About Whanganui

Located on the West Coast of New Zealand’s North Island and home to approximately 43,000 people, Whanganui sits at the junction of State Highways 3 and 4. It is a 2 ½ hour drive north from Wellington, an hour and a half from Mount Ruapehu and Mount Tongariro and an hour flight from Auckland. Most of the city lies on the northwestern bank of the historically significant Te Awa o Whanganui – the Whanganui River. The longest navigable river in New Zealand and once known as the Rhine of New Zealand, the Whanganui River has shaped the history of the city and its people.

Within the Region:

• Kowhai Park. With the miniature railway.
• The Splash Centre. A popular year-round swimming complex.
• Kai Iwi Beach. A popular safe beach for the whole family and all ocean activities. Patrolled during the summer you can swim, fish, laze in the sun, go for long walks and pick through the driftwood.
• Cooks Gardens. A multi-purpose stadium currently used mostly for rugby union matches, athletics, cycling, and hosting events and conferences.
• The Durie Hill Elevator.  Sixty-six metres high, built in 1919, it is NZ’s only public underground elevator and one of only two in the world.
• Virginia Lake. The Winter Gardens has an adjoining Art Garden combining sculpture and garden art. The historic Higginbottom Fountain is lit up at night. A children’s playground and a free bird aviary.
• Bushy Park Reserve. A 100 hectare native forest sanctuary kept predator free for native birds and is ranked one of Australasia’s ‘Top 25’ Restoration Projects.
• The Whanganui Regional Museum.  Collections dated from 1890 including the famed Taonga Maori Collection.
• Riverlands Family Park. Go Karts, Drifting, Kiddi Car rides, Mini Putt and bike hire.