Price from:
127 USD
Begin your paddle in the heart of the Whanganui National Park
Duration
4 Days
About
For our 4 day trip we recommend you book **Ohauora, Mangawaiiti** and then **Tieke** or the **Bridge to Nowhere Lodge/Campsite**. If they are unavailable; give us a call or email before booking other options.
This trip is a fantastic way to see the Whanganui National Park and spend time with friends and family. If you don't want to rush the trip, and want to enjoy each day, without rushing to set up tents and get dinner on before it gets dark this is probably our favourite option.
Prices:
- **$230** per person for a group of 5 or less people
- **$220** per person for a group of 6+ people
**Minimum booking is for 2 people. If you are paddling alone, please contact us before continuing with the booking.**
More info
Suitable for:
- Families with Children aged 7+
- Groups of friends
- Couples looking for a getaway
- Beginner Paddlers
Level: Easy
What to bring
**Unguided Tour:**
- TENT– even if you have booked Huts/Lodges a tent is a basic requirement for the outdoors.
- Pots, pans, and eating utensils, can opener as well as dish washing material and tea towels
- Matches or lighter and a gas cooker
- Enough food for the whole trip and for an extra day
- Snacks and nibbles for in between meals
- Toilet paper
- Torch / batteries/headlamp
- Canoeing clothing – layers of clothing that you can easily add and remove. No jeans
- Camping clothing and equipment
- Swim wear
- Complete change of warm clothes
- Shorts
- Towel
- 2-3 x Polypropylene or woollen tops
- Spare light weight top (fleece and wool preferably)
- Sun hat / warm hat
- Warm socks
- Waterproof light weight jacket or Parker
- Beanie (depending on season)
- Wind-proof leggings (optional)
- Shoes suitable for canoeing in, and a separate pair for at the campsites. Please note, jandals, thongs, and flip flops are not suitable for this trip.
- Track suit or poly-pro pants (not jeans or cotton)
- Sleeping bag / sleeping mat
- Wetsuit (optional for colder months)
- Lightweight gloves for warmth or blisters
- Water bottle (and thermos to keep hot drinks handy)
- Basic toiletries (no soap in river)
- Spare plastic bags – for clothing and rubbish
- Sun glasses with strap
- Insect repellent/ Sunscreen
- Small camera – carried in waterproof box (we don’t recommend paddling with any expensive electronics)
- Small pillow (optional)
- **Please note**, there are rain water tanks at every DOC camp-site approximately every two hours along the river. DOC do advise that you boil or filter the water. It is good outdoor practise to bring plenty of water with you.
Booking Notes
**Read through all of the information below. You will need to be sure that you have booked correct accommodation along the river (feel free to check with us if you have any doubts).**
###Before you come:
- Please check our **["Gear List"](https://www.whanganuirivercanoes.co.nz/what-to-bring/)** and bring all items detailed, or arrange hire of extra equipment prior to arrival.
- Please have a read of our **["Safety Disclaimer"](https://www.whanganuirivercanoes.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/WRC-SAFETY-DISCLAIMER-24-25-web.pdf)** and be aware of the risks involved.
###Note:
Because we are a small team, we will book you in for your trip, using your name as your reference, rather than a booking number.
**What's Included / What to Bring:**
Canoe Hire includes canoe; paddles, life jacket, maps, bailers, storage barrels, and shuttle to the river and back from our base in Raetihi. Plus you will need to pay DOC fees. DOC have changed their fees for the use of their walks, campgrounds and facilities, the fees will vary depending on the campsites/ huts you choose to stay in. Under 18 year olds are free, but still need to be booked in.
Please also check our **Gear List** - [View WRC Gear List PDF.pdf](https://cdn.filestackcontent.com/rZvcD8pEQiSBE7dcWGaV) for more information about what you will need to bring for a freedom hire trip on the river.
DOC have an international online booking system, which is pretty easy to use. Let me know when you have booked your campsites online and I can confirm your booking. Their website is www.doc.govt.nz and all of the campsite prices are listed there, under the **Whanganui Journey**. You can look at our interactive map on our website, as a reference to see where the campsites are, and click on each campsite for a picture and description of the site.
We do hire the following:
- Tents $50 per tent per trip (2 or 3 man tents available)
- Sleeping bags $20 per trip
- Sleeping mat $20 per trip
- Cooking stove $25 including one gas cylinder
- Eating utensils/plates etc $10 per person
- Back rests $80 per canoe
- **Limited supply available, must be booked well in advance** (all hire equipment needs to be booked well in advance, if you are booking as a group, when requesting extra hire gear please send one email with a total amount of equipment you will need to hire, rather than call individually booking them separately).
##Below is the itinerary we recommend for the 4 day trip
Meet us at the **Raetihi Holiday Park** either the afternoon/evening before your trip, or at 5.45am on the morning of your trip for a briefing and to pack your gear. Our shuttle leaves by 8am. If you can meet us the day before your trip it does run a lot more smoothly on the morning - and you will have more paddling time on the river.
1. **Canoe Day #1:** Paddle 27 km and choose to stay at Ohauora Campsite
2. **Day #2:** Paddle 20 km and stay the night at Mangawaiiti Campsite
3. **Day #3:** Paddle 19 km and choose to stay at Tieke or the Bridge to Nowhere Lodge/campground (As DoC have increased their camping price this season, the privately owned Bridge to Nowhere Campground may be more affordable. www.bridgetonowhere.co.nz). Both the Privately owned spots and Tieke have communication devices available. Please note on this day is the Bridge to Nowhere Walk, and easy walk 45 minutes to the Bridge and 45 minutes back to your canoe.
4. **Day #4:** Paddle the final 21 km to Pipiriki where you will be met by our shuttle driver and be driven back. Our usual meeting time in Pipiriki is 2 pm but we let you know closer to the time as it does depend on river levels. You would be back at our base between three and five pm. There is no phone reception in Pipiriki, you will need to meet us at the pre-arranged time.
##Accommodation before/after your trip: Raetihi Holiday Park:
##[Book Now!](https://www.raetihiholidaypark.com/)
We operate the **Raetihi Holiday Park**, which is a great place to stay before you start the trip, as all of our trips depart from there.
Our Cabins cost $30.00 per person per night, a **DISCOUNTED** price for those who book a canoe trip, and a cabin at our Holiday Park via this email chain.
For a tent site it will cost $18.00 per person per night and powered $22.00 pp per night. We aim to leave the Holiday Park by 8am so there plenty of time to paddle to the first campsite.
If you meet us in the morning you will need to be here at 6:00am. We leave between 7:30 and 8am.
Leave your vehicle at our Holiday Park FREE OF CHARGE
###[Book Now!](https://www.raetihiholidaypark.com/)
##How else can we HELP YOU??
We are right in the Hub of the North Island with PLENTY of ADVENTURE around us!! We know our stuff, and have heaps of tips and tricks for getting around in an affordable and fun way!! Feel free to ask us any of those questions that just aren't getting answered no matter how hard you look!!
###Remember, we also
*offer mountain bike shuttles
*can book your Tongariro Crossing shuttle daily in Summer, from our door
*free parking at our campground while you are out on your other adventures
*Can pick you up from the train station in Ohakune
*If you book in advance we can shuttle you to Ohakune if you want to have dinner and drinks, and back to our Holiday Park
##Medical & Health Requirements:
**Please ensure that EACH member of your group is fit, healthy, and CAPABLE of completing this canoe trip. If you have any doubts about medical conditions, or your physical condition, speak to your doctor before coming for the trip. Please also ensure that you have the correct travel insurance for yourself, your belongings, and your vehicle before coming along for the trip.**
**LET WHANGANUI RIVER CANOES KNOW OF ANY MEDICAL CONDITIONS/INJURIES BEFORE YOU ARRIVE - RESCUES ON THE RIVER ARE ONLY AVAILABLE BY HELICOPTER, AND CAN BE VERY DRAMATIC - WE NEED TO COORDINATE RESCUES WITH SEARCH AND RESCUE SO NEED TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE ANY CONDITIONS TO THEM.**
This includes
- Average 5-7 hour paddling days
- Ability to swim
- Ability to climb short but steep distances to campsite
- Ability to walk easy 40 minute each way to Bridge to Nowhere
The minimum age for our trips is 7 years old - if your group is made up with children, please let us know their ages and the number of children/adults so we can check adult/child ratio's and give appropriate advice.
We have recently re-vamped our canoe website - so any questions anyone should have should be answered well and truly on there - there is an awesome brand new interactive map showing where we are, where the river is and the different campsites along the river too. Under our prices page, it mentions all of the inclusions in the cost. As a mother, and a business owner I am often in and out of phone reception, and am not always at my desk (or am serving customers) so go to the website first to answer any further questions - if you have any very urgent ones that you can't find the answers to let me know and I will try to help you. Otherwise, feel free to send an email when you have booked your DOC accommodation and are ready to confirm :)
