Whanganui River
Kayak spot · New Zealand
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
74Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: Wind 3 kn gusting 14, Air 20 °C
Tue 3 · 86 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 16kntoo gusty
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 1.7 mm
Wed 4 · 87 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 14kntoo gusty
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0.8 mm
Thu 5 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 4.3 mm
Fri 6 · 35 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 18kntoo gusty
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 4.3 mm
Sat 7 · 33 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 17kntoo gusty
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 30.9 mm
Sun 8 · 82 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 20kntoo gusty
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 3.9 mm
Mon 9 · 37 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 19kntoo gusty
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 5.4 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 386, good
- Wed 487, good
- Thu 585, good
- Fri 635, poor
- Sat 733, poor
- Sun 882, good
- Mon 937, poor
- Tue 100, poor
- Wed 110, poor
- Thu 120, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 86, good | 6 kn | 16kntoo gusty | 19°C | 1.7 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 87, good | 3 kn | 14kntoo gusty | 20°C | 0.8 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 85, good | 4 kn | 13kn | 21°C | 4.3 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 35, poor | 9 kn | 18kntoo gusty | 20°C | 4.3 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 33, poor | 6 kn | 17kntoo gusty | 19°C | 30.9 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 82, good | 6 kn | 20kntoo gusty | 20°C | 3.9 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 37, poor | 9 kn | 19kntoo gusty | 20°C | 5.4 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, poor | 9 kn | 25kntoo gusty | 18°C | 23.4 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, poor | 11 kn | 25kntoo gusty | 15°C | 23.4 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 0, poor | 9 kn | 22kntoo gusty | 15°C | 0.6 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 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
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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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 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 |
| 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$1,450–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
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.