Canoeing the Whanganui River

3 June 2026

After being on my list for ages, I recently canoed the Whanganui River over five days, camping alongside the river. Carrying precious equipment was always going to be a gamble & I had to choose those moments shooting from inside the canoe very carefully. On the third day this spectacular riverbank caught my eye, but it proved quite challenging to capture. Keeping my canoe steady without drifting out of position while I shot multiple frames was not easy. Fortunately I took as many as I did, as all but two frames were spoilt by some dreaded camera shake, but I was able to stitch these two together that captured the magic  "The River's Cathedral". And I managed to successfully navigate all the rapids without capsizing (others in my group weren’t so lucky, but I must confess I came very close!)A quick snap from my phone shows this incredible bank from the side & geotags the location in case I get the chance to return someday (I'd love to!) Click on the photo to enlarge: