Ten kilometres downstream from Whakahoro is the Department of Conservation's Mangapapa Campsite located on a rocky ledge on the left bank of the river. Just downstream from that campsite, the river flows in a large loop, forming the Kirikiriroa Peninsula.
In the 1980s, DOC constructed a stairway from about Rapid 119 on the upstream side of the isthmus to the top to allow visitors to see the spectacular views of the river that you could get from there. It was demolished soon after the Cave Creek disaster, and now the only way to the top is to clamber up either the upstream or the downstream side of the isthmus. Both routes are very steep, and access is only for the fit and agile.
For this photo of Te Maai Rapid, I clambered to the top of the isthmus, celebrating my achievement with a drink of wine.
The Te Maai Rapid is at the foot of the Kirikiriroa isthmus on the downstream side. As a rapid, it is nothing special - the river flows between shingle banks without causing undue excitement to the canoeist. A little further downstream are the Verandah Narrows and Whaitaiki, places where the river is confined in its course.
In 1971, I measured the distance between the shell rock banks and found it to be 74 ft (22.5 metres). In 2002, I remeasured it and found it to be 22.3 metres, so not much changed in the intervening years, given that my measurements were not necessarily made from the same points.
A little further down, the river narrows to 50 ft (15.25 metres), but the rock ledge that narrows the channel on the left bank is low and often covered by water.