Days 56 - 61 Whanganui River Canoeing

Interestingly the TA, whilst billed as a walking trail from Cape Reinga to Bluff actually includes the Whanganui River and a number of options to traverse this. These include walking to the Bridge to Nowhere and jet boating from there, canoeing to Pipiriki and walking the road from there and canoeing from Whakahoro through to Whanganui.

I decided on the latter and was joined on this section by three great mates from Hamilton, Graeme Bunker (aka Arch), Mark Ingle (aka Mingle) and Chris McCaughan (aka McVet).

We did the journey in six days with Arch leaving us at Pipiriki due to work commitments.

The itinerary was:

Day 1. Whakahoro to John Coul campsite/hut (37km)

Day 2. John Coul to Ramanui ((29km)

Day 3. Ramanui to Jerusalem (32km) with Pipiriki about half way.

Day 4. Jerusalem to Downes Hut (25km)

Day 5. Downes Hut to Hapango Park (24km)

Day 6. Hipango to Whanganui (19km)

This was a real treat for me as the guys arrived totally organised with food, beer and wine and all I needed to do was walk to Whakahoro on time. A bit like glamping from my perspective, although still in the same old tent and smelly (that’s another story) sleeping bag.

For this section of the blog rather than write a detailed description of each dasy I’ll attempt to tell the story with pictures.

Staying in the convent at Jeruselum was like staying in a museum!

As can be seen from the photos a really great boys trip and a fabulous adventure. Highlights for me were:

- The second-to-last day and the absolutely terrible weather, getting freezing cold arriving at the camp then setting up in the shelter for a great night.

- Mingle and I filling our canoe with water on one of the rapids and managing to get it to shores without tipping out. Wet but happy.

- Getting the fire going at Downes Hut then finding it was actually too hot!

- The last day arriving at the landing to find the river had risen an out 2m overnight. Relief when my pack was in the canoe not the kayak add I thought and hence not lost, and getting to Whanganui in record time with the river flowing at a really high rate.

- Staying in the convent at Jeruselum, it was like fronting up at the Auckland museum and just jumping into a bed in one of the displays and sleeping there.

- Riding the Flying Fox cable car across the river, once we’d placated the owner after McVet invited himself to use her private toilet in her house.

- Simon the Chiropractor, at the convent, who diagnosed my gammy leg as a dislocated fibula and by pulling and pushing claimed to have relocated it. Caused me real pain and frankly was all bullshit, the leg continued to give me grief!

- Actually winning a game of rummy!

- Lastly and most significantly the opportunity to enjoy an experience like this with a group of such good mates. It was a real blast!!

Mingle and I attempting g to turn the canoe into a submarine!