Mangapapa Campsite
Great Walk campsiteLocated in Whanganui National Park, Manawatū-WhanganuiOpen
- Sites
- 17
- Booking
- Can book
- Power
- None
- Toilet
- Non-flush
- Drinking water
- Boil first
- Dogs
- No dogs
Getting there
We have not checked a road end or car park for this place yet, so we do not give driving directions to it. Check how to get there before you go. Some routes cross private land and need the landowner's permission.
How to get there, on doc.govt.nzYou can only access this campsite from the Whanganui River.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Map and tracks
Track lines: DOC Te Papa Atawhai. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Topo map: LINZ, CC BY 4.0. 39.12933° S, 174.99925° E
About this place
This is a boat-in only campsite on the Whanganui Journey. There is no drive on access.
On the way here
Whanganui Journey
Whakahoro to John Coull Hut
Time: 7–9 hours
37.5 km Whakahoro is the last road access point before the end of the Whanganui Journey at Pipiriki. Many people start their trip here. You'll paddle through towering gorges, the sides dripping with moss and ferns. After heavy rain, there are numerous waterfalls. Long stretches of the river are calm and still, with mirror-like reflections, and in other sections there are rapids. Past Mangapapa Campsite, take a long loop around the Kirikiriroa Peninsula, pass the Tarepokiore (whirlpool) rapid and then the large overhang known as Tamatea's Cave. Do not enter the cave as it is wāhi tapu (a sacred place). Ōtaihanga Reach leads you to your overnight stop at John Coull Hut and Campsite. You may see long-tailed bats fluttering overhead at dusk.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Fees and bookings
The DOC Campsite Pass cannot be used at this campsite.
Bookings are required if you want to stay between 1 October – 30 April as part of the Whanganui Journey. Book Mangapapa Campsite online.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Nearby stops
Ohauora Campsite
Great Walk • Manawatū-Whanganui • 5.8 km
Ohauora Campsite is a boat-in only campsite on the Whanganui Journey in the Manawatu-Whanganui region. There is no drive-on access to the site.
Non-powered/tent sites • Shelter for cooking • Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
Whakahoro Campsite
Great Walk • Manawatū-Whanganui • 6.6 km
Whakahoro Campsite is a large, flat, grassy area beside the river in the Whanganui area. It serves as a Great Walk campsite and is a suitable starting point or…
Boat launching • Non-powered/tent sites • Shelter for cooking
Maharanui Campsite
Great Walk • Manawatū-Whanganui • 7.3 km
Maharanui Campsite is a boat-in only campsite on the Whanganui Journey in the Manawatū-Whanganui region. There is no drive on access to the site.
Non-powered/tent sites • Shelter for cooking • Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
John Coull Campsite
Great Walk • Manawatū-Whanganui • 13.7 km
John Coull Campsite is a boat-in only campsite on the Whanganui Journey. There is no drive on access.
Non-powered/tent sites • Shelter for cooking • Water from tap - not treated, boil before use
John Coull Hut
Great Walk • 24 bunks • Manawatū-Whanganui • 13.7 km
John Coull Hut is a 24-bunk hut located on the Whanganui Journey in the Whanganui area.
Cooking • Heating • Mattresses
Contact
DOC Customer Service Centre
Regional DOC service centre.
Notes from people who have been
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Sources
- DOC Campsites · CC BY 4.0Data sourced from the Department of Conservation (DOC), New Zealand.
- OpenStreetMap Campsites · ODbL (Open Database License)Contains information from OpenStreetMap, made available under the ODbL.
- DOC Campsites (API) · CC BY 4.0Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai. Data sourced from the DOC Developer Portal (api.doc.govt.nz).