Whanganui River
Kayak spot · New Zealand
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
60Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: Wind 5 kn gusting 14, Air 19 °C
Tue 3 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 14kntoo gusty
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Wed 4 · 84 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 4.6 mm
Thu 5 · 44 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 12kntoo gusty
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 4.2 mm
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 22kntoo gusty
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 4.5 mm
Sat 7 · 77 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 18 mm
Sun 8 · 38 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 16kntoo gusty
- 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 279, good
- Tue 385, good
- Wed 484, good
- Thu 544, poor
- Fri 60, poor
- Sat 777, good
- Sun 838, poor
- Mon 90, poor
- Tue 100, poor
- Wed 110, poor
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- Best Feb–Mar7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 79, good | 7 kn | 17kntoo gusty | 18°C | 0.3 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 85, good | 5 kn | 14kntoo gusty | 19°C | 0.3 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 84, good | 3 kn | 12kn | 20°C | 4.6 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 44, poor | 4 kn | 12kntoo gusty | 21°C | 4.2 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, poor | 10 kn | 22kntoo gusty | 21°C | 4.5 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 77, good | 7 kn | 18kn | 16°C | 18 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 38, poor | 7 kn | 16kntoo gusty | 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 | 0, poor | 10 kn | 25kntoo gusty | 17°C | 3.6 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 74, 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.
Best time to go
best Feb–Mar
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
- Apr6of 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
- Aug5of 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 Tue 3 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
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.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
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 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. For new paddlers the best months are usually February and March, with about 7 good days in 7; in July, August and September, about 5. From the weather of past years. 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