Mohaka River
Also known as: Mohaka
Remote gorges up to ~200m, cliffs, waterfalls, sculpted boulders and fossils, native bush, Te Kooti's Lookout, old gold mine; Mangatutu and Mangatainoka hot springs (upper Kaweka)
Is there water?
Whether there is a river here on your dates, and what kind of water it is.
Rain-fed; mean ~78-81 cumecs; SH5-bridge online gauge; protected by Water Conservation (Mohaka River) Order 2004
Rain-fed - flow-dependent; highest spring, lower summer, rises fast after rain
Spring-autumn (operator hibernates in winter); water highest in spring. Confirm.
No published temp; wetsuit, fleece and splash jacket supplied. Confirm.
Slips, wood and log jams, flash rises after rain
Grade & who can come
A river changes grade with its level. These grades describe a normal flow - in flood the same run is harder, and often a different run entirely. Check the gauge before you commit.
Grade 2 (upper); Grade 3 (commercial day); Grade 3+/4 with IV/V in the Te Hoe-Willow Flat gorge
Rafting and kayaking
Grade 2 half-day / Grade 3 full day / Grade 4-5 wilderness / 2-5 day expeditions. Confirm.
Grade 3 age 12+ (min 4); Grade 4/5 age 16+ (min 6, grade-3 experience recommended). Confirm.
The run
Long Rapid (biggest rapid, top of the Grade 4/5 gorge); Te Hoe's rapid, Red Rock, House Rock (Grade 3 section)
Grade 4/5 gorge may require walking/lining; log jams between boulders; frequent slips
Grade 3 commercial section; Grade 4/5 gorge (Te Hoe confluence to Willow Flat, ~18 km); upper Grade 2 (Kaweka)
Remote wilderness, low crowds and solitude
Access & shuttle
Grade 3 ~NZD 200; Grade 4/5 ~NZD 265; DOC Te Puia Hut ~NZD 25-34/night; DOC concession for commercial rafting. Operator site stale (re-opening). Confirm all.
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Upper Kaweka access via Makahu Rd / 'The Gums' road-end (75 km NW of Napier, gravel plus a ford, 4WD); SH5 bridge crossing; downstream points Glenfalls, Bridgets Clearing, Te Hoe, Willow Flat, Raupunga. Take-out -39.05/176.75 not confirmed to a named site. Confirm.
Operator van shuttles; some Grade 4/5 and Ngaruroro trips use helicopter access
DOC Te Puia Hut (26 bunks, serviced), Makino Hut; free Mangatutu and Mangatainoka campsites; multi-day trips camp at thermal pools
Wetsuit, fleece, splash jacket, helmet, PFD; limited or no connectivity in gorge
Napier (hub); Taupo (some staging); same operator runs Ngaruroro River
Hazards & exits
Correction: the run named 'Te Hoe' is Grade III; the Grade 4/5 wilderness gorge is downstream of the Te Hoe confluence (Te Hoe to Willow Flat, ~18 km). Remote, log jams, flash floods
Very remote gorge - limited egress; multi-day self-reliant; helicopter access points
Guided rafts with certified guides (Mohaka Rafting Ltd, AdventureMark / WorkSafe registered)
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand river run report. Coordinates are approximate.