Mohaka River overview
From the headwaters in the Kaweka Forest through farmland to the forestry blocks, the mighty Mohaka is a magnificent river for paddlers. There’s something for everyone along its length: to avoid confusion, here’s a list of the sections, from top to bottom.
- Mohaka River (II+/III) “Upper run” 2 Days with a hike, from Poronui to SH5
- Mohaka River (I/II) “Beginner’s run” 1/2 Days car to car, SH5 to Bridgets Clearing.
- Mohaka River (III) “Te Hoe” 1 Day car to car from Bridgets Clearing to bridge just above Te Hoe River confluence.
- Mohaka River (III+/IV) “Te Hoe to Willowflat” (on Riverguide.co.nz) 1 Day car to car.
Mohaka River (III) “Te Hoe”
The Mohaka “Te Hoe” section from Bridget’s Clearing to the bridge just above the Te Hoe River confluence is 19km. Allow about 5 hours on the water, more if you are going to portage the bigger rapids or run laps on them.
This run is through a scenic gorge, can hit Class III+ in higher flows. At low flows it’s technical boulder gardens with all harder rapids being portageable.
View Larger Topographic Map
By Road
To get to the put-in drive down Waitara road about 8km to Glenfalls Campsite (named on the topomap). From Glenfalls continue 5km to Auroa Road on the left and descend through the pines to Bridget’s Clearing (which is not named on the topomap)
To get to the take-out continue down Waitara road 16km from Glenfalls and turn left (downhill) onto Pohakura Road. This is a public road (once private but gazetted in 2006) and continues a further 8km to a Te Kooti bridge (beneath “Te Kooti’s Lookout” hill). There is a nice access on river right.
On the Water
The river picks up in intensity over the course of this run. It starts as Class II and builds with most of the bigger rapids in the second half of the trip. Many of the rapids are formed by bigger blocks of sandstone possibly set loose in the 1930 Napier quake or previous landslide events.
There are about a half a dozen II+ to III rapids and the crux, the Te Hoe drop, should not be underestimated. It is Class III+ and can go Class IV at high flows. A rafter was pinned under a rock on the Te Hoe in 2010 and drowned. It is quite continuous but is easily portaged river right.
Titanosaurid dinosaur bones have been found in the Mohaka catchment – so geek out on the sedimentary geology and “crack a concretion”.
Most of the Class III rapids have a safe run out and all can be portaged. There have been minor changes post cyclone Gabrielle. For example the lower narrows rapid is gone.
The river opens out for a few km and the takeout is on river right at the first bridge. Do get out – the Class IV section is below this.
Gauge
Click here for the Gauge