Last summer we canoed down the Whanganui River for five days.The Whanganui River is very remote. There are no roads or towns. We paddled through beautiful bush for days. Birds were singing in the tall trees. The sun sparkled on the smooth water. We canoed through narrow gorges with high cliffs. Sometimes we paddled through rapids where there were rocks jutting out of the water. The river moved very quickly over the rapids. Our canoes bounced up and down. Once I fell out of my canoe. I had to swim down the river to catch it. That was exciting!
Each night we pulled our canoes up a bank to some flat grass. We cooked our food on stoves and we slept in tents. It was very quiet and peaceful. We enjoyed ourselves.
A. Read the story and then answer these questions.
1. What time of the year did they canoe down the Whanganui River?
They went their last summer.
2. How do you know the Whanganui River is remote?
Because it is far away
3. What is a gorge?
A gorge is a valley in between two mountains
4. What are rapids?
A fast flowing river
5. Name three things they saw while canoeing down the river.
The three things they saw was a Trees,Rocks,and Water
6. Where did they camp at night?
They found a flat ground and they camped their
7. Why did they pull their canoes up a bank?
Because they were finished and it was dark time
8. What was canoeing on the Whanganui River like?
They had an exciting time their
B. Pretend you have canoed down the Whanganui River. Write a letter to a friend about your canoeing holiday.
C.Find nouns from the story to go with the words below.
beautiful river , the Whanganui river is very remote, high cliffs ,
tall trees , the sun sparkled, canoes bounced up and down,
smooth water , narrow gorges .
D. Research for information and answer the following questions.
1. Is the Whanganui River in the North Island or the South Island?
The Whanganui river is in the North Island
2. What is the name of the city at the mouth of the Whanganui River?
The city at the mouth is named
3. Which sea does the Whanganui River flow into?
The North side river
4. Is this on the west coast or the east coast?
It is on the East coast
5. What is the name of the National Park through which the Whanganui River flows?
Downstream from Taumarunui
6. Name a town on the ‘upper reaches’ of the river.
Whanganui River
7. Where is the ‘source’ of the Whanganui River?
Mount Tongariro
8. How long is the Whanganui River?
290 km
E. Make a list of things you would take on a canoeing trip. Compare your list with a partner’s list. Discuss why you think the things in your list are necessary.
F. Explain how and why canoes were used as a means of transport in the past.
They must of had no big boats
G. If you designed a canoe to use as transport in the present times, what features would your canoe have and why? (You can work with a partner)
My canoe would be big and with heaps of gold on it as patterns yahoo.