Making a Whanganui Journey Booking

The Whanganui Journey. A bit of an obscure Great Walk of New Zealand .. it’s not even a walk! It’s a canoe journey down the Whanganui River, but it earns its place alongside the other eight (now nine) multi-day journeys collectively known as the 10 Great Walks of New Zealand as it will take you on a journey into the heart of yet another one of our beautiful national parks.

It wasn’t hard to convince my husband to do this one. It didn’t involve walking and it didn’t involve carrying a pack, check, check. He’s been a great sport about our previous tramps (hikes) but its not his favourite thing to do!

It’s quite possibly the easiest one of the Great Walks to book. I did it last summer but had an eye on it the previous summer and don’t believe it fully booked out. It’s simply not as popular with those who are really in it for the tramping experience. Conversely, there are those that would never want to tackle a multi-day tramp but would gladly tackle this one.

I’d wanted to do it for several years but plans fell through twice. When I fell pregnant in 2023, having finished the other nine Great Walks in 2022, I knew I wanted to get it ticked off before I was too far along. I did it at six months pregnant! And if I baby and I could do it – you can, too!

What Do I Need To Know About The Whanganui Journey?

The Whanganui Journey can be done two ways – there’s a three day option and a five day option. The three day option goes from Whakahoro down to Pīpīriki, and the five day option starts further upstream, and goes from Cherry Grove (that’s in the town of Taumarunui) to Pīpīriki.

Those first two days, from Cherry Grove to Whakahoro, are a little more intense than the latter three. The Whanganui River is only graded 1-2 (out of 5), so it’s not full of torrents of white water or anything like that (it’s quite sedate, really!) but those first two days have a lot more rapids than the last three combined.

It’s quite do-able (not speaking from experience), because plenty just get out there and do it, but you will see that different operators would rate the first two days as hard, and would be more comfortable hiring their gear out to you if you have some river experience, often stating this. Be prepared to probably capsize your canoe!

The latter three days are significantly easier and would be considered more novice. If the five day journey fills you with any doubt, I would recommend staying in your comfort zone and sticking to the three day journey. It’s totally still classified as a Great Walk, even without the extra two days. You can absolutely still say you’ve ticked it off. 

Being pregnant, I was absolutely sticking to the three day journey. The main deciding factor (before I knew about the difference in difficulty between the upper and lower river) was that I thought three days would be easier for people to commit to, and, wanting the plans not to fall apart like they had twice previously, I did very much want the group experience on the river. Six of us went in December 2023 and it was great!

The five day journey is 145 kilometres (or 90 miles) and the three day journey is 85 kilometres (or 53 miles).

The journey takes you into the Whanganui National Park, and winds you through native forest and steep river banks clad with bush. The river is mostly very calm, and because we went at a great time when the river levels were at perfect condition, it flowed really well and meant that paddling intermittently was fine.

Unfortunately, I gave unrealistic expectations to my colleague, who went a couple of months later and had to paddle significantly more, all day long, because the river was lower, so this can really affect your experience! You can’t really predict this one; you’ve got to .. go with the flow.

Bookings matter on the Great Walks, and you’ll find that the hut wardens will check your bookings each night in-season, so it’s imperative you do pay for your spot and don’t just turn up. The Department of Conservation has three huts and ten campsites along the river, and you’ll be staying at all or most, depending on the length of your journey.

Booking Your Huts/Campsites

The other key difference between the five day journey and the three day journey is that those two nights on the upper river only have campsites available to stay in, whereas the last two nights – both your nights, if you’re doing the three day journey – have hut options. 

Department of Conservation Huts

On the upper river, that is, if you’re doing the five day journey, you can stay at Ohinepane Campsite, Poukaria Campsite, Maharanui Campsite, or Whakahoro Campsite. There is actually a bunk room at Whakahoro, too, and .. a lodge! Blue Duck Station is not far away and you could spend a little more for a really comfortable night and a hot meal before continuing on.

On the lower river, that is, if you’re doing the three day journey, starting at Whakahoro in the morning of your first day, your campsite options are Mangapapa Campsite, Ohauroa Campsite, John Coull Campsite, Manawaiiti Campsite, Mangapurua Campsite, Tīeke Kāinga and Ngaporo Campsite.

If you’re staying in the huts, that’s John Coull Hut for the first night, and Tīeke Kāinga, which is a marae with Department of Conservation huts onsite, for your second night. A marae is the meeting ground for a Māori iwi (which sort of translates to tribe), so it’s especially cool that visitors to the river can be welcomed onto the marae and stay here. These two huts accommodate 24 and 20 people respectively.

There are two lodges that you can switch out your hut or campsite for along the way: Blue Duck Station, which is at Whakahoro, and Bridge to Nowhere Lodge, which is a little way after Mangapurua Campsite, on the second to last day.

Tell Me About The Cooking Facilities

Both John Coull Hut and Tīeke Kāinga have gas hobs so you don’t need to take a gas cooker, but because you’re not having to worry about weighing down a tramping pack with extra things, if you can fit it, it wouldn’t hurt to pop in a little camping stove. It means that if the hobs are in use and you’re starving, you can still cook straightaway, and if you end up getting wetter than planned out on the river and need a warm drink halfway through the day, then you can do that.

You’ll definitely need your portable gas cooker if you are staying at any of the campsites.

If you’re wanting to enjoy alcohol, it’s culturally insensitive to do so on the river itself, and at the Tīeke Kāinga. Pregnant me took some 0% wine to sip at the end of the day for the first night only, and I hope that was okay.

Tell Me About The Sleeping Arrangements

In John Coull Hut and Tīeke Kāinga, it’s your standard shared bunk rooms with plastic mattresses. If you are a light sleeper, pack earplugs as people will be in and out getting what they need, should you go to bed early. 

The campsites are basic, just grassy spots on the river bank (sometimes quite high up) where you can pitch your tent, but the special thing about the Whanganui Journey is that that tent doesn’t have to go on your back during the day, like it would if you were tramping! Everything you take gets packed into watertight barrels in your canoe. 

Some campsites can be a bit of a scramble to get up to, as the river bank can be quite high, and there can be rocks and clay to climb up. For these sites you’ll find a hitching pole to tie up your canoes, but if you have a few canoes stopping at the same time, it’ll take a bit of work to get everyone pulled up, hitched up, and safely out of the canoes. Other campsites have little beaches you can pull ashore on and step out easily, and a track to the grassy patch where you can pitch your tent or have lunch. They’re all different.

Tell Me About The Riverbanks

I’ll outline what I remember of the riverbank situation where we did stop – unfortunately we did not stop everywhere, nor do I have a photo from each place!

In parts the river, you’re in a gorge, and the ‘riverbanks’ are steep canyons towering over you and you cannot stop and get out. We saw lots of small waterfalls trickling over the mossy walls and if we needed a drink we’d just pull over and hold our water bottle under.

I was very comfortable drinking water like this, pregnant: that’s about as fresh as it gets! But I boiled it at the huts (whereas under normal circumstances I probably wouldn’t have bothered. The official advice is to boil the water, but that’s standard on any Great Walk.)

I will share, though, that if you need an emergency stop on the river, and you’re between campsites, that in other parts there are lots of opportunities where there’s enough of a river bank to pull at least half your boat ashore, if not all. 

Ohinepane Campsite, Poukaria Campsite, Marahanui Campsite and Whakahoro Campsite

I cannot share personal experiences of the riverbank situation at Ohinepane Campsite (night one for those doing the five day journey), or either Poukaria Campsite or Maharanui Campsite, (which fall on the second day for those doing the five day journey) because we did not do the two days on the upper river. What I have heard, about Whakahoro Campsite, is that it’s a steep walk up from the river to where you pitch your tents, and can be muddy and somewhat difficult to get your barrels up that bank. 

Mangapapa Campsite, Ohauora Campsite and John Coull Hut and Campsite

Those camping may choose to break up their campsites differently to how we did, and have different length days, but we stayed in huts, and that meant day one of three was starting at Whakahoro and ending at John Coull Hut. So on our first day on the river, we passed Mangapapa Campsite and Ohauora Campsite before we stopped for the night. 

Mangapapa Campsite was hard to access, because the river bank was so high, and the river wasn’t even particularly low when we were there. We were trying to stop for morning tea but it took some organisation to get us all tied up to the pole and out of our canoes. There was no beach to pull up on so the canoes had to stay floating in the water.

They had to be tied to each other and the pole so we didn’t lose them, and we had to step across canoes to get onto the rock face. We had to get out of the canoes and back into the canoes in a particular order, based on whose canoe was furthest away and who was sitting at the front or back, etc. We definitely needed helping hands from each other to pull us onto the rock face and then from there we had to scramble up onto the grass. Most people wouldn’t be spending a night here but it would be a tricky unloading area if you were. 

Ohauora Campsite had a big pebbly beach that it was easy to stop at. Again it was a bit of a climb up to the campsite where we had lunch but it wasn’t the worst one.

John Coull Hut and Campsite had a beach you could pull ashore on and then some steps to climb up with your barrels. Climbing up to campsites is somewhat unavoidable on the Whanganui Journey because they aren’t by the water’s edge. I had won the lottery: my pregnant status meant that my husband and friends carted all our things up and I only carried lightweight items to the hut.

Mangawaiiti Campsite, Mangapurua Campsite and Mangapurua Landing, and Tīeke Kāinga Hut and Campsite

For us, and anyone else doing the three day journey and utilising the huts, our day two was starting at John Coull Hut and ending at Tīeke Kāinga Hut. So on our second day on the river, we passed Mangawaiiti Campsite and Mangaparua Campsite. 

Mangawaiiti Campsite had a small beach on the right hand side that we could pull ashore on. From there, it was a steep path up to the campsite that seemed to go up and up and up. The view from the top was amazing but this would not be fun with our overnight barrels if we were spending a night here!

Mangaparua Campsite I cannot speak to as we did not stop at the campsite, but instead at Mangapurua Landing, which is on the opposite side of the river. It’s Mangapurua Landing where all the canoes, kayaks and tourist jet boats stop so that tourists can visit the Bridge to Nowhere. This was a tricky place to stop, too, as there isn’t anywhere to pull ashore.

Instead, one of our canoes had to be tied off and the others’ canoes had to be tied to the first canoe. There was a bit of a traffic jam here, with lots of canoes in the water left floating while their occupants got out to explore on foot, and we were reliant on each other to pull each other up onto the rock face. There were one or two footholds for our feet but then it was on all fours to get up onto the rock. 

Tīeke Kāinga had a small beach to pull ashore at, so it’s important to keep an eye on the signage upriver to advise you that it is approaching, and to watch for it on your left. We thought it might be on the right hand side, as there were buildings and animals on that riverbank, but it was on the left. There wasn’t a lot of space, but at least we could pull the canoes ashore and tie them off. We had to walk up a grassy bank but it was a gradual incline and not steep.

Ngaporo Campsite and Pīpīriki

 Our third day, and that of all those undertaking the three day journey, was starting at Tīeke Kāinga Hut and ending at Pīpīriki. So on our third and final day on the river, we passed Ngaporo Campsite. The beach was huge and full of pebbles. There was ample space to pull ashore and tie off to a big rock or a piece of wood and the elevation up to the clearing where we ate lunch was not too steep.

Pīpīriki was hard to miss because there were several shuttle vans there to collect their paddlers and all the canoes all being loaded up. It’s a boat ramp, so there was a concrete ramp we carried our canoe up, and no climbing involved.

Tell Me About The Toilets

There are long drops at all the huts and campsites, so you’re never too far from one. Do use them, and not the river, which would be culturally disrespectful. Take toilet paper and have it easily accessible, so that if one long drop has run out, you have a supply with you.

Step One: Making a Great Walks Booking Account

Booking your spot on the river in-season (the months of October to April) is important, but before you can do that, you need to have an account with the Department of Conservation Booking Service. Sort this part out before the day that bookings open, unless you already have one from booking another Great Walk of New Zealand.Check you still know the password and can still log in. 

The link to the Department of Conservation Booking Service is https://bookings.doc.govt.nz/. If you’re signing up for the first time, you’ll just need to give your email and make a password. 

Step Two: Booking through your Great Walks Booking Account

Once you’ve got the account with the Department of Conservation Booking Service sorted out, you can sort out the actual Whanganui Journey booking when bookings open. The booking opening date is typically in late May and often they open bookings at 09:30am on the day. Granted, the Whanganui Journey is one of the least (least?) popular of the Great Walks, simply because the demand for spots on trails like the Milford Track is comparatively so much higher, so you might have a bit more time up your sleeve to book, but if you can be organised before the day and get your booking done as soon as you can, all the better, to avoid disappointment.

You’ll want to book in Great Walks Season – for the river, it’s October, November, December, January, February, Mach or April. You’ve got to be quite experienced if you’re going in winter and is not that great of an idea. With the amount of rainfall, the river would be running high.

I came down to do the Journey one March but extra rainfall that year meant that that river was too high at that time, and that meant that it was not safe to do it. Besides, it’s going to be far more enjoyable doing it in good weather, especially if you come out of your canoe!

Details you’ll want to get sorted as quickly as you can before booking are:

Know Your Party

Before you book the Whanganui Journey, you’ll need to have sorted out who is coming with you. I chose to do the three day journey primarily because I thought it would be easier for people to commit to. After all, coming down from Auckland, we needed a driving day either side of the trip, and we all wanted to use as little leave as possible.

You’ll need to know the full names and ages for the people in your group if you are the one booking for them. Have them transfer you the money for the campsites or huts if you are booking together as someone will need to enter card details for payment.

Know Your Dates

You’ll also need to know your dates before you book. If you’re doing the three day journey and are wanting to stay in huts, planning is easy: day one is Whakahoro to John Coull Hut, day two is John Coull Hut to Tīeke Kāinga Hut, and day three is Tīeke Kāinga Hut to Pīpīriki! It also makes planning easier that it’s a river, and as such you can only go in one direction – downstream!

If you’re wanting to do the three or five day journeys and stay in tents (if you’re doing the five day journey, you have at least the first two nights in tents) then you have quite a bit more choice when it comes to where to stay.

The Department of Conservation Whanganui Journey Elevation Profile is really helpful to look at the paddling distances and projected times between all those campsites, so you can work out where you want to camp and how long you want your paddling days to be. Get this all written down on paper with your dates so you don’t get confused, as some of those campsite names are long/similar if you are not a Māori speaker.

Pick your dates to fall within October to April, which is two thirds of our spring, all of our summer, and two thirds of our autumn, bearing in mind that our springs can be quite wet sometimes. When the weather is wetter, you run the risk of the river being too high and it not being safe to go. Bu when the weather is drier, the river is lower, and you’ll be paddling so much harder. This sort of stuff is impossible to plan.

We took a punt and went in early December. I did not want to go in spring and risk getting rained out, and I did not want to go any later into my pregnancy. We had perfect river levels, fine, sunny days, and the flowing water meant we did not have to do much work at all! My colleague who went in February had to paddle so much harder than we did and found the journey quite tiring.

If you have leave from work, don’t forget you need a day to get down to the Whanganui National Park and a day to return home on either side of the journey.

And it’s less commonly done, but worth saying: if you’d like to stay at one extra place on the river, thereby adding an extra day of paddling and shortening all of your paddling days, then of course you can do that!

Run Your Search

On the day that bookings open for the Whanganui Journey, I would advise being logged in and ready to go at 09:30am, and to get that booking looked in as soon as you can. If you wait a few days to get yourself organised, you likely will still get your spots, but you aren’t guaranteed to get your exact dates, and if people have already had to take time off work for it, you may have to then go back to everyone and change the days, wait for everyone to clear the new dates with work, and then get yourselves organised again. So it’s worth doing it sooner rather than later.

Huts are more popular than campsites, so if you’re booking huts, they are going to fill up quicker than campsites. Once you’re logged into the Department of Conservation Booking Service, you just need to enter your dates, select the Whanganui Journey, and the number of people in your group. Hit Search and select your dates  from the grid that pops up.

Select Your Dates

Any squares that return green are available, and even red ones with an exclamation mark have some spaces available. Select the squares that correspond to the right hut or campsite you are booking (that’s the row), and the right date (that’s the column) and then click Reserve. Next, you’ll need to enter your names and ages for the people in your group, then it’s just the payment left.

Make Your Payment

Great Walks can be a little pricier than other backcountry adventures, but that’s just because of their popularity. Compared to other Great Walks – especially the alpine ones in Fiordland – the Whanganui Journey is considerably cheaper. Fortunately, the Whanganui Journey has one flat rate for international visitors and New Zealanders alike (it’s differentiated on some of the other Great Walks). It’s cheaper in winter, but not really recommended.

So without further ado, each night in a hut will cost paddlers $35NZD 🇳🇿($22USD 🇺🇸) in-season, which s October to April. That includes the bunk room at Whakahoro, which is available to you. Each night in a campsite will cost paddlers $19NZD 🇳🇿 ($12USD 🇺🇸).

If you’re swapping out a night at Whakahoro for a night in comfort at Blue Duck Station or Bridge to Nowhere Lodge, that will be booked through the people there, and not through the Department of Conservation, so just don’t book anything for that night just yet.

Tips And Tricks

1️⃣ If you have any doubts about your ability on the water, opt for the lower river over three days and skip the two days on the upper river. Book from Whakahoro to Pīpīriki.

2️⃣ If you’re only going to be in the area a short time and the Whanganui Journey is a must-do for you, then, should you have the option, go in the summer. It might be harder work paddling if the river is low but at least you will be on the river. It is less likely to be running high or flooded in the summer. 

3️⃣ Book the day bookings open if you are taking a group on a public holiday weekend. These will book out first as many New Zealanders will opt for this as they just have to take one or two days off work.

Cancellations and Refunds

You can talk to the Department of Conservation about your circumstances if something comes up that means you need to cancel. They’re reachable by phone or email. This page of theirs goes into detail about cancellations and refunds. 

Booking Your Transport

Once you’ve booked your huts or campsites, you’ll need to turn your attention to whose canoes you’re going to hire. The river can be done on kayaks, so if you own your own, go for it. It’ll save you hirage costs but you’ll need to transport yourself from Pīpīriki back to the start (or if you leave your vehicle somewhere else, back to your vehicle).

In the instance that you need to hire your watercraft, you’ll need to go through one of the Whanganui River operators, whom I’ve written about below. Basically all of them include watertight barrels, paddles and return transport in their canoe hirage fees, with the option of adding on any items like camping or cooking things that you do not have.

They don’t differ in price too much.

They do differ on where their base is, as there’s a few little outskirt towns in the area. Picking one operator over the other might just be the difference between having a longer drive to your start point and a shorter drive back from Pīpīriki, or a shorter drive to your start point and a longer drive back from Pīpīriki.

Operators for the Whanganui Journey are based in various towns, such as Ōwhango, Ohakune, Raetahi, Taumarunui (or Whanganui, if you’re using the guided options Unique Whanganui River Experience / Whanganui River Tours). If you have a vehicle, you’ll be able to get to any of those operators, no problem. If you’re relying on bus transport to get around, the InterCity bus has stops in Ohakune and Whanganui. 

If you’re wanting to a self-guided paddle and have no vehicle, you’ll need to pick an operator who is in Ohakune, such as Yeti Tours or Canoe Safaris. 

There are guided tour operators that leave from Whanganui, such as Unique Whanganui River Experience and Whanganui River Tours, but no self-guided outfitters that leave from there.

Operators

Below are six operators who you can go through if you do not have your own watercraft for the journey but want to go independent of a guide. They all hire out Canadian style canoes, but oftentimes, when you have an odd-numbered sized group, one person will get put on a kayak. The canoes seat two, but prices below are per person.

👉🏻 Ōwhango Adventures is listed here first, because that is who I picked. They charge $170NZD 🇳🇿 ($106USD 🇺🇸) for freedom hire (self-guided) for three days (which included paddles, barrels and transport). Their base is in Ōwhango, which meant an hour and a half’s drive to where we started in Whakahoro and an hour and a quarter’s drive out from where we finished in Pīpīriki.

I picked them because they did a $179NZD 🇳🇿 ($112USD 🇺🇸) special to include accommodation at their base the night before the journey, which meant accommodation for $9NZD 🇳🇿 ($6USD 🇺🇸) and without me having to go find a place for us to stay. I actually was able to borrow a pot set from them at no charge which really helped us out. 

👉🏻 Yeti Tours charges $180NZD 🇳🇿 ($112USD 🇺🇸) for freedom hire (self-guided) for three days (including paddles, barrels and transport). Their base is in Ohakune, which is two hours drive to Whakahoro for those starting there, and three quarters of an hour back from where you finish, at Pīpīriki.

👉🏻 Whanganui River Canoes charge $230NZD 🇳🇿 ($143USD 🇺🇸) for freedom hire (self-guided) for three days (that’s paddles, barrels and transport, too). Now, the website at Whanganuirivercanoes.rezdy.com says $190NZD 🇳🇿 ($118USD 🇺🇸), but I believe the organisation has migrated to their own site now, and put their prices up, as it does appear to be the same operator.

Their base is in Raetahi, which would mean driving for 2 hours 20 minutes to Whakahoro, but only half an hour’s drive out from Pīpīriki. They’re connected with the Raetahi Holiday Park and do pickups from there, so that’s accommodation planning sorted! 

👉🏻 Then you have Canoe Safaris. They charge $205NZD 🇳🇿 ($128USD 🇺🇸) for freedom hire (self-guided) for three days (so paddles, barrels, and transport). Their base, like Yeti Tours, is also in Ohakune, so that’s two hours drive to Whakahoro for those starting there, and three quarters of an hour back from the finish at Pīpīriki. For an additional cost, they can offer accommodation the night before and/or after at their onsite motel, saving you the hassle of researching for somewhere to stay.

👉🏻 You also have the option of using Taumarunui Canoe Hire. They charge $220NZD 🇳🇿 ($137USD 🇺🇸) for freedom hire (self-guided) for three days (paddles, barrels and transport all included). Their base is in Taumarunui, so it’s an hour’s drive in to Whakahoro if you’re starting there, and an hour and a half out of Pīpīriki at the end.

👉🏻 Then, there’s Active Aotearoa. They charge $295NZD 🇳🇿 ($184USD 🇺🇸) for freedom hire (self-guided) for three days (including paddles, barrels and transport). Their base is in Raetahi. That’s 2 hours 20 minutes drive to Whakahoro, but only half an hour’s drive out from Pīpīriki. The difference with this operator is that they’ve included your two hut bookings on the river, which are valued at $70NZD 🇳🇿 ($44USD 🇺🇸). A great option if you don’t want the hassle.

👉🏻 There’s also Blazing Paddles. At first glance, it seems like all their packages are guided, but when I went back and looked again, they do do freedom hire (self-guided), it’s just in small text. If you follow the link and scroll down to the Waka Whakahoro trip, they charge 275NZD 🇳🇿 ($171USD 🇺🇸). Their base is in Taumarunui, so, like Taumarunui Canoe Hire, it’s an hour’s drive in to Whakahoro if you’re starting there, and an hour and a half out of Pīpīriki at the end.

Is There A Guided Option?

Yes! Especially on this Great Walk when you are already using an operator for you hirage. Most of those places will do guided tours as well. Here are six options for doing the journey with a guide:

👉🏻 Blazing Paddles do lots of guided options but the closest to the Great Walk itinerary is their guided Waka Whakahoro trip, (Whakahoro to Pīpīriki over three days) and their guided Full Monty trip, (Taumarunui – that’s Cherry Grove – to Pīpīriki, over five days).

Their three day journey will cost you $1250NZD 🇳🇿 ($778USD 🇺🇸) but you can drop the catering to get it down to $900NZD 🇳🇿 ($560USD 🇺🇸).

Their five day journey will cost you $1450NZD 🇳🇿 ($903USD 🇺🇸), and you can drop the catering to get it down to $1100NZD 🇳🇿 ($685USD 🇺🇸).  They have a minimum of 8 people needed for these trips, which may be able to come from other people’s bookings.

👉🏻Active Aotearoa do the three day trip guided, and all for $295NZD 🇳🇿($184USD 🇺🇸)! It includes catering and accommodation as well as hirage and transport.

👉🏻 Canoe Safaris have a few options for you. They will do the three day trip, but guided, and will provide you with lodge accommodation the night before you start as well as all your equipment, cooked breakfasts everyday, and all your other food, and wine. One of the night’s accommodations is spent at the Bridge to Nowhere Lodge.

They charge $1145NZD 🇳🇿 ($713USD 🇺🇸) for this one, and this alternative, which is also three days, Whakahoro to Pīpīriki, also $1145NZD 🇳🇿 ($713USD 🇺🇸) but in bigger canoes, seating six people, which is excellent for those without the confidence on the water.

Their advertised five day guided tour leaves from Ohinepane and sometimes Whakahoro, but not from Cherry Grove in Taumarunui, so it’s not exactly the same as the full five day version of this Great Walk, however. It’s a slower paced trip for shorter paddling days and more time spent rock jumping and swimming, and taking in the history of the place.

👉🏻 Unique Whanganui River Experience are an organisation whose guides are trained cultural navigators. Their tours include the hirage, transport, equipment, all meals, etc, with an excellent reputation for fantastic meals.

They have a five day guided tour for $1370NZD 🇳🇿 ($853USD 🇺🇸) from Cherry Grove, Taumarunui to Pīpīriki, and a three day guided tour for $1020NZD 🇳🇿 ($635USD 🇺🇸) from Whakahoro to Pīpīriki, and a four day version too, which is the three day Great Walk, from Whakahoro to Pīpīriki, but at a slower pace. This one costs $1220NZD 🇳🇿 ($760USD 🇺🇸).

👉🏻 Whanganui River Tours offer a guided tour from Whakahoro to Pīpīriki, the three day trip, for $1025NZD 🇳🇿 ($638USD 🇺🇸), which is a camping trip with all the gear provided apart from sleeping bags. Food, transport and cultural navigators for your guides is all included.

👉🏻 Yeti Tours do guided trips too. Their three day tour costs $720NZD 🇳🇿 ($448USD 🇺🇸) and their five day tour costs $950NZD 🇳🇿 ($592USD 🇺🇸) (which can be spread over six days for slightly more money). Both trips include all the gear and accommodation is in the Department of Conservation huts. Transport and food is included.

What Will It Cost Me?

This is multifactorial, as you might switch out a night in Department of Conservation accommodation for a night in either the Bridge to Nowhere Lodge or the Blue Duck Station instead, but the cheapest way to do the Whanganui Journey is to do the three day version and camp two nights. Two nights in campsites at $19NZD 🇳🇿 ($12USD 🇺🇸) per night totals $38NZD 🇳🇿 ($24USD 🇺🇸). Those wanting to do the five day version and, after one night in a tent, wanting to take advantage of the Department of Conservation bunkroom and huts available to them will spend $124NZD 🇳🇿 ($77USD 🇺🇸) on their accommodation.

A night at the Bridge to Nowhere Lodge will cost $80NZD 🇳🇿 ($50USD 🇺🇸), and $20NZD 🇳🇿 ($13USD 🇺🇸) if you’re doing a continental breakfast there.

(Blue Duck Lodge prices are per lodging, not per per person, so you could have a whole space of theirs for anywhere between three and six hundred dollars but split it between however many in your party. Do note that all of their accommodation is two night minimum stay however.)

Self-guided paddlers can get away with their canoe hirage for anywhere between $170NZD 🇳🇿 ($106USD 🇺🇸) and $225NZD 🇳🇿 ($140USD 🇺🇸) (that is, for the hirage, gear and transport component), and guided paddlers can spend as much as $1450NZD 🇳🇿 ($USD 🇺🇸).

Add on your food, if you’re going self-guided, accommodation the night before and/or the night after your journey, if not already factored in, and either petrol costs or bus fare costs from wherever you’re coming from into the Whanganui National Park.

You can probably expect to spend somewhere upward of three hundred dollars, but, as you’ve read, there are so many things that can influence as to how much more.

The beautiful thing about the Whanganui Journey is precisely that you can do it in whatever style you choose. You can mix and match accommodation styles, and many of those guided options have elements that can be added on or taken off so that you really do holiday your way. It’s a pristine place steeped in cultural history and quite a special voyage, a really excellent choice for those among us who don’t fancy a multi-day hike but would love to complete one Great Walk of New Zealand. 

I look forward to my baby being old enough for me to show her how daddy and I paddled her 85 kilometres all the way down the river when she was in my tummy!! I’m so delighted we did it. For those not convinced yet, I was six months pregnant, didn’t have to break a sweat, and enjoyed (what was for me) a leisurely paddle through stunning gorges in a journey that delighted me even more than I expected it to.