Whanganui Journey

Whanganui Journey is a multi-day boat trip on the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable river. Although not a stretch to be covered on foot, one of the tour to the New Zealand Great Walks. Managed the trip on the river, which is offered by kayak and canoe through numerous local service provider by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Before the start of the Tour of the acquisition of a user passport is required, in which the cost of the overnight stays at specially designated campsites and cabins along the river are included.

Landscape

The Whanganui River flows through a geologically very young region of New Zealand, whose origin dates back roughly 1 million years. The river featuring mostly shallow rapids with a maximum of WW II, numerous cliffs and deep ravines, which has dug over time in the soft sedimentary rocks of the stream. The riparian zone and the hinterland are covered by dense Podocarpienwald, which is crisscrossed with endemic tree species such as Rata and Rimu and numerous tree ferns. On ridges southern beech dominate the vegetation. Many typical for New Zealand bird species, such as the Maori pigeon, gray fantail, tui, the Langbeinschnäpper and tomtit are located along the river. With a little luck you can hear at night the characteristic call of the brown kiwi or can observe endemic bats of the genus Chalinolobus at dusk. The river itself is rich in river eels, smelt and crayfish.

Route

The trip on the Whanganui River begins in the town of Taumarunui and ends after 145 kilometers downriver and a duration of usually 5 days in Pipiriki. The river is divided in this area in serial sections, are at the end of the traveler accommodation each in the form of camping sites and / or cabins.

  • Taumarunui → Ohinepane: 21.5 km
  • Ohinepane → Poukaria: 14 km
  • Poukaria → Maharanui: 17.5 km
  • Maharanui → Whakahoro: 5 km
  • Whakahoro → Manga Dad: 10 km
  • Manga Papa → Ohauora: 15 km
  • Ohauora → John Coull Hut: 12,5 km
  • John Coull Hut → Mangawaiiti: 9.5 km
  • Mangawaiiti → Mangapurua: 9 km
  • Mangapurua → Tieke Kainga: 10.5 km
  • Tieke → Ngaporo: 12 km
  • Ngaporo → Pipiriki: 9.5 km

If required, the tour by another 89 km and this required 2 days to Wanganui (and thus practically to the mouth of the Tasman ) be extended. Worth seeing are the landscape, the river with waterfalls in the tributaries and river estuaries and the Bridge to Nowhere, which can be reached on foot in a 45 -minute trip from the pier Mangapurua Landing.

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