5 minute read
Where else on earth
MANY KIWIS LOVE THEIR NATIONAL PARKS and make them a feature of family holidays and great escapes from the rat race; but to many others the phrase national park conjures images of bird spotting and freezing huts, stinging nettles and long drops. And that is a shame, because there’s so much more to these vast swathes of Aotearoa - and the Whanganui National Park is the perfect example of this.
Part nature reserve, part history lesson, part cultural experience, part workout, the Whanganui National Park has something for everyone, and if you only visit one national park make it this one!
Established in 1986, Whanganui National Park is a whopping 742 square kilometres in size. While the Whanganui River flows through the Park, it is not considered to be part of the Park itself, and yet exploring the river by canoe or kayak has to be one of the best ways to experience the Park. The water is a stunning jade green and the river banks tower up magically on either side; and best of all, as it is actually listed as one of New Zealand’s Great Walks, as you float on down the river you are technically walking on water!
The full river journey takes five days, staying at Department of Conservation huts and sites along the way, but you can also take bite-sized and more family friendly excursions with guides and meals provided, either by canoe, kayak or jet boat. There are also packages that include some cycling and hiking, so you can really mix and match to suit your schedule and skill set.
For those wanting to stay on dry land there is even more to do. The Park is steeped in natural history, but also in the history of Māori and early European settlement, and there is no better way to get close to that than by walking the whenua. A great place to start is the 16km Atene Skyline Track loop, a challenging route of about five and a half hours, great for backpacking, birding, and camping, or for something more sedate try the Te Maire Loop; at just 4km it is a great scenic walk through stunning podocarp.
If you are on two wheels or four, the Whanganui River Road links Whanganui to Pīpīriki and is beautifully scenic, but for something a little less ordinary why not join Tracey Marshall’s mail run and let her do the driving for you!
Tracey is a local who drives from Whanganui to Pīpīriki five days a week delivering mail and the local papers, and as part of her run and in conjunction with Whanganui Tours, she takes visitors on a guided tour as she goes. Her firsthand knowledge of where she grew up gives real insight into the local history, and her interactions delivering mail along the way offer a glimpse into this rural community that’s hard to beat.
Tracey makes a stop at the picturesque Koriniti Marae before moving on to the Matahiwi Café and Gallery, which is home to memorabilia from Vincent Ward’s 2005 movie River Queen, and then Morikau Station, which has stunning views thanks to it’s elevation. After that it’s on to Hiruhārama Jerusalem — 66km up Whanganui River Road, which once served as the home of noted poet James K Baxter.
Baxter arrived there is 1969 and founded a commune, though thanks to its somewhat unorganised nature, as it grew it raised concerns amongst locals. Eventually disbanded, it was resurrected on the proviso that no more than ten inhabitants could live there, but it is now just a memory.
Much, much more than a memory are the Sisters of Compassion, a Catholic order founded in Jerusalem in 1892. In addition to having a special place in New Zealand history - the founder Sister Aubert is in the process of being canonised as New Zealand’s first Catholic Saint - the old Convent building is a great place to rest if you are cycling or hiking, offering self-catered overnight stays, though meals can be arranged if booked in advance. It’s a beautiful, tranquil - and very uniqueway to break your journey through the Park.
And that’s what makes the Whanganui National Park worth exploring; it’s quirky, friendly, beautiful and authentic, and it’s right here in our backyard. There’s the Bridge to Nowhere, the amazing testament to Kiwi stubbornness and endurance, built to serve a community being hewn from the bush, a community that has now vanished; the Flying Fox, an eco-friendly retreat that can only be reached by an aerial cable car, that offers everything from rustic camping to funky glamping complete with catering; Tīeke Kāinga, the only Department of Conservation hut that is also a working marae; and The Chef’s Table restaurant at Blue Duck Station, accessible by four wheel drive and serving world-class cuisine literally in the middle of nowhere.
For genuine ‘where else on earth’ moments, nowhere does it better.
