Manganui-a-te-Ao / Top Gorge Run, III+-IV-
The Manganui-a-te-ao ('the great stream of the land') has the dubious distinction of being the the only remaining Central Plateau river that's not been diverted into the Rangipo Hydro Scheme. It is important that it stays this way.The river, like its many tributaries, has cut a very deep path through the ash layers that make up the local terra firma. These deep slot gorges provided railway builders with plenty of headaches by forcing the construction of large viaducts across their depths. Other streams in the vicinity offer interesting paddling in high flows. Of note is the Makatote which has a stunning class III+ run from the viaduct down to the Manganui-a-te-ao.The highest put-in on the Manganui-a-te-ao is the old Hoihenga Bridge. A track on river right leads down to a small beach. Once you push off you are into what is known, awesomely, as the Top Gorge. This is the crux of the Manganui experience and is excellent in flood levels. The rapids are a series of large waves and hydraulics. Now and then they crash into a wall at the bottom, but there is usually a good pool at the bottom of each rapid. At very high flood levels the rapids reach class IV.Below Myers bridge (a small footbridge which can be reached on the river right side if someone needs to leave the river) the river widens and the rapids ease to fun class II-III down to the bridge at Ruatiti Domain. A slalom race is held each year on the rapids at the domainn. Between Ruatiti and the bridge at Makakahi is mostly class II water with some long flat stretches. If you miss the bridge at Makakahi then you are stuck with the trip all the way down to the next road access at Pipiriki on the Wanganui River.To get to the Put-in: turn west of SH4 about 4km north of Raetihi township and follow signs to Ruatihi. At a road junction near the Orautoha school, the road splits and becomes Pukekaha Road and Ohura Road. Follow Pukekaha Road for about 3.5km to a fork. Take the left fork to the Hoihenga bridge, The last 100m down to the bridge is steep and slippery, so your average car is best left at the top of the final zigzag.Take-out: go back to the Orautoha School. Follow Ohura Road for just over four kilometers to the bridge at the Ruatiti domain.
This section appears in New Zealand Whitewater, 4th edition, 2006 on p76.
