Update: Whanganui River road has now been fully sealed, it still makes a great ride through the back blocks however.
Whanganui Road is a geat excursion following the Whanganui River Valley from about 16km’s North of Wanganui on SH4 up to Pipriki, and then back onto SH4 at Raetihi. At the Raetihi end you turn off SH4 into the main street of Raetihi and just keep going, at the Wanganui end the turnoff is well signposted. The entire trip from Raetihi to the SH4 turn off or vice versa is 90km.
The road is narrow and quite windy for it’s entire length and at any time you could strike vehicles travelling in either direction. Most corners are blind and there are a few relatively steep ascents and descents, it is also very common to find stock on the roads including Cows, Sheep, Turkeys, and Goats.
In winter the roads can be very slippery as there are many sections that are hill shaded or tree lined and so don’t see the light of day, and tree lined sections and can be covered in damp leaves.
There are no services between Raetihi and Wanganui, however there are public toilets at Pipiriki. On the way you will pass through London, Jerusalem, and Athens. At Jerusalem you can find a Catholic convent and the grave of famous NZ poet James K. Baxter.
Contributed by: @eddieb
Track type: Sealed Road
Track composition: Smooth, Firm, Undulating
Slippery when wet? Yes
Suitable for bikes <650cc? Beginner
Suitable for bikes >650cc? Beginner
River crossings? No
A great ride. Watch for unsignposted roadworks as well as the animals too.
As at June 24th 2015 the Whanganui River Road is currently impassable due to slips and subsidence from recent heavy rain. Hopefully the road will be open again soon.
as of christmas 2015 Whanganui river valley road is open all the way through – road is sealed all the way but in very poor condition and still under repairs – but still very rideable and a really interesting and fun ride back from Wanganui to Raetahi/Nat Park. well worth a look.
Fully sealed how rude.Was going to noodle up that way next Friday on the way to raglan for the GS Rallye.
Wasnt sealed back in the day
Good advice about watch for animals. When I rode this I met geese who chased my bike and then all most had a head on with a family of wild goats who decided to run across the road for safety when I rounded a blind corner!
Awesome ride today, looped down the Whanganui river road and back along the Paraparas to Ohakune.Great burgers for lunch at Upokongaro, Behind the Door on 4.
Not gravel any more but is a must do route.