Manganui o te Ao River

Manganui o te Ao River

Description & Access

The Manganuioteao is a superb, backcountry river and is rightly protected by a National Water Conservation Order. The only problem with this scenic river is getting to it. Perhaps only 10% of the river can be reached by foot-bound anglers. There is only one access road, Ohura Road, which crosses the river at Ruatiti. Apart from a couple of side roads off this road, the river can only be fished by raft or canoe as it flows through high cliffs on its way to join the Whanganui north of Pipiriki. The two main access points divide the river into two sections that can be fished – that water upstream of Ruatiti to the end of Manganui Valley Road and the water further down that can be accessed from Makakahi Road.
The upper section can be reached by crossing farm paddocks when you have gained permission from the normally friendly farmers. There is a noticeboard at the Ruatiti Domain that gives details of the farm boundaries and the contacts for each farm. But even from these few access points, it is the getting down to the river that is the problem. The road runs along the ridge above the river and only rarely drops down to anywhere near the river level. In most places the road and farmland are 50 metres above the river and there is a sheer drop down perpendicular papa cliffs to reach the river. Be careful bushbashing as you may find the next step is 50 metres further down. Where you can get down to the river, it is possible to forge up the gorges only in mid summer.

Read the rest of the chapter in Ron's new ebook Troutfishing New Zealand here