Kurua Rd to Whakahoro 37 kms  (8-9 hrs)
From the junction of Kurua and Retaruke Rds, walk north on Upper Retaruke Rd for 12 kms. At the T-intersection, turn left (west) onto Oio Rd and follow it for the next 24.5 kms (largely alongside the Retaruke River) to Whakahoro, on the banks of the Whanganui River.

Mangapurua- Kaiwhakauka Track (from Whakahoro to the Mangapurua Landing) 40 kms (20 hours)
(i.e. 8 hours from Whakahoro to the Mangapurua Trig; 12 hours from the Trig to Mangapurua Landing).
A combined walking/cycleway, this track follows former roadlines and makes for easy walking. It leads up the Kaiwhakauka Valley to the Mangapurua Trig. There we rejoin Te Araroa’s official route - the Mangapurua Track - which descends through the Mangapurua Valley to meet the Whanganui River at the Mangapurua Landing.

From Whakahoro the track follows the disused road along the true left bank of the Whanganui River for 1km, before turning sharply into the Kaiwhakauka Valley.  The track follows along and crosses the Kaiwhakauka Stream over an old wooden bridge.  It continues along the true left bank of the stream up to the head of the Kaiwhakauka Valley.  Care should be taken not to disturb stock and gates should be left as found when crossing farmland.

On reaching the junction of the old Kaiwhakauka, Mangapurua and Ruatiti/Ohura Roads, keep to the right to drop down into the Mangapurua.  A side track leads to the Mangapurua Trig, the highest point in the area.  On a fine day, there are sweeping views of Tongariro National Park to the east and Mt Taranaki / Egmont to the west. 

From here the track winds steadily down into the valley where the track meets and stays on the true left bank of the Mangapurua Stream.  Continuing along the old roadline the track crosses numerous side streams and the valley progressively closes in (often the track is hewn into almost sheer papa bluffs which are slippery when wet. Care should be taken in negotiating these sections and beware of falling rocks).

At the lower end of the valley the track crosses to the true right bank of the stream over the historic "Bridge to Nowhere”.  This is a large concrete bridge built in 1936, but is now standing abandoned in the bush in the middle of “Nowhere”.

This last section of the track is formed to walking track standard and is often used by river travellers to visit the Bridge to Nowhere. 
Beyond the bridge, it’s another 40mins as the track follows the true right bank of the Mangapurua Stream and then leads along the true left bank of the Whanganui River to reach the Mangapurua Landing.  

Access Points:

• Whakahoro can be reached by road from SH 4, turning off at either Owhango or Raurimu. 
• Alternatively, access to the Mangapurua Trig may be gained by walking in from Ruatiti Road. Track start is on the western side (approximately 15 kms from the southern start of the road), off Raetihi-Ohura Rd, off SH4, north of Raetihi.

River Travel:
Should you wish to travel from Whakahoro to Mangapurua Landing by the river, you must pre-book so jetboats can pick you up or deliver kayaks to you. For local information and a list of suppliers, contact i-site Visitor Information centre, 101 Guyton St, Wanganui Tel: +6 349-0508  www.wanganui.com or email wanganui@i-site.org

The distances and campsite options when travelling by river are:

• Whakahoro to Mangapapa campsite — 11 kilometres
• Mangapapa to Ohauora campsite — 16 kilometres
• Ohauora to John Coull Hut — 10.5 kilometres
• John Coull Hut to Mangawaiiti campsite — 9.5 kilometres
• Mangawaiiti to Mangapurua campsite — 9 kilometres

DOC Great Walk Facilities: 
Tickets must be purchased before departure via www.doc.govt.nz or Dept of Conservation offices.