Walking on water – a Kiwi miracle? All jokes aside, the 145km, water-borne Whanganui Journey provides a unique experience for those keen to complete the nine Great Walks.
This adventure starts at Cherry Grove, near Taumarunu and takes about five days, finishing in the south near Pipiriki. There are said to be about 249 named rapids on the Whanganui River but (at normal water levels) none are above a Class II. There are three huts (Whakahoro, John Coull and Tieke Kainga) and 10 camp sites on the journey. The preferred craft is a canoe, due to its load-carrying ability.
Most of the rapids are encountered in the first two days, as paddlers make their way to Whakahoro Bunkroom, stopping overnight at Ohinepane camp site, 22km from Cherry Grove. From Ohinepane, paddlers continue to Whakahoro Bunkroom, passing historical Maori niu poles near Ohura Falls.
From Whakahoro Bunkroom, the river flows through the beautiful Whanganui Gorge, with intermittent rapids breaking up long stretches of still water. South of Mangapapa camp site, paddlers will spot Tamatea’s Cave (named after a Maori chief) before passing Ohauora camp site and then, 10km on, reaching John Coull Hut.
Leaving John Coull Hut next morning, paddlers head towards Tieke Kainga, passing the confluences of the Tangarakau and Whangamomona rivers. Along the way is Mangapurua camp site, where paddlers can take a short trek to the Bridge to Nowhere, which does go nowhere and is evidence of nature winning out over human development.
Tieke Kainga, now a hut but formerly a Maori village, is the last overnight stop and offers a terrific insight into Maori culture. From here, the river leads through the Whanganui Gorge’s deepest section before paddlers attempt the river’s three largest rapids. After this excitement, the river enters more “civilised” country, with low farmland on both sides, before the take-out point at Pipiriki.