Cape to Cape day four: Koriniti to Whakahoro

Route
Whanganui River Road to Pipiriki, Jet boat to Mangapurua landing, Kaiwhakauka track to Whakahoro.

Link to Map

Distance: 72 Km (by bike)

Dawn reveals that the tent is nowhere near as secluded as I had fondly imagined last night.  No cars pass as I quickly pack and head off.  My new MacPac bivvy ‘tent’ has done the job – no condensation and the wee hoop keeps the material off your face.  I’m still tired and pretty sore so take a leisurely pace eventually seeing the distinctive spire of St Joseph’s in Jerusalem, marking the final leg to Pipiriki.

Whanganui Jet Boat Adventures is based at the old school (accommodation available) and provides complimentary tea and coffee.   I top up, air my sleeping kit and soak up the morning sun.   An Aussie cyclist gets chatting about biking kit; he’s taking a good few weeks to get some biking in NZ and today is heading up river in the jet boat in order to kayak back down.

Bike on boat number one

It’s $90 dollars for the one way trip with the bike to the Bridge to Nowhere track and I’m asked more than once if that’s what I am wanting – evidently not many people travel in this direction.  The punters for the trip are a mix of kayakers, those just taking the jet boat trip, and a woman returning to a family home on the river.  We are all fitted with life jackets and the sole bike is lashed to the frame at the back of the boat.

Just don't fall out, OK?

Our guide and driver gives the obligatory safety briefing and we head off up river past the opposition’s boat which is also about to set out. I’m sitting next to a young chap whose father is driving another boat loaded with kayaks, he knows the ropes and keeps an eye out that the punters are following the rules.  He reckons that he will be driving one day.

Cycling up the river

The guide points out various sights - a large eel traps like those used in the past, a waterfall in a cave, various rapids the kayakers will have to be careful of, sockets formed in the rock where Maori poled their waka up-river, eyelets for winching the larger river boats when the river was a major passage north, and points where Maori villages were located on bluffs high above the river.  There are plenty of kayakers coming down river. The driver doesn’t pull any stunts on the way up (evidently available on request on the return trip).

Unloading is straight forward.  There’s a couple of bikes waiting to get on and a few steps to wrestle up but from there it’s easy riding a couple of km through bush up to the bridge.  Despite the expectation the bridge is a surprise – DoC have done a good job of cleaning it up and it fair sparkles in the sun.  It spans a small gorge with a modest stream between steep bush clad banks. There’s quite a crowd before long, with two boat loads and a group of local blokes that have come down valley as far as they could on quads and walked the rest.

The bridge

The day is hot as anything and I’m still not feeling great so keep going after a short stop.  It’s interesting single track riding with some pretty views down to the tea coloured stream against white papa cliffs. There’s plenty of sites to camp.  The small swing bridges require hoisting the bike onto the back wheel and I’m pleased I don’t have panniers sticking out the sides.  Periodically there are grassy meadows and wooden plaques with names next to the track – presumably these are those who received the original farm ballots.

Yep - the water is that colour

Before long (8 Km?) the track turns into a quad track, it’s well formed and in good nick (but apparently it can get a bit cut up) and hot.  The quads eventually rattle past back up the valley and a school group passes on the way down.  Things reach a bit of low point physically and with low energy and unable to keep anything down, it’s a relief to reach the top and start coasting downhill.


The turn into Maungapurua Road is well marked but is not as well formed as I had thought from Google.  There’s a digger part way down repairing the track but towards the bottom there’s the long single Kaiwhakauka Track which would be great fun riding at another time.  I’m going slower and slower and eventually trickle into Whakahoro on dusk.  There’s no meal or accommodation available at Blue Duck Lodge but there’s space in the DoC cabin across the road and a hot shower for $4 at the Lodge which I take advantage of.

There’s plenty of kayakers at the camp site, all with fresh food and luxuries that they can carry on their boats.  I’m sitting gathering my thoughts when one stops by offering chocolate – “you look like you need it!” it’s a measure of how I feel that I can’t say yes.  A can of Sprite from the lodge is all I can manage before turning in.  An older couple (one a retired botanist) and a couple with 10 year old son are also in the cabin.


Link to day five: Whakahoro to Owhango