Whanganui River
Kayak spot · New Zealand
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
86Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: Wind 7 kn gusting 19, Air 20 °C
Tue 3 · 94 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Wed 4 · 95 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 4.6 mm
Thu 5 · 91 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 4.2 mm
Fri 6 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 24kntoo gusty
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 4.5 mm
Sat 7 · 86 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 18 mm
Sun 8 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 22kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 13 kn
- Gusts
- 29kntoo gusty
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 7.2 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 291, good
- Tue 394, good
- Wed 495, good
- Thu 591, good
- Fri 685, good
- Sat 786, good
- Sun 893, good
- Mon 90, poor
- Tue 100, poor
- Wed 1177, good
The spot in one fact
- Flat waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 91, good | 8 kn | 19kn | 18°C | 0.3 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 94, good | 7 kn | 18kn | 19°C | 0.3 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 95, good | 7 kn | 19kn | 20°C | 4.6 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 91, good | 4 kn | 12kn | 21°C | 4.2 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 85, good | 8 kn | 24kntoo gusty | 21°C | 4.5 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 86, good | 7 kn | 18kn | 16°C | 18 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 93, good | 5 kn | 22kn | 18°C | 0.3 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, poor | 13 kn | 29kntoo gusty | 19°C | 7.2 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, poor | 12 kn | 29kntoo gusty | 18°C | 1.2 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 77, good | 10 kn | 25kntoo gusty | 17°C | 3.6 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 86, good | 7 kn | 16kn | 14°C | 0 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.
Map
the spot and its town
Whanganui River 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Whanganui River
A launch on the Whanganui River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 27 km away. No town nearby. Nearest beds: Taumarunui, 31 km (about 55 min by car). Nearest airport: New Plymouth Airport (NPL), 77 km.
- River Whanganui River
- 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.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 27 km away.
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$1,450–US$2,840 each
about US$1,450–US$2,840 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 30 October 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$831–US$1,720 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$134–US$228 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$301–US$563 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$181–US$328 |
| Total | about US$1,450–US$2,840 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 31 km away
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
No town nearby
Nearest beds: Taumarunui, 31 km (about 55 min by car). Nearest airport: New Plymouth Airport (NPL), 77 km.
See places to stay near Taumarunui, 31 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 29h 10m
About 29h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → AKL, changing at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), then 4h 20m 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 Whanganui River · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Whanganui River · 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