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taranaki
Seeking adventure in the great
outdoors - want to physically challenge yourself on a scenic
river?
Taranaki offers all this in abundance and markets itself
effectively as a special place with real people and a great
lifestyle.
Central to that way of life is the stunning snow-capped monolith,
Mt Taranaki, dominating the lush green dairy pastures of this
prosperous dairying region. The mountain is New Zealand’s
most accessible alpine area - it’s only a 45 minute drive
from the ski slopes to the ocean. New Plymouth is the renowned
for its beautiful botanical gardens. ‘Surf Highway 45’
links some of our premier surfing spots. The Sugar Loaf Islands
Marine Reserve offers a chance to sea kayak amidst sun basking
seals.
Taranaki rivers are bursting with aquatic adventure activities.
Dam dropping is the latest adrenalin rush where you can plummet
eight metres over a weir and sledge through whitewater rapids.
The Waitara River offers the chance to paddle a 12 metre waka
(Maori canoe) which a commercial operator combines with a 4WD
hill country tour. The Waitara and its tributary the Manganui
provide good Grade 3 rapids which are regarded as being amongst
the top ten whitewater runs in the North Island. The put in is at
Everett Park, near Midhurst where the Manganui flows over a
boulder-strewn bed, and the take out is at Bertrand Road 6 kms
upstream from Waitara township.
The Mokau River is also rated among the top ten whitewater trips.
The put in is the base of Waiere Falls in rugged country below
Aria reached via Piopio on S.H.3. The downhill run includes
several sharp drops of around 2 metres and is mainly Grade 3
through to the take out at Totoro Gorge bridge.
The Waiwhakaiho River rises on Mt Taranaki and with above average
flows can be successfully run by experienced paddlers from Egmont
Village down to the Fitzroy Bridge. In lower flow rates there is
a popular raft and kayak run from below the hydro tailrace to the
Fitzroy Bridge. It is only runable if the tailrace rock pools are
covered with water.
Taranaki offers total adventure, on the mountain slopes, the
rolling beach breaks and the tumbling, steep-gradient rivers.
Check it all out.
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