Taranaki & Whanganui - New Zealand - page 395

A French Catholic mission led by Suzanne Aubert established the Daughters of Our
Lady of Compassion in Jerusalem in 1892. Around a corner in the road, the picture-per-
fect spire of St Joseph's Church stands tall on a spur of land above a deep river bend.
Other sights along the road include the restored 1854 Kawana Flour Mill OFFLINE MAP
( www.historic.org.nz ; dawn-dusk) near Matahiwi, Operiki Pa OFFLINE MAP and

other pa sites.
Pipiriki is beside the river at the north end of Whanganui River Rd. It's a rainy river
town without much going on (no shops or petrol), but was once a humming holiday hot
spot serviced by river steamers and paddleboats. Seemingly cursed, the old Pipiriki
Hotel , formerly a glamorous resort full of international tourists, burned to the ground
twice. Recent attempts to rebuild it have stalled due to funding issues; it's been vandal-
ised and stripped of anything of value, leaving a hollow brick husk riddled with potential.
Pipiriki is the end point for canoe trips coming down the river and the launching pad for
jetboat rides.
Standing in mute testimony to the optimism of the early settlers is the Bridge to
Nowhere OFFLINE MAP , built in 1936. The lonesome bridge - once part of a long-lost
4.5m-wide roadway from Raetihi to the river - is on the Mangapurua Track ( Click here ) ,
or it's a 40-minute walk from Mangapurua Landing upstream from Pipiriki, accessible by
jetboat.

Activities

Canoeing & Kayaking
The most popular stretch of river for canoeing and kayaking is the 145km downstream
run from Taumarunui to Pipiriki. This has been added to the NZ Great Walks system as
the Whanganui Journey . It's a Grade II river - easy enough for the inexperienced, with
enough moiling rapids to keep things interesting. If you need a Great Walks Ticket you
must arrange one before you start paddling; Click here ).
Taumarunui to Pipiriki is a five-day/four-night trip; Ohinepane to Pipiriki is a four-
day/three-night trip; and Whakahoro to Pipiriki is a three-day/two-night trip. Taumarun-
ui to Whakahoro is a popular overnight trip, especially for weekenders, or you can do a
one-day trip from Taumarunui to Ohinepane or Ohinepane to Whakahoro . From
Whakahoro to Pipiriki, 87km downstream, there's no road access so you're wed to the
river for a few days. Most canoeists stop at Pipiriki.
The season for canoe trips is usually from September to Easter. Up to 5000 people
make the river trip each year, mostly between Christmas and the end of January. During