Adventure 234

PADDLE THE
WHANGANUI
JOURNEY
NZ'S ONLY GREAT
WALK ON WATER
Nothing really prepares you for the
magnificence of the Whanganui River. As the
world’s first river to be recognised as a living
entity, a personhood with legal rights, there is
a benevolence in the air, a sacredness to the
waters you can’t deny.
As you navigate your way downstream,
it’s as if time stands still and you are fully
immersed in a new rhythm, with each stroke
of the paddle, all your senses come alive.
Slowly, spectacularly, the natural wonders
unfold, and there is a feeling of divinity that
humbles you, so much so that you feel
you ought to whisper in the stillness of the
morning mist or break out in song at the end
of the day as an offer of thanks.
From the deep dramatic gorges to the lush
evergreen ferns hanging over the riverbanks,
there is something otherworldly about the
Whanganui Journey that’s hard to describe
in words, you have to feel it to believe it.
So pack up your hiking boots and let your
paddle do the walking – the life force of the
Whanganui Journey is calling.
Discover New Zealand’s only Great Walk
on water
Sweeping from the North Island to the
bottom of the South, the ten New Zealand
Great Walks are Aotearoa’s premier tracks
for unforgettable walking, hiking and in the
case of the Whanganui Journey, paddling
in off the beaten track, pristine wilderness.
Soak up the magnificent natural landscape,
wildlife, and the rich cultural heritage of
Whanganui River – NZ’s longest navigable
river at 290 km long flowing from Mt
Tongariro towards the Tasman Sea.
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