahoro, and taking in the river’s mirror-like reflections around Mangawaiiti.
Whanganui River Canoes’ one-day trip combining a blast by jet boat upstream to the Bridge to Nowhere followed by a canoe paddle back downstream to Pipiriki, is worth considering if time is short.
Other opportunities to explore the river by jet boat include a four-hour upstream blast with
Bridge to Nowhere Lodge, leaving from Pipiriki.
Driving from Whanganui to Pipiriki up the Whanganui River Rd is also a great way to experience the park’s remote beauty. Highlights along the twisting, river-hugging 64km road include the historic marae at Pungarehu and Korinti, and St Joseph’s Church at Jerusalem.
Allow at least two hours’ driving time for the full journey. To really focus on the experience, join Whanganui Tours on its daily mini-bus mail run to Pipiriki, leaving from Whanganui around 7.30am. Look forward to a comprehensive and entertaining commentary on the river’s cultural and natural history.
Also based in Pipiriki, Whanganui River Adventures offers canoe tours, Bridge to Nowhere jet boat experiences, and a unique full-day adventure combining jet boating and negotiating the Whanganui River Rd on the mail run.
Whanganui Tours and Whanganui River
Adventures can also help with shuttle and jet boat transport for the Mountains to the Sea Cycle Trail, a four- to six-day journey linking the slopes of Mt Ruapehu to the Tasman Sea near Whanganui.
One of New Zealand’s 22 Great Rides, the 231km journey takes in the Tongariro and Whanganui national parks.
Accommodation
¯forOLodge,completewithcuriousalpacas, hakune departures, and the heritage style of Browns Boutique Bed & Breakfast in Whanganui.
Accommodation along the Whanganui Journey is in a scattering of private lodges, DOC huts and campsites. DOC locations must be pre-booked during the Great Walks season from October to April.
Deep within the national park 21km upriver from Pipiriki, Bridge to Nowhere Lodge can only be reached by jet boat, canoe or by walking.
Lodge accommodation includes private rooms,
Places to stay in Taumarunui before starting the Whanganui Journey include good-value cabins and cottages at the friendly Taumarunui Holiday Park, and the cosy units at the Twin Rivers Motel.
For something different, book a luxury riverside tent at Te Awa Glamping in a remote location on a family-owned farm. It’s possible to arrive at their private beach on the Whanganui River by canoe or jet boat.
Consider the rural location of Ruapehu Country bunkrooms and a nearby campground. Near Korinti, on the Whanganui River Rd, is The Flying Fox’s sprawling riverside collection of lodge, cottages, glamping, and camping. Access from The Flying Fox’s carpark is on a quirky aerial cable car, and there’s also a direct riverside trail if you’re paddling the lower section of the river.
Location
On the southwestern edge of the North Island’s Central Plateau and Tongariro National Park, the rugged and deeply forested Whanganui National Park frames the Whanganui River.
Key access towns are Taumarunui, around three-and-a-half hours from Auckland, and Whanganui, two-and-a-half hours from Wellington.
A variety of operators offering canoeing tours, jet boating and mountain biking are based in the tiny riverside settlement of Pipiriki, and further north at National Park village, Raetihi, hakune and Taumarunui.
Taumarunui to Pipiriki is 90 minutes, and from Raetihi to Pipiriki just half an hour.
Gateway towns
With two well-stocked supermarkets and a scattering of cafes and restaurants, Taumarunui is the convenient starting point for the five-day Whanganui Journey experience.
Check out Buy the Gram on Taumarunui’s main drag, Hakiaha St, for good coffee, homestyle baking and gourmet muesli that will be just the ticket when you’re waking up on day three of your downstream adventure. Also stock up on a few of its delicious cookies.
If you’re booking a canoeing tour departing from Ohakune, around one hour north, there’s a more sophisticated range of eating and drinking options, including Elemento or Volcano Coffee Roasters for coffee, and craft beer and gourmet burgers at The Blind Finch.
Before driving the spectacular Whanganui River Rd from Whanganui to Pipiriki, check out coffee at Article, Porridge Watson for cocktails and craft beer, and good pasta and shared plates at Maria Lane.