Travel 30km (1 hour) upstream into the middle reaches of the Whanganui River.  You will see pristine native bush that cloaks the banks with deep gorges covered with ferns, caves, rapids and other unique and amazing scenery.  Along the way there is the world famous Drop Scene, the Dress Circle and the ancient pegs used by the river boat crew to help them negotiate these waters over 100 years ago. 

Continuing on deeper into this unique wilderness area you will arrive at the Mangapurua Landing.  Your walk to the Bridge to Nowhere begins here.  Located deep in the forest of Whanganui National Park, this concrete road bridge looks ridiculously out of place. There is no road either side, and no signs of construction or civilisation. It is truly the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’.

The easy walk follows an old road and takes approximately 40 minutes.  Continue on through the bush until you arrive at the historic “Bridge to Nowhere” gateway to the “Valley of Abandoned Dreams”.  A return walk to the boat and trip down river to Pipiriki completes this unique experience.