The Whanganui River in New Zealand's North Island stretches 290 kilometres and is the country's longest navigable waterway. It flows through Whanganui National Park, winding through steep-sided canyons, deep gorges, and dense native forest before reaching the Tasman Sea. The river holds significant cultural importance to Māori, who have travelled it for centuries, and it is the only river in New Zealand granted legal personhood. It is also one of New Zealand's ten Great Walks — uniquely, the only one completed by paddle rather than on foot.

The primary paddling route, known as the Whanganui Journey, runs 145 kilometres from Taumarunui (Cherry Grove) to Pipiriki and is typically completed in five days. A popular three-day option covers approximately 87–90 kilometres starting from Whakahoro, which is the last road access point before Pipiriki. Pipiriki serves as the main takeout for both the full and shortened journeys. The river is graded Class 2, with more than 200 rapids between Taumarunui and Pipiriki, though most drop less than one metre. Previous paddling experience is not essential, though the trip should only be attempted outside the Great Walks season (May through September) by those with considerable experience paddling remote New Zealand rivers in winter conditions.

The Great Walks season runs from 1 October through 30 April, during which hut and campsite bookings are required. Outside this period, facilities operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Huts and campsites are available along the route, including at Tīeke Kāinga, which is jointly managed by DOC and local Māori and where traditional customs (tikanga) are observed. There is a bunkroom and camping at Tīeke Kāinga for canoeists.

Notable points of interest along the route include the Mangapurua Landing, access point for the Bridge to Nowhere — a concrete road bridge constructed in the mid-1930s now surrounded entirely by native forest — and the carved timber pou whenua at Tīeke Kāinga. Within the national park, there is no road access; the river is the only way in. Wildlife along the banks includes ducks, cormorants, kingfishers, and wild goats. Both brown trout and rainbow trout can be caught in the river. The landscape transitions from farmland near the upper reaches to increasingly rugged, forested terrain deeper into the park.