Junior Member
Any good multi-day canoe trips?
Hi again all,
Michelle and I will hopefully be living there very soon. We are wondering if anyone knows of any good Canoe shops on the North Island and if you know of any good multi-day canoe trips?
We will be bringing a 18 ft Wenonah Royalex Canoe with us and will be wanting to hit the water! (Once it arrives with our household items).
Junior Member
whanganui river journey is the famous one. It's listed as a doc great walk:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-rec...ganui-journey/
I'm not a canoeist so I did it with one of the many hire companies which allowed self guided trips. Nice trip.
Junior Member
AWESOME...thanks!Originally Posted by wellywally
Yorkshire Ambassador to New Zealand
We did the Whanganui (3 day) on our recce. I had moments that were both the second closest moment I've got to death so far in my life, and the most tranquil I've ever had. If you're after major whitewater stuff it's not for you, but for a 3/5 day trip with a few rapids a day then it's fabulous. Would advise taking a tent as the huts are well used and the other travellers when we were there seemed mainly in their 'gap year' so a very different crowd. We enjoyed the peace of being out in the tent. Happy to discuss in more detail if you like. There are a few Kayakers and canoeists here at work, so if you want more ideas let me know.
We also did the cathederal cove sea kayak trip and that was fun in a very different way.
Regards
Duncan
Junior Member
As always Duncan...you da man. GREAT info. I would certainly appreciate more info.
Michelle and I like the "expedition" style of canoeing...so not a lot of whitewater needed and a tent suits us fine, even if spare bunks are available.
Yorkshire Ambassador to New Zealand
Ok. I used Wades canoes for the hire, they take you to the start and pick you up at the end. We were in the campervan so took them up on the offer of a pitch at their place the night before and then for them to drive the van to the finish (as we were heading south). Well I'd definately suggest that you stay elsewhere before the trip, it's not that scenic at their base! And at the end it was mixed blessing. Was wonderful to have the van and a shower on arrival at the finish, but was a long drive on an unmellted road afterwards. They offer pick up and drop off for those like yourself with your own canoe.
Make sure you take bug repellant, I genuinely have still got the scars from the sand flies on my legs 30 months later.
The 2 hours side tramp to the bridge to nowhere is well worth it.
Some of the campsites are well elevated, so it pays to go light as on a night you've got to lug all the stuff up some steep hills.
There's a book of 'Great tramps' which has the Whanganui in there too, and we found that a good accompanyment, although there are other guides available and Wades give you a laminated map which is very handy.
Sure there are some other things that will occur to me..... I'll ask my colleague later for some other suggestions too.
Junior Member
I can't remember the company we used - but it was a pick up and drop of in Ohakune. We did it at Easter and the popular stop sites were packed (think music festival busy) but one day we pushed onto a further hut-less campsite and it was very quiet. The lower water level at Easter meant for slow going at times but also the rapids are more bumpy due to the shallower water. At one rapid 80% (I'd say) of boats were capsizing! Entertaining stuff!
Yorkshire Ambassador to New Zealand
Other options
Lake Waikaremoana - you can walk round it, or you can also canoe round the edge.
Beyond that then appearently it's sea kayak stuff, so
Marlborough Sounds, Abel Tasman etc.
(and yes, was easter when we went too).
Junior Member
Well, we can't wait to get there and do a bit of this:
Junior Member
Sorry...supposed to be pics there. I guess pic functionality doesn't work?
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