WHANGANUI RIVER MAORI GUIDES are  TANGATA WHENUA (local indigenous people)of the WHANGANUI RIVER(AWA TUPUA) . All are fully experienced from many years of navigating down their AWA(river)and fully  qualified  through NZOIA .All were  born and raised to river life, they are steeped in ancestral knowledge and tribal heritage. Ask them: who are you? They reply ; KO TE AWA KO AU(“I am the river, the river is me”). Our guides live and understand  the qualities and moods of their river—its grandeur and mystery- turbulence and calm- history and MANA (prestige & authority)-and the spectacular beauty of the landscape .They  will share  this TAONGA(treasure)” with you.  Our  guides wisdom has evolved   from the centuries of journeys on the AWA  by their ancestors ,passed down through countless years of KORERO(talk),too their own present journeys.They will reveal how the river has influenced every aspect of their lives and  will enthrall you  on how the WHANGANUI RIVER became the first in the world to be declared a legal entity under the name TE AWA TUPUA. There story is one of a rivers ancient habitation, wild harvest and native foods, within a special piece of wilderness, largely unspoilt by man, where you can test yourself in a gentle way and for a while immerse yourself in learning our MAORI culture”.

Our guides are KAITIAKI(guardians) of the WHANGANUI RIVER and will ensure your journey is  more than just paddling with the current.They will show you and explain the  enormous MAURI(life force)  of the river . That is why the WHANGANUI RIVER MAORI GUIDES have so much to offer. No-one else can tell their stories, entertain you with typical Maori humor ,or offer you  indigenous cuisine in the wilderness. These local men and women are trained professionals, capable story tellers, fun-loving adventurers with ancestral connections, who have made the journey from the mountains to the sea for a thousand years.