Whanganui Scenic Experience Jet and Canoe Hire is owned and operated by Mark and Claire Wickham.  We operate from our base near Pungarehu, on the family farm on the Whanganui River Road in the lower reaches of the Whanganui River.

Your Local Guides

We were both born and bred in the Wanganui area – Mark having lived all his life on the farm his family have worked for the past three generations in the Whanganui River valley for 100 years, and Claire having been brought up in Wanganui before venturing further afield to explore the four corners of the globe.  After travelling the world, we have both returned home to the peace and serenity of the Whanganui River, and enjoy sharing this with all our guests.

Farm Tour

We make sure your time with us is an experience, not just a tour.  That usually starts with our friendly fox terrier Pippi greeting you as you drive up to the house.  As you wander down to the river, you will stroll past sheep and horses to board your jet boat or canoe.  If you have never experienced a working farm, you may be in for a treat at shearing time, with pet lambs that are always keen to be fed, or just a normal day with the dogs moving the sheep.  If animals aren’t your style, we’ll move quickly to the boat and commence your scenic experience on the beautiful Whanganui River.   On all our tours we stop and explore historical and cultural places of interest, and in many instances you will meet some of our local residents who will share stories from their time in the valley. 

We have many options depending on how much time you want to spend in the river valley.  Take a short trip up through the beautiful Atene Bush, a few hours of peace and relaxation in a canoe, a full day adventure to the Bridge to Nowhere, or spend three days exploring the length of the Whanganui River as far north as Taumarunui.  The choice is yours and hopefully we can tempt you to stay in our beautiful region a little longer.

Click here for our tour options