Landmarks

 Taumarunui

• 500 feet above sea level and 144 miles from Wanganui by river.
• Its population of just over 5000 makes it the largest center for a considerable distance in any direction.
• There are no towns along the river for the next 90 miles, only wilderness, scenery, gorges, rapids and enjoyment.
• The River Road follows only the southern half so the beauty of the upper reaches can only be fully appreciated from the water.

Ohinepane

• 400 ft above sea level and 130 miles from Wanganui.
• This camping ground is the starting point for many canoe trips.
• It is also our start point if the river is very low.

Whakahoro

• 300 ft above sea level and 107 miles from Wanganui.
• A small settlement located on the junction of the Retaruke and Whanganui Rivers.
• Another popular starting point for canoe trips.
• Some buildings have been restored and upgraded to stop over lodges for river travelers.

www.blueducklodge.co.nz

Bridge to Nowhere

• 160 ft above sea level and 75 miles from Wanganui.
• The Mangapurua Valley was settled in 1919 to provide farms for returning WW1 soldiers. A wooden swing bridge across a deep gorge provided the only access to the valley from the river as there were no roads. After years of agitation a concrete bridge was built in 1936 only to see the last settler walk off the land in 1942 after decades of hardship and poor soil.
• A must see and an easy 45 minute walk from the landing.

Bridge to Nowhere Lodge

• The Lodge offers double, twin share, family and bunk room accommodation with magnificent bush and river views.
• Accessible only by boat.

www.bridgetonowhere-lodge.co.nz

Tieke Marae

• 120 ft above sea level and 70 miles from Wanganui
• In the early 1900s Tieke was well populated but it was abandoned in 1908. Today it has been revived as a marae and everyone is welcome. Visitors will participate in a Powhiri (Welcome).The Tieke people will speak followed by a song then one of the visitors will be expected to reply in any language, followed by a song.

Drop Scene

• The Drop Scene became known as an iconic beauty spot on the ‘Rhine of New Zealand’ in the early 20th century. The name was given to the view because it looks like a painted theatrical landscape.

Pipiriki

• 100 feet above sea level and 55 miles from Wanganui.
• This was a thriving community during the riverboat era from the mid-1890s to the 1920s, when the river was the main route inland.
• It is still a popular tourist spot and the finish point for many upper river canoe trips.

Jerusalem (Hiruharama)

• 90 feet above sea level 50 miles from Wanganui.
• The Order of the Sisters of Compassion was founded in 1892 and the Catholic Church and convent date from the 1890s.
• A picturesque village set on the bend on the river.

Ranana (London) (47 miles)

• Services are still held in the Catholic Church built in the 1880s.
• Moutoa Island, the site of an 1864 battle, is nearby.

Kawana Flour Mill

• One of several mills built in the late 1800s and operated for 50 years. It, and the miller’s cottage have been restored and are in perfect condition.

Koriniti (Corinth) (37 miles)

• This was once one of the largest Maori settlements on the river.
• The marae has two restored, carved meeting houses.
   

Flying Fox

• The Flying Fox offers unique guest accommodation in fully furnished cottages or private camping areas.
• Situated across the river it is only accessible by boat or an aerial cableway.

www.theflyingfox.co.nz

Atene (Athens) (33 miles)

• A small meeting house is all that remains of the former village.

Parakino (28 miles)

• 4 Km north of the settlement in the bluffs along the roadside are huge deposits of giant oyster shells, a reminder that this was once under water.

Hipango Park (17 miles)

• A large picnic ground with toilets, BBQ’s, water and a shelter set on 30 acres of native forest and accessible only by boat.
• It contains the old fighting Pa. Potakataka.

Kemp’s Pole (15 miles)

• The concept of titles and deeds instead of weapons to depict land ownership was completely foreign to Maori and many dodgy deals were done by settlers. Trouble was inevitable. Te Keepa Rangihiwinui (Kemp) saw this and had four carved poles erected where sale of the enclosed land comprising a large portion of the central North Island was to be controlled. However - sales continued to the point where as one story goes; even three of the poles were sold.
• This is the remaining pole and the others were at Te Reureu, Moawhango and the Waitotara River.

Kaiwhaiki (10 miles)

• A popular small community.
• Shellrock was quarried nearby to build the Durie Hill tower.

Upokongaro (5 miles)

• St Mary’s Anglican Church, built in 1877 gives the settlement a picturesque air, particularly when viewed from the river. The steeple has a four-sided base which rises in a three-sided column giving a tortured appearance which varies as the viewpoint changes.

Wanganui

• Population of 42,000
• The town has many restored historic buildings from the early days of European settlement when the river was the only road inland.

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