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Saturday 10:45am - 1:15pm Sunday 10:45am - 1:15pm

Motor Vessel Wairua

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Motor Vessel Wairua

Motor Vessel Wairua
Heritage River Cruises and Personalised Charters
(31)

28/06/2024

We’ve just had our first Hipango Park Charter booking for the coming summer, hopefully the first of many.

Information and enquires through our website wwe.motorvesselwairua.co.nz

27/06/2024

25/06/2024

Generic varnishing post.

25/06/2024

We are currently curating a new set of images on the freshly painted walls of our saloon.

We will also be including a set of photographs showing the restoration and some of the unique places we have been since. There may even be some memorabilia coming aboard.

23/06/2024

Whanganui No. 2 orders open:
https://photonews.co.nz/whanganui-no-2
This one is a special edition throwback to the old Photo News. It's a high quality A4 community photo album that will last a lifetime, featuring hundreds of recent photos of people & places from our community. Grab a piece of local history for $30+postage or free pickup from H&A Print.

16/06/2024

While it’s quiet, we are taking advantage of the time to tidy up a few parts of the boat.

Starting off inside but we hope to get onto the exterior later in the week.

15/06/2024

2500 Followers wooo!

Don’t forget to tell your friends

14/06/2024

In light of the missing person situation on the river today, we will not be operating this weekend.

08/06/2024

Beautiful morning on the river for the first sailing of the winter season. Very well patronised today and you are most welcome to join us at 11 am tomorrow.

www.motorvesselwairua.co.nz

02/06/2024

100 years since this picture was taken, and we still do what we always did.

Experience it today? 30 minute cruises from 10 am to 3 pm. Cash/EFTPOS sales at the boat only.

Located on the corner of Taupo Quay and Bates Street.

02/06/2024

Not much has changed in almost 120 years, just a little ship carrying quite the legacy.

(Picture near Maraekowhai about the time of the First World War.)

02/06/2024

Don’t forget to come down and join us on the river.

Tickets at the gate only, cash/EFTPOS accepted.

31/05/2024

29/05/2024

It’s that time again, Join us for a short and affordable cruise next weekend.

No pre-sales, tickets available at the gate on the day. Cash and EFTPOS

23/05/2024

Sometimes you just need a day off.

The only thing missing is a beverage from Derelict Coffee and the sight of a riverboat approaching the wharf.

20/05/2024

Help us celebrate King’s Birthday and the start of our winter season on the river.

As usual folks, gate sales only, tickets are not available prior. Cash and EFTPOS accepted.

14/05/2024

"You can't be unhappy in the middle of a big, beautiful river" - Jim Harrison

A reminder to our customers, we will be sailing through winter.
June sailings are Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
July sailings are Saturdays and Sundays.
Our inbox is always open for charter enquiries, if you've sent us a message that we may have unintentionally missed please send another. We'd love to have you on board.
Discover Whanganui

11/05/2024

Cast your gaze southward.

04/05/2024

Just down stream of us at the Whanganui Riverboat Centre, Ngaporo by Derelict Coffee is having their coffee tasting at 1pm. Come on down and try out some locally roasted coffee.

29/04/2024

Sadly since our first trip up through the rapids in 79 years, we lost one of the incredible people that came with us and was instrumental in making it a success.

Not only today do we remember returning Wairua to the rapids of the Whanganui River seven years ago, we remember the kind, eager and unfathomably knowledgeable Jim Parnell.

29/04/2024

Our Heritage River Cruise resumes on Tuesday 7 May at 11:00am.

Information and bookings https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/kiwivintagetourism/items/312651/calendar/2024/05/?full-items=yes&back=https://www.motorvesselwairua.co.nz/&g4=yes

29/04/2024

It was nice to call in at again today, it’s been a few weeks.

24/03/2024

*UPDATE* This Cruise is now fully booked.

We only have eight seats left on our 11:00am Heritage River Cruise on Tuesday 26 March.

Book NOW to secure your seats. www.motorvesselwairua.co.nz

24/03/2024

Now this one was a little while ago, but people never believe us when we tell them that you get the same rise and fall in the tide almost 40 km inland, as you do at the coast.

Here we have Motor Vessel Wairua sitting on the bottom in front of the wharf at Hipango Park during a low tide back in 2017. The water was over the bottom level of the wharf when we arrived several hours earlier.

It’s actually a great opportunity to walk around the boat and wipe down the hull as well as inspect some of the more hard to see places.

21/03/2024

This is a cause worth donating to support.

The iconic Lyttelton steam tug’s sailing days could be over if it does not find about $300,000 needed for a refit. The 116-year-old tug has been out...

20/03/2024

What’s your favourite spot on the Whanganui River?

Address

1H Taupo Quay
Whanganui
4500

Opening Hours

Saturday	10:45am - 1:15pm
Sunday	10:45am - 1:15pm

Telephone

+64279493630

Website

http://www.motorvesselwairua.co.nz/

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Videos

30 Minute Whanganui Vintage Weekend Special 10:00am to 4:00pm Saturday, Sunday and Monday Adults (15+) $10 Children (0-15) $5 Gate sales ONLY - NO pre-booking Cash and EFTPOS accepted

Message from the deck crew…

Come on down and join us for a cruise this weekend. Sailing 10am to 4pm Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Cash sales at the gate, no pre-booking. $10/Adults and $5/ Children (0-15) Located on the corner of Taupo Quay and Bates Street.

Anchored at Corliss Island for a couple of hours, waiting for low tide to get under the bridges. Wind against tide today so it’s not the most comfortable experience being caught across the river between the two.

Don’t miss our insanely popular 30 minute cruises this long weekend. 10am to 4pm Saturday, Sunday and Monday. $10/Adult $5/Child No pre-bookings, cash gate sales only.

We were proud to support the visiting fleet of steamboats from across New Zealand for the official opening of Whanganui Heritage Month 2022. One of the visiting craft was SS Puke, The oldest commercial vessel in New Zealand. Built in 1872 and still operating 150 years later, albeit with replacement machinery. (The engine is still over a century old). Thank you very much to New Zealand Maritime Museum for allowing her to attend. In addition to the steamers, there were almost 20 other vessels in attendance including vintage motor boats, dinghies, skiffs and a waka. Video credit to our local heritage enthusiast Mark Seconi and special thanks to all boat owners, event organisers and the community for making this possible.

Slight delay to our Upokongaro Village Cruise today but well worth the wait.

First run on the river for a while. Everything running smoothly again. Just a bit of deck oil and paint away from being ready for summer. Scheduled Heritage River Cruises can be booked online www.motorvesselwairua.co.nz #motorvesselwairua #whanganui #whanganuiriverboat #wanganui #whanganuiriver #riverboat #oldboat #littlecitywithsoul #teawatupua #nztourism #tourismnz #nzmustdo #family #river #awa #discoverwhanganui #gardnermarine #gardnerdiesel #upokongaro #mountainstosea #pipiriki #upokongarovillagecruise

Sometimes the crew get bored on a repositioning run.

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Our Story

Motor Vessel Wairua Heritage River Cruises and Personalised Charters

Motor Vessel Wairua was built over in London by Yarrow & Co. Shipbuilders back in 1904 and was sent out here as a kit-set, to be assembled on the riverbank just opposite our mooring at Moutoa Gardens.

She was launched and commissioned into service in November 1904 and ran on the middle section of the Whanganui River between Pipiriki (about 60 Miles upstream of Whanganui) and Whakahoro (a further 55 Miles above Pipiriki).

Wairua carried passengers and cargo along that section of the river until about 1938 before being withdrawn from service and brought back down to Whanganui to be used as a pontoon for some of the larger riverboats that were still operating.