Paddle the Whanganui River

Your Best Life Adventure starts at Palmerston North Airport where our bus will transport you to the accommodation in Ohakune, around two hours drive north.

Alternatively, you can make your own way to Ohakune in time for our expedition briefing at 20:30 on Sunday 12th March. 

If you're travelling from southeast Queensland you can fly from Brisbane to Palmerston North, via Auckland, departing around 09:00 and arriving in Palmerston around 18:00 all on the same day.

Our expedition starts once we check out of the accommodation in Ohakune and take a short bus ride to the river.

At Ohinepane we unload the canoes and barrels and show you how to pack your canoe. The first day includes lunch at Poukaria Campsite, we paddle past the old riverboat landing at Kirikau and take a short walk at MaraeKowhai for a view of the Ohura falls and the War and Peace Poles that were erected by the Hau Hau warriors.

It's then a short paddle to the first night's camp at Maharanui.

Day Two on the Whanganui leads us into the gorge, which starts to narrow as we leave the last road access point behind at Whakahoro.

We pass Laceys and Wade's landings and several old Maori Kaianga. Later in the morning, we pass Mangapapa campsite, Man of War Bluff and Kirikiriroa where the river does a huge horseshoe turn past the Verandah, the Whirlpool and down to Tamatea's Cave and a lunch stop at Ohauora campsite.

There is plenty of time for stops with safe places to get out and swim.

We set up camp for our overnight at Ohauora campsite.

Once we've had breakfast and packed up camp, we hit the river by 9am.

It's a stunning morning paddle down the straightest part of the river and through another vertical gorge before stopping at John Coull campsite for morning tea.

Back on the water, we pass the confluence of the Tangarakau and Whangamomona rivers, Mangawaiiti campsite, and the Otumangu landing - one of the post-WW1 farming settlements. We then start to see the first pine trees since Whakahoro (planted by the early settlers), before stopping at the Mangapurua campsite for the evening. 

After breakfast, we leave the canoes behind and take a walk to the Bridge to Nowhere (45 min each way) for expansive views from the bridge high above the river.

If it's a warm day we can wash off in the river, before paddling the last 1.5hrs down to Ramanui campsite, stopping for a short walk at Tangahoe landing to the Tangahoe waterfall.

As we pull into the river bank, dinner and hot showers await at Ramanui Campground. There's the option to upgrade to sleeping in a cabin if you like (pre-bookings only).

After breakfast, we start paddling and pass the Kahura landing and one of the locations for the filming of "River Queen".

It is another hour's paddle through the steep gorge until the river cascades through Ngaporo rapid and past the Mangaio stream and Mangaio rock where several of the early eyebolts can still be seen that were winching points for the riverboats.

From here it's downstream to Pururoto Caves and past to the legendary Autapu rapid for lunch.

From Autapu there are several small rapids before the Paparoa rapids swing the canoes past the old eel traps and down to the end of our journey and the landing at Pipiriki. Once we've packed the boats and climbed into clean clothes, it's a one-hour drive on our bus back to Ohakune.

We check into our accommodation before our farewell dinner in the town, swapping stories of adventure and sowing the seeds for the next one. We'll find a local alehouse to take our tired bodies on a journey deep into the night.