The city of Wanganui is on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is on the Whanganui River, which flows from Mount Tongariro via the stunning Whanganui National Park. The district has a population of approx. 44,000.
Founded in 1840, Wanganui is one of the oldest European settlements in New Zealand, and was named Petre until 1852.
Get in
By RoadWanganui is a two and a half hour drive from Wellington, and a six hour drive from Auckland using State Highway 4 (SH4).
By BusThere are daily coach services from Wellington, Palmerston North and Auckland.
By AirWanganui Airport handles dometic flights from Auckland and Wellington. Palmerston North (70 km) is the nearest international airport.
By RailMarton (40 km) is the nearest railway station.
Get around
A mixture of walking and taking buses is generally the most cost-effective way to get around Wanganui. Buses generally depart every hour from Maria Place Extension.
See
Wanganui in Bloom, from December to March there are hundreds of hanging flower baskets lining the streets of central Wanganui. Whanganui Regional Museum , an extensive collection of natural and human artifacts with a strong regional emphasisSarjeant Gallery , well known for its large collection of British, European and NZ art. Bason Botanic Gardens has both indoor and outdoor gardens with some bush walks.Whanganui Riverboat Centre Museum Contains fascinating displays of river-related artefacts and photographs of the riverboat era.Various art exhibitions are held around Wanganui's city centre at almost all times. Much of it is student work from UCOL, and the best exhibitions usually take place in the acclaimed Wanganui School of Design, which has a very nice tight-knit staff that can hold very interesting conversations. However, don't ask Tanya Roberson about dogs or memes, you'll be there for hours.
Wanganui Collegiate School has a beautiful campus with some attractive old brick buildings. Don't use a car in the grounds during school hours however, the students as a whole have a superiority complex and will not get out of your way if you are driving.
Do
Durie Hill Elevator, across from the City Bridge. Accessed by the Durie Hill pedestrian tunnel, it is the only underground elevator in New Zealand and one of only two in the world. It has two viewpoints.The Whanganui River is around 300 km long. It is the longest navigable river and the second longest river in the North Island. There are a number of operators who offer canoeing, rafting and jetboat trips. It is bridged by the famous Bridge to Nowhere. This was built to provide access to settlers establishing farms in the Mangapurua Valley. The settlements no longer exist but the bridge remains as an eloquent reminder. It can be reached by a drive to Pipiriki then via a jet boat ride and a hike.Waimarie , take a two-hour cruise up the river on NZ's only coal-fired historic paddle steamer.Heritage Walks, discover the history of one of NZ's oldest European settlements.Buy
Trafalgar Square shopping centre on Taupo Quay was opened in...
