Overview
Ideal for those with shorter time frame but with higher level of physical fitness, departing from from Ohakune, New Zealand, this 4 Day Guided Whanganui River Canoe Safari trip covering 90 kms starts at Whakahoro and ends in Pipiriki. Laceys and Wades landings and a handful of old Maori Kaianga, are just some of the fascinating places we pass along the way. Enjoy a stroll to the Bridge to Nowhere, passing Kahura landing along with one of “River Queen’s” filming locations. We glide past the Mangaio Stream and the rock of the same name where old eyebolts, which helped secure the ropes or cables of early riverboats, can still be spotted.
Tour Grading: B
Details
Difficulty: 2
Start: Ohakune
Finish: Ohakune
Overview
Ideal for those with shorter time frame but with higher level of physical fitness, departing from from Ohakune, New Zealand, this 4 Day Guided Whanganui River Canoe Safari trip covering 90 kms starts at Whakahoro and ends in Pipiriki. Laceys and Wades landings and a handful of old Maori Kaianga, are just some of the fascinating places we pass along the way. Enjoy a stroll to the Bridge to Nowhere, passing Kahura landing along with one of “River Queen’s” filming locations. We glide past the Mangaio Stream and the rock of the same name where old eyebolts, which helped secure the ropes or cables of early riverboats, can still be spotted.
Tour Grading: B
Itinerary
Open AllWe depart Ohakune between 6:45am and 7.00am for the river. At Whakahoro we unload canoes and barrels and show you how to pack your canoe. The gorge starts to narrow and we leave the last road access point behind at Whakahoro - the second and final mooring point for the old Colonial Houseboats. We pass Laceys and Wades landings and several old maori Kaianga. Later in the morning we pass Mangapapa campsite for a possible lunch stop, Man of War Bluff, Kirikiriroa where the river does a huge horseshoe turn, the Verandah, the Whirlpool and on down to Tamatea's Cave and at Ohauora campsite where we will stay for the first night. If we have time and weather on our side there are a couple of stops today for canyon exploring and a swim.
Breakfast and on the river at 9am. A morning paddle through a deep gorge and up to John Coull Campsite for morning tea break, then past the Tangarakau and Whangamomona rivers, around Mangawaiiti campsite we stop for lunch and a swim, and Otumangu landing - one of the post WW1 faming settlements. Shortly afterwards we see the first pine trees since Whakahoro (planted by the early settlers), and we stop at the Mangapurua campsite for the night. There is the walk to the Bridge to Nowhere (45 min each way) either tonight, or first thing the next morning.
After a leisurely breakfast there is likely the walk to the Bridge to Nowhere track. After returning we are back on the river for a short paddle until lunch before continuing down past some great geology. There is a stop here to see an old abandoned farm with some Colonial relics before finishing up at the Ramanui Campsite with dinner and hot showers. If you would like to secure an upgrade to a shared cabin at an extra cost then please enquire, first in first served for booking these.
After breakfast we pass Kahura landing and one of the locations for the filming of "River Queen". It is a two hour paddle through the steep gorge with stunning walls until the river cascades through Ngaporo rapid and down to Ngaporo campsite for snacks and/ lunch. We then paddle past the Mangaio stream and Mangaio rock where several of the early eyebolts can still be seen that were winching points for the riverboats. After that Autapu rapid then several small rapids before the Paparoa rapids swings the canoes past the old eel traps and down to the landing at Pipiriki, our finishing point.
Itinerary
Open AllWe depart Ohakune between 6:45am and 7.00am for the river. At Whakahoro we unload canoes and barrels and show you how to pack your canoe. The gorge starts to narrow and we leave the last road access point behind at Whakahoro - the second and final mooring point for the old Colonial Houseboats. We pass Laceys and Wades landings and several old maori Kaianga. Later in the morning we pass Mangapapa campsite for a possible lunch stop, Man of War Bluff, Kirikiriroa where the river does a huge horseshoe turn, the Verandah, the Whirlpool and on down to Tamatea's Cave and at Ohauora campsite where we will stay for the first night. If we have time and weather on our side there are a couple of stops today for canyon exploring and a swim.
Breakfast and on the river at 9am. A morning paddle through a deep gorge and up to John Coull Campsite for morning tea break, then past the Tangarakau and Whangamomona rivers, around Mangawaiiti campsite we stop for lunch and a swim, and Otumangu landing - one of the post WW1 faming settlements. Shortly afterwards we see the first pine trees since Whakahoro (planted by the early settlers), and we stop at the Mangapurua campsite for the night. There is the walk to the Bridge to Nowhere (45 min each way) either tonight, or first thing the next morning.
After a leisurely breakfast there is likely the walk to the Bridge to Nowhere track. After returning we are back on the river for a short paddle until lunch before continuing down past some great geology. There is a stop here to see an old abandoned farm with some Colonial relics before finishing up at the Ramanui Campsite with dinner and hot showers. If you would like to secure an upgrade to a shared cabin at an extra cost then please enquire, first in first served for booking these.
After breakfast we pass Kahura landing and one of the locations for the filming of "River Queen". It is a two hour paddle through the steep gorge with stunning walls until the river cascades through Ngaporo rapid and down to Ngaporo campsite for snacks and/ lunch. We then paddle past the Mangaio stream and Mangaio rock where several of the early eyebolts can still be seen that were winching points for the riverboats. After that Autapu rapid then several small rapids before the Paparoa rapids swings the canoes past the old eel traps and down to the landing at Pipiriki, our finishing point.
