Whanganui

Whanganui or Wanganui is a city on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the mouth of the Whanganui River, which flows from Mount Tongariro via the stunning Whanganui National Park. The district has a population of about 48,000 in 2022.

Understand
The name Whanganui comes from the Maori words whanga, for a bay or harbour, and nui meaning big or large. However, when the early colonists heard the placename said in the local Maori accent with a softly spoken wh that sounded more like a wo sound, rather than the classical Maori fh sound, they spelled the placename as Wanganui rather than Whanganui. Now, either spelling is officially acceptable, and the trend is towards using Whanganui.

Additionally, the Whanganui River is also legally a person, which interests tourists when visiting.

History
Founded in 1840 and named Petre until 1852, Whanganui is one of the oldest European settlements in New Zealand.

Information
Tourist and visitor information is available from:

By car
Whanganui is between Palmerston North and New Plymouth, at the junction of State Highway 4 (SH4) with State Highway 3 (SH3). It is a two and a half hour drive from Wellington, using State Highways 1 and 3 (SH1 and SH3) and a six hour drive from Auckland, via Hamilton, using State Highways 1 and 4 (SH1 and SH4).

By bus
There are daily coach services from Wellington, New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Auckland.



By plane
Whanganui Airport has several Auckland flights in or out daily by Air Chathams using Saab 340A and Metroliner III. Air New Zealand flights have ceased.

By train
The nearest railway station with a passenger service is at Marton (40 km away).

Get around
A mixture of walking and taking buses is generally the most cost-effective way to get around Whanganui. Buses generally depart every hour from Maria Place Extension. There is also a taxi company.

See

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Go next

 * Southeast to Feilding (50 mins)
 * Northwest to Hawera (70 mins)
 * Northeast to Tongariro National Park (encompassing Mt Ruapehu) and the Whakapapa and Turoa skifields are within 2 hours drive.
 * North to Whanganui National Park