Raetihi is the gateway to the magnificent scenery of the River Road from Raetihi to the bustling city of Wanganui which is seeped in history and is only 60 mins away.
In the 1830s the Wanganui River was the only means of transporting goods and settlers north and was navigable as far as Pipiriki which was an important little town. From there the journey was by horse or on foot through virgin bush on rough tracks to the emerging town of Raetihi later to become the focal town for the Waimarino district and in those days the only access road to the snow clad mountains, Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe.
The area around Pipiriki is still mostly unexplored with the Wanganui river still the main mode of transport but these days there are many ways to travel the river from canoes to jet boats to river rafting and the only road access to Pipiriki which is the start point for the many activities in and around Historic Raetihi. |
