Rangitikei River
Also known as: Grand Canyon of the Rangitikei, Mokai Gorge
Deep papa mudstone canyon (Mokai, walls up to ~80m), waterfalls, native bush, LOTR (Fellowship of the Ring) filming locations; upper gorge is greywacke bedrock
Is there water?
Whether there is a river here on your dates, and what kind of water it is.
Rain-fed, free-flowing; Class IV at 25-45 cumecs, IV+/V above 45, >50 cumecs very pushy; levels via Horizons Regional Council
Rain-fed - runnability depends on flow; rises and falls fast
Grade 5 year-round (flow-dependent); Mokai Canyon 3-day 1 Nov-31 Mar. Confirm.
No published temp; wetsuits and neoprene provided year-round. Confirm.
Large catchment; can flood and drop rapidly in short periods
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 5 (upper gorge; Class IV at 25-45 cumecs, IV+/V above 45); Grade 2 (Mokai scenic)
Rafting and kayaking
Grade 5 half-day (River Valley) vs Grade 2 family scenic (Awastone) vs multi-day. Confirm.
Grade 5 min age 13, min 4 people; scenic Grade 2 min age 3-5. Confirm.
The run
Fulcrum and Foamy (crux rapids); Max's Drop, Foo Fang Falls, The Gates, New Rapid (pin spots)
Fulcrum changed after a Jan 2018 slip; New Rapid has nasty pin spots (scout); no fixed mandatory portage published. Confirm.
Grand Canyon of the Rangitikei / Mokai Gorge (scenic Grade 2); upper Rangitikei Gorge (Grade 5)
Remote gorge; low crowds; wilderness feel
Access & shuttle
River Valley Grade 5 ~NZD 275; Awastone Mokai float ~NZD 340; multi-day from ~NZD 1300. Confirm.
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Grade 5: put-in off Matawhero Rd (13.5 km gravel), take-out River Valley Lodge (266 Mangahoata Rd, Taihape, ~-39.62/176.03); Mokai/Awastone accessed 4WD from Mangaweka. Supplied GPS matches the Mangaweka/Mokai area, not the River Valley Grade 5 run. Confirm.
River Valley shuttles Lodge-to-put-in; Awastone offers shuttles and transfers
Multi-day trips camp in the gorge (Mokai Canyon 3-day). Confirm.
Wetsuit, neoprene, helmet, PFD provided; limited connectivity in gorge
Mangaweka; Taihape; Mokai Gravity Canyon (bungy/zipline, not rafting)
Hazards & exits
Grade 5 not a good first Class IV outing (Whitewater NZ); flow rises fast; 'Grand Canyon of the Rangitikei' is Awastone's Grade 2 scenic float, distinct from River Valley's Grade 5 Rangitikei Gorge
Remote gorge - limited road egress; guided rescue
Guided rafts, certified guides (River Valley Qualmark Gold, est. 1982; Awastone Qualmark Silver)
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand river run report. Coordinates are approximate.