Our last “great walk” was spent sitting on our backsides, paddling down a river. It was certainly a nice change for us and we enjoyed not carrying a pack. The great walk section of the river from Taumarunui to Pipiriki takes five days, but there are also options for one, two, three and four day trips on that section of the river. The trip can also be extended right down to Wanganui by adding another two days from Pipiriki. There are a number of rental companies who will rent out Canadian Canoes or kayaks for use and provide transport to and from the river. We chose to do the 145km, five day paddle in a Canadian Canoe rented from Blazing Paddles because the canoe gave us plenty of room for food and drinks.
The first two days we did not see any other people on the river or at the campsites, but the journey from Whakahora to Pipiriki is the most popular part of the trip so on our third night we finally had company. After a lovely day of paddling we decided to spend the evening at the Mangawaiti Campsite which is high on a rocky bluff above a narrow canyon. It was a steep hike up with our camping gear, but the spot was well worth the walk.
Our last day on the river took us through the three larges rapids that we experienced on the trip, Ngaporo, Autapu and Paparoa. Thankfully by this point in the journey we had gotten better at paddling together and managed to keep the canoe upright through all three.
After our journey was over we took a drive on the Forgotten World Highway. It took us through some of the most incredible farming country that we have seen. It was full of steep peaks and deep valleys with almost no visible access. We made a quick stop in the Republic of Whangamomona to get our passports stamped before continuing on to Mt. Taranaki.
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