We decided that the best way for us to discover the Whanganui River was to be a part of the organised tour. We liked Canoe Safari's offer and we went with them. On top of guided river tours, they also manage studio units. This arrangement saved us the hassle of finding hotel accommodation in Ohakune. We just turned up the night before the start of the trip, collected our barrels and sleeping mats and got ready for the new adventure. We fully appreciated this choice at the end of the trip. After paddling on the river in heavy rain we arrived back in Ohakune soaked and cold. We were able to jump straight from the bus to our room and have a hot shower and get ready for the well-deserved dinner and drinks with our co-paddlers.
Day 01
Safety concerns due to the heavy rain forecast converted our five day trip to a four days trip. Instead of launching from Ohinepane we missed the first leg of the river and launched from Whakahoro. The first set of instructions was delivered during our bus trip to the starting point. On arrival, we helped to unload canoes and barrels and learned how to pack our canoes. Finally, we were ready to paddle. With the help of the guides, we started to learn how to 'read the river', which way to go, and what to avoid. By the time we reached Mangapapa campsite for lunch, we were ready for a swim. After lunch we kept paddling, enjoying the Jurassic atmosphere of the surroundings. Before arriving at the Ohauora campsite we stopped for a short walk to a nearby waterfall where we filled our water bottles. At the campsite, we helped to secure the canoes, carried our barrels up to the camping grounds, and helped bring up kitchen supplies. It was not the easiest task, but it had to be done. We set up our tents and were impressed with the comfort of the self inflating mattresses. While the guides were preparing our meal we enjoyed swimming and relaxing in the sun.
Day 02
After clearing the camp we were back on the water around 9 a.m. The blue skies and the sun kept us paddling for most of the day. We had plenty of opportunities to practise going down the small rapids, controlling landings and launching at various camps and beaches along the river. At the same time, we were in awe of the beauty of the canyon. We arrived at Mangapura Campsite in the late afternoon and just like the previous day the boats had to be secured and the gear had to be moved to higher grounds. Once the tent was ready for the night we joined the others in the kitchen area for drinks, pre-dinner nibbles and a few interesting conversations.
Day 03
The day started with quick decamping and packing. The whole point of this morning rush was to keep our tents as dry as possible. The forecasted rain started to show up. Almost across from Mangapura campsite lies a track leading to the Bridge to Nowhere, a concrete road bridge with no road on either side and no signs of civilisation. Getting to this track presented a few challenges for some of us. We had to cross the river and enter a smaller stream that fed into the river. One crew managed to miss the entrance and wedged their canoe between the rocks. We closely followed directions, leaning far to the left to make the turn. As we straightened up, everyone was sure that we were going to go over as the canoe wobbled. We pulled some miracle moves, each adjusting instinctively to the movement of the canoe and despite the canoe taking on a huge amount of water we paddled to the entrance channel. We enjoyed the short walk to the Bridge to Nowhere where we had lunch. Reentering and crossing the main river, another crew capsized their boat and had to be rescued by the guides. All these activities were accompanied by loud laughs and good natured comments. As we were coming back from the bridge it started to rain heavily and by the time we got to Ramanui campsite, it was pouring. This time the boats had to be pulled up well above the river level and all other gear had to be moved to a campground. Luckily the owners of the campsite were able to help us by transporting the lot using the farm four-wheeler. On top of this they let us stay in huts, instead of our tents and...delivered cold beers from the nearby lodge to the open sided kitchen where we had dinner around wooden tables. Paradise. We took photos of the river to monitor the water level.
Day 04
The level of the river had risen by two meters as a result of the constant heavy rain. While we were getting ready for the last leg of the journey we fully appreciated the previous night's hard work of pulling canoes to the high ground. We still had them. For safety reasons, we strapped every two canoes into a singular catamaran-type paddling vessel- our own waka!. We discovered the extra speed of synchronising the paddling strokes of the waka crew in the 2 strapped canoes. The high water level increased the river current but at the same time reduced the number of rapids. We were able to pay more attention to the surroundings than the river itself. Big waterfalls, appearing on both banks of the Wanganui River were the main attraction of the day. It was the first time the experienced guides had seen so many water falls. We relied on their knowledge of the river to know what the current flow would be in the now hidden rapids in parts of the river and to recognise the exit ramp with the usual signs well hidden under the water. Unfortunately, when we reached Pipiriki landing, our adventure had run its course. But what an amazing trip! We loaded all the equipment on the ute and trailer, walked to the public shelter for the last group lunch and were taken by bus back to Ohakune.
