Waikanae River adventures

Waikanae River is one of our Kāpiti Coast taonga, and in summer it comes into its own as one of our outdoor playgrounds.

We thought we'd share a Summer Six-pack of our favourite Waikanae River adventures – what others do you love?

1. Cricket at the Domain

Meet friends and whānau for a day of backyard cricket at Otaihanga Domain – bring a picnic, and the kids can enjoy the playground and splash in the river (supervised of course!) between innings.

2. Walk or cycle the river trail

Pack a picnic, and set out from the Tutere Street carpark, Otaihanga Domain, or the old State Highway 1 bridge. It's approximately a 10-kilometre round trip, so make sure you pack your togs and towel!

Remember if you have a change of plan, there's footbridges at Otaihanga Domain, and Te Arawai footbridge just upstream from Jim Cooke Park.

3. Devil's Elbow

Take the family swimming at Devil's Elbow, or under the old State Highway 1 Bridge – world-famous in Waikanae since ages ago!

4. Edgewater Park

Head to Edgewater Park for a swing and swim – and maybe a spot of dam building.

5. Maple Lane

Hang at the ever-popular Maple Lane swimming hole and do some mean bombs off the rocks! When you've had enough, relax on the sun-warmed stones, or the grassy bank under the trees.

6. Walk the riparian planting tracks

Walked the main river path loads? Have you explored the pedestrian-only paths on the south bank? These wind through the riverbank plantings starting from just above the expressway bridge, and are a real treat for a different perspective of our outdoor spaces. Keep an eye out for the blue post or metal bar pedestrian-only entrances, and have yourself a new adventure!

Which of these will you try this local Kāpiti summer, or what other great spots on the Waikanae River are your favs?