The start is in Taumarunui and the end in Whanganui. The alternative is to first walk a few days further south and then book only a 2-3 day canoe trip. However, especially the first few days are absolutely breathtaking. The last days are less spectacular. The price in our case was even the same for 2-3 days or 6-7 days.
These two rivers pose extreme dangers as they can be very wide and deep. It can take hours to cross them and there is a risk of getting stuck in the middle. In addition, you are crossing private land which does not allow you to walk on it. Therefore, the Te Araroa Association explicitly states that these two river crossings are not part of the trail and should be avoided by shuttle or hitch.
Since the search for a reliable elevation profile for Te Araroa is quite difficult, I have created one myself according to the latest data from the official Te Araroa Foundation. Last update of the route from the organization was on 01 October 2019, and the elevation profile is based on this update. Errors can still not be 100% excluded.