Paddling near New Plymouth, Taranaki
New Plymouth sits on the Taranaki coast beneath the volcanic cone of Maunga Taranaki, and the region's rivers draining that mountain give paddlers a genuine mix of whitewater and flatwater. The Waiwhakaiho River runs right through the city with mapped Grade II–III runs, while the nearby Waitara River is a popular Grade 2 introduction to moving water. Sea kayaking out to the Sugarloaf Islands is the signature coastal trip, and SUP is well established at Breakwater Bay.
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