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Wanganui
Tourist information - Wanganui
The Wanganui region is on the lower West Coast of the North Island, south of Taranaki and the Taupo/Ruapehu regions.
This area is known for maori culture, heritage, Whanganui National Park and river adventures. The region takes its name from the city of Wanganui, which rests on the banks of the spectacular Whanganui River. In the early 1900's, visitors called the Whanganui River the 'Rhine of New Zealand' - it’s the longest navigable river in the country, with 239 rapids and stunning bush scenery. There are many ways to explore the Whanganui River - jet boat, kayak, canoe, raft, paddle steamer - or on the end of a fly-fishing rod. You can also follow the trail to the mysterious ‘Bridge to Nowhere’, built across the Mangapurua Gorge to give access to an isolated settlement that was finally abandoned in 1942. Now only the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ remains.
To the east of Wanganui lie the city of Palmerston North, the towns of Feilding, Ashhurst and many rural villages. You’ll also find the southern hemisphere's largest wind farm. The dramatic, diverse landscape of the area offers a range of unique experiences. As well as excellent brown trout fly-fishing in the Rangatikei River, there’s the chance to see rare and migrating birds at the Manawatu river estuary. Adrenaline enthusiasts can jet boat through the region’s most identifiable natural icon, the formidable Manawatu Gorge. You can also throw yourself out of aeroplanes and off bridges, ascend walls and rocks, or descend into caves, saddle up for an overnight horse trek, tackle the terrain in a 4WD (four-wheel drive)... the possibilities go on.
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