Whanganui Journey by Dory
Why Dories, and what are they?
In 2011, Nicola and I were lucky enough to be on a 21 day Grand Canyon trip with friends. This was, as you can imagine, a great experience.
However, one thing that stuck in my mind was the day we were passed by a group of rafts and these cool-looking wooden boats. Boats that I soon learned were called River Dories.
These boats had a grace about them that rafts could not hope to emulate.
Over the next few years, I researched these boats, their history, construction, and their associated culture. It is quite a story, but one I will not delve into too much here. Suffice it to say, my question was, did they have a place on rivers in New Zealand? And the answer was no, except for ……………
Traditional River Dories are made out of wood. This contributes to just how good they look on the water. However, wooden boats and steep, technical, rocky New Zealand rivers would not be a match made in heaven.
Around this time, I did a couple of canoe trips on the Whanganui River through Whanganui National Park. Now, there is no doubt that the traditional open Canadian style canoe primarily used on this, New Zealand’s most popular multi-day river trip, is the appropriate boat for most people. But not for everybody. I saw plenty of paddlers, generally older, who were enduring the trip rather than enjoying it. But what choice did they have? Either a canoe or a noisy jetboat, with nothing in between.
But a river dory could be that in between. It is an excellent river for a River Dory.
For an older but still active age group, a river dory offers comfort and safety with the same quiet, interactive experience with the river and nature as a canoe, without having to paddle as the guide rows the boat.
Over the next few years, the Dory Project took shape.
A couple of friendly dory builders from the USA flew out and built the boats. We applied for a concession to operate them on the Whanganui River. We learned about the Maori tikanga of operating on that river. Over time, we refined the trip, including the optimum number of days, the best time of year to be on the water, and learning who the perfect guest was who would get the most out of this trip.
So here we are in late 2024, and we think we have it somewhat sorted. These are the details.
Our standard dory trip is four days with three nights camping and the first night at Blue Duck Station. We start at Whakahoro and finish at Pipiriki. This section is generally done in three days (very big days on the water) by canoe trips. We prefer taking our time and avoiding the crowds, hence the four days.
Are you the type of person who would love a dory trip?
As mentioned above, guests on dory trips tend to be older but still want some adventure. You do need to be able to walk the short, but often steep, paths up to campsites. You do not have to paddle!
We have a handful of scheduled Whanganui Journey be River Dory trips this season. Check them out here.
This could be the trip for you if the Whanganui Journey is something you have always wanted to do, but paddling a tippy canoe is not for you.
I hope to see you on the river.
Brian Megaw
