Whanganui Journey

Activity Date: 21 April 2025
Updated: 5 July 2025
People: Finn, Jen, Hayleigh M, Tim H

Our chauffeurs Hayleigh and Tim picked us up from Auckland Airport the afternoon before we were due to start the trip. Together we headed to Taumarunui where Taumarunui Canoe Hire & Jet Boat Tours is located. Hayleigh and Tim had booked some bunks on-site for us to all stay in which was very convenient! After pizza on the BBQ and packing our barrels for an 8am briefing, we headed to bed.

Day 1: To Poukaria Campsite

We rolled out of bed, did the final packing and headed up to the briefing room (attached to their house). We were served espresso coffee and homemade bread (yum!) and learned the basic theory of how to paddle the boat, what to watch out for on the river and what the trip would entail. The whole thing was aptly named: brief. We headed down to the river and were shown how to tie our barrels to the boat. We also had to prove we could steer the boats (e.g., do a U-turn). After that, they waved us goodbye and said they’d see us in five days! That’s a lot of trust, ha.

The first day was actually the trickiest, especially near the start. It was quite windy and there were a lot of rocks in the river. This meant there were numerous hazards to look out for and small rapids to navigate. Tim, Hayleigh and I have our Grade II multisport certificates, and Jen just has packrafting experience from our trips together. Between us all, the rapids shouldn’t pose any real trouble. The Waimakariri Gorge has harder white water, I am sure. I found this section rather fun once I got the hang of steering but Hayleigh reported a quite elevated heart rate!

Thankfully, the river opens out and the rapids diminish. The broad, slow-moving featureless water is more characteristic of the Whanganui, and it allows ample opportunity to admire the views along the way. We stopped at Lauren’s Lavender to get some kai and coffee and also to dry off in the sun. Alas, we had missed the lavender season and it had recently been harvested. We also briefly stopped at Ohinepane Camping Area but were advised to go to Poukaria instead, since Poukaria is not accessible by road and would therefore be less busy.

We arrived at Poukaria to see a couple of other kayakers already set up. They had set off at the same time as us, so we said hello and got camp set up. Some drizzle came in during the evening which was a bummer, but we managed to stay fairly warm and dry in our sleeping bags. Warm, for me, included wearing my beanie, socks and a few extra layers. It was not warm outside!

Also, we did try (unsuccessfully) to kill a possum with a rock, but we won’t get into that here. 🤐

Day 2: To Mangapapa Campsite

Today the river was running slightly high due to the recent rain, but not so much that it would cause any problems. Instead, it would simply smooth out a few rapids and ensure we had a reasonably speedy trip. Ideal! I’m under the impression that the river is always this brown, though.

We hit the river and soon after were greeted with some more rain! On went the jackets we just kept paddling – you get damp in a canoe anyway. When it came to lunch, we paddled up Retaruke River to tie our boats to the banks and take the short track to Whakahoro Campsite. The campsite was rather large with several toilets, bunk rooms (an old school?) and a few shelters with tables. We had also hoped to get some kai and coffee from Blue Duck Station which is sometimes open, but not today. Alas.

As we paddled the rest of the way to Mangapapa Campsite the bush lining the banks became denser and more of a constant. On the upper reaches of the Whanganui, there is a good deal of farmland around, but as you enter Whanganui National Park that definitely changes.

Mangapapa Campsite was not ideal: the rain had come back in and we found the ground really quite boggy. The other downfall was that the shelter was up a steep and muddy track which was rather hard to navigate in sandals/crocs. Also, the toilet was down that muddy track and then up another one. Doh. This was a bit challenging in the dark, but, in the end, I don’t think anyone slipped.

Day 3: To John Coull Campsite

The morning saw the sun come out (finally!) and we did our best to dry the tents a little before packing them away. We knew the day was going to be a little shorter than the previous ones because we had fewer kms to do and the river was still running fast due to the ongoing rain. In the end, the day only took us just over 3.5 hours. Nice!

One of the things to look out for on this leg of the trip was the Man-of-War Bluff, but I’m convinced it didn’t look like anything at all. Like many of the constellations in the night sky, I reckon you have to be on some perception-altering drugs for it to make sense.

It was very cold on the river this morning and by the time we reached Ohauora Campsite for a morning tea break, my fingers and toes were frozen. We tied up the boats (a bit of a challenge) and got onto the steep track. The campsite is nestled in the trees well above the river and is quite spacious. With the amount of surrounding trees, it could miss out on a good deal of sun, though!

The rest of the paddle was uneventful and we soon reached John Coull Hut and Campsite, which, it turns out, is huuuuge! There are multiple terraces with 26 tent spaces, and also 24 bunks in the hut. It would be a hugely busy campsite in peak season. Even during the off-season, we found it quite busy: most terraces had tents, but it wasn’t quite as cramped as I could imagine it could be. Part of the reason that it was so busy was that groups that are doing the 3-day trip get on the water at Whakahoro Campsite (where we lunched the previous day), and it seems the 3-day trip is very popular, especially with families.

Day 4: To Tīeke Marae & Campsite

It was chilllllly when we woke in the morning, but there was no time to much around waiting for it to warm up, so we packed up and hit the river fairly quickly. As we set off in the morning, mist rose from the water as it was warmed by the sun and the sky beamed blue above us. By this time, we were well into Whanganui National Park and the surroundings were stunning. We had a relaxed paddle down to Mangapurua Landing where we hopped out of our boats (with much difficulty) and walked the short trail to The Bridge to Nowhere. It turns out that with the completion of the bike track, it is now a bridge to somewhere (Whakahoro). Still, it’s a great view and a nice bit of bush to walk through! We were pleased to stretch our legs.

After walking to the Bridge to Nowhere, we hopped across the river to have lunch and dry out our tents in the sun. Just after lunch was a good couple of rapids and a short paddle to Tīeke Campsite and Kāinga. As with John Coull, Tīeke was busy! The hut sounded pretty full and the campsite was rather cramped. It was nice to see so many people out enjoying the Whanganui.

During the peak season, Te Whānau o Tīeke often lives at the marae and there are often pōwhiri to welcome paddlers to the marae and whare. Probably due to being off-season, the whānau was not present, so there was no pōwhiri to be had, and we all stayed off the marae ātea as is tika.

Day 5: To Pipiriki

Last day! Exciting. As part of this day is Aratira (The Drop Scene) which is equal parts beautiful and terrifying as it has a good rapid running around the outside edge and a big old rock in the middle of the rapid. As we paddled past, we saw a kayak wrapped around the rock. Yikes!

Just around the corner from Aratira are the Ngaporo and Autapu rapids which were great fun. We knew it was coming up but weren’t quite sure when and accidentally blundered into it. Thankfully, we got through unscathed (had to bail out the canoe, though). Next up were Hayleigh and Tim who got fairly swamped partway through but made it through upright. Then, we waited for the couple who started on the same day as us, but they didn’t get through either. I’m fairly certain it was just luck that Jen and I got through!

From there the river was actually quite exciting, with a couple of braids to contend with, a few more rapids, and some undercut rocks on the banks. There were no more unintentional swims and we soon reached the Pipiriki pull out where we found the shuttle waiting for us. We emptied the boats of all our possessions, helped ourselves to a homemade muffin and juice (thanks, Taumarunui Canoe Hire!). After enough people had arrived to fill up the van and canoe trailer, we headed off back to Taumarunui.

This trip was great fun and I was stoked to have done it again. I did it with my family in my early teens, but it was a bit of a hazy memory. I’ll have to ask my parents for some photos!