Whanganui River Boutique Accommodation & Activities
Posh Pioneers is an Off the Grid Boutique Accommodation nestled in a picturesque site beside the Whanganui AWA (river).
Your Whanganui River Experience Starts Here!
Canoeist Overnight Stay
Dinner bed and breakfast – paddle down to Maharanui and we will pick you and your gear up from the awa and transport you to Posh Pioneers where hot coffee / tea and scones await you. Safety briefing and short tour, hot showers, bathroom facilities and your accommodation before a 3 course meal is served in the dining room. Breakfast is also served in the dining room and then gather your gear and you are transported back to the awa to continue on your journey.
Paddling Package
Includes canoe hire, 2 nights accommodation. All meals except your first days lunch, (2 x 3 course dinners, 1 lunch and 2 breakfasts as well as morning and afternoon tea / coffee.), one course either soap making or forging your own knife.
Whanganui River Accommodation
- We have six pioneer-style accommodation wagons furnished with antique beds and luxurious bedding. Four of our huts have double beds and the other two huts have 2 x single beds.
- All wagons have toilets, potbelly fire, tea and coffee available.
- We have modern bathroom facilities, hot showers and composting toilets. Which are all ecologically friendly.
- Our sites are totally off the grid and powered by the sun. We have cell phone charging facilities on site.
- We have a communal dining area for all meals. Please note the cost of meals is additional.
Activities at Posh Pioneers
Many activities are included in your stay!
- Jet Boat to the Bridge to Nowhere – Join us on a full day trip to Mangapurua, an old soldiers’ settlement and the location of the Bridge to Nowhere.– Minimum 4 passengers. Lunch included.
- Canoe – Jetboat Combo – Canoe at your own pace on this scenic river, past waterfalls and native bush. We will meet you for your return trip to Posh Pioneers.– Minimum 4 passengers. Lunch included.
- Fishing – Experience trout fishing in the Whanganui River. Fishing Licenses can be purchased online ahead of time, or when you arrive at Posh Pioneers. Bring your own fishing gear. Jet boat charge.
- Campfire Cooking – Join us for an evening meal cooked on a campfire. Included in your stay.
- Conservation – Trapping. As part of our conservation plan, we have several trapping lines to trap pests that destroy our native plant and bird life. Join us as we check and reset the trap lines and learn about the variety of trapping methods. Included in your stay.
- Organic Garden – Take a walk around our organic garden based on permaculture practices. Learn about our sustainable practices, including earth care, water conservation, companion planting, and rotational crops. Included in your stay.
- History – We love sharing the history of Maharanui in the evening after dinner. Included in your stay.
- Glow Worms – A short walk in evening will take you to a spot where you can view glowworms. Included in your stay.
- Nature Walks – Meander up the track behind the lodge to the lookout where you can rest and enjoy the view across the Whanganui River. Take a guided tramp along old pathways through native bush and past waterfalls. Walk through the natural habitat of native birds and animals. This is a 3-hour tramp suitable for experienced hikers. $60.00 per person.
- Night Sky Experience – Snuggle up in a rug with a thermos, and binoculars to view the amazing night sky. Included in your stay.
- Bird Watching – Head out with a pair of binoculars and an ID book to view the amazing native bird life. Included in your stay.
PLUS MUCH MORE!
We can meet you at Kirikau where we have arranged safe parking for your cars. Detailed arrangements will be confirmed at time of booking. Our jet boat leaves from the Kirikau landing. You will travel on the river (awa) for approximately 30 minutes downstream to Maharanui the home of Posh Pioneers.
Food
We are fully equipped to cater for all meals during your stay. All catering must be booked for in advance. Our menu is seasonal as many foods are sourced from our organic garden. We also have barista made coffee available. Self catering is available by arrangement to groups of 8 people or more. We can cater for most dietary requirements (please make this clear when booking). There maybe a small surcharge.
About Us
How Posh Pioneers began..
After almost 50 years of working and holidaying in this remote area of New Zealand, we bought a block of land known as ‘Maharanui’ from an old farming family. Our mission is to respect and preserve the Wairua (Spirit) of this special place and to share this experience with like-minded others. With no road access, Maharanui is home to native birds (including kiwis), bats, and glowworms. We routinely trap possums and other pests and use possum fibre, combined with NZ wool, to make quality items to support our pest eradication programme.
After camping for years, we decided to build “Maharanui Lodge.” We received such feedback and encouragement from family, friends, and visitors that we decided to take further steps to share this pristine location with others by building six shepherds’ huts on wheels, a kitchen, and a bathroom, all with modern comforts. Our sons, our friends, and ourselves have become spiritually enlightened by our everyday effort; it is a wonderful journey to be part of.
The Sustainable Lifestyle of Posh Pioneers
Posh Pioneers is based at Maharanui on the Whanganui River. Maharanui means big dreams. We endeavor to preserve and respect the environment to the best of our ability. To us, that means maintaining a very eco-friendly business that will be here for generations to come.
Arriving here is a journey in itself – you can arrive by canoe, jet boat or helicopter. There is no road connecting our retreat to the rest of the world.
Due to our remote location, we operate completely off the grid. We harness the sun’s energy for our electricity, collect rainwater, and have composting toilets. A self-composting toilet is actually very modern and looks a lot like any other flash flush toilet. It simply recycles water and waste in a sustainable way. Along with being self-sustaining, we do have modern comforts such as USB chargers, WiFi, fully-insulated shepherds’ huts, potbelly fires, and luxurious linen.
Many of the activities we offer revolve around living sustainably, using natural materials, preserving and appreciating our environment. We use the vegetables and fruit from our large organic garden that is based on the permaculture principles of earth care, or source them locally.
We would love to share more about our commitment to keeping Posh Pioneers’ footprint small.
Come see for yourself and enjoy Posh Pioneers with its modern comforts.
