Is it worth the trip?
77Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: Wind 5 kn gusting 13, Air 21 °C
Wed 4 · 84 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 2.9 mm
Thu 5 · 87 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 3.4 mm
Fri 6 · 76 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 15kntoo gusty
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 6.8 mm
Sat 7 · 72 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 34.5 mm
Sun 8 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 1.8 mm
Mon 9 · 84 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 20kntoo gusty
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 9 mm
Tue 10 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 23kntoo gusty
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 18.6 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 386, good
- Wed 484, good
- Thu 587, good
- Fri 676, good
- Sat 772, good
- Sun 885, good
- Mon 984, good
- Tue 100, poor
- Wed 110, poor
- Thu 120, poor
The spot in one fact
- Best Feb–Apr7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 86, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 19°C | 1.5 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 84, good | 7 kn | 16kn | 20°C | 2.9 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 87, good | 5 kn | 13kn | 21°C | 3.4 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 76, good | 5 kn | 15kntoo gusty | 21°C | 6.8 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 72, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 19°C | 34.5 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 85, good | 6 kn | 16kn | 19°C | 1.8 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 84, good | 3 kn | 20kntoo gusty | 20°C | 9 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, poor | 10 kn | 23kntoo gusty | 19°C | 18.6 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, poor | 10 kn | 21kntoo gusty | 16°C | 25.8 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 0, poor | 12 kn | 23kntoo gusty | 18°C | 1.2 mm |
| Fri 13Nov | 72, good | 8 kn | 14kn | 14°C | 0.9 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Feb–Apr
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug6of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
- Dec6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
Taumarunui Canoe Hire and Jet Boat Tours on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Taumarunui Canoe Hire and Jet Boat Tours
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. For new paddlers the best months are usually February, March and April, with about 7 good days in 7; in July and September, about 5. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Taumarunui.
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,790–US$3,420 each
about US$1,790–US$3,420 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to AKL, estimated from distance and season, changing at DFW, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$832–US$1,720 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$134–US$228 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$342–US$570 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$302–US$564 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$181–US$329 |
| Total | about US$1,790–US$3,420 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Taumarunui
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car · 7 places to stay
about US$127/nightcountry average
About Taumarunui its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$127 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 28h 50m
About 28h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → AKL, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), then 4h by road
Flights MDW → AKL on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Taumarunui · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Taumarunui · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits