{"id":344,"date":"2023-03-16T03:31:13","date_gmt":"2023-03-16T03:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/16\/30-photos-that-will-inspire-you-to-visit-whanganui\/"},"modified":"2023-03-16T03:31:13","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T03:31:13","slug":"30-photos-that-will-inspire-you-to-visit-whanganui","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myholidayradar.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/16\/30-photos-that-will-inspire-you-to-visit-whanganui\/","title":{"rendered":"30 photos that will inspire you to visit Whanganui"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A couple of months ago, I reconnected with a friend, Nikki, here in New Zealand. Nikki attended one of the online bootcamps I used to co-run, where we taught people how to build a career in travel or start their businesses. Last year she and her partner decided to leave Wellington and head a couple of hours north to Whanganui<\/a>, where they\u2019ve just opened their boutique gin distillery, Papaiti Gin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Whanganui sits halfway between Wellington<\/a> and Taranaki on the east coast of New Zealand\u2019s North Island<\/a>, one of the country\u2019s oldest cities. As we yarned on a Zoom call, I was immediately struck by how cool Whanganui sounded. My writer\u2019s ears perked right up, hearing things like a foodie scene, street art, cool nature, and creative folk. I had to go.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over the years, I\u2019ve passed through Whanganui, but I\u2019ve never actually spent time there. And I\u2019ve been here a long time, and I\u2019ve been everywhere, and it\u2019s not often that I feel stunned by a destination anymore. And guys, wow, Whanganui surprised me so much! It was time to visit Whanganui properly.<\/p>\n

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I don\u2019t think I can emphasize enough just how important the Whanganui River<\/a> is, both in the past, present, and future. In fact, it\u2019s so important that in 2017 the Whanganui River was recognized in New Zealand law as a living being with legal personhood.<\/p>\n

For M\u0101ori, the Whanganui River has long been a vital source of food, transport, and a spiritual home. It\u2019s been settled for nearly one thousand years. Once Europeans arrived, they removed many structures along the river where M\u0101ori caught eels so their steamboats could travel further. The Whanganui River is one of New Zealand\u2019s oldest tourism centers, with visitors since the late 19th century. On your trip to visit Whanganui, you must spend some time on the river.<\/p>\n

There is a well-known M\u0101ori whakatauk\u012b (proverb) that ends:<\/p>\n

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\u2018E rere kau mai te \u0100wanui,<\/em><\/p>\n

Mai i te K\u0101hui maunga ki Tangaroa<\/em><\/p>\n

Ko au te awa ko te awa ko au.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe great river flows from the mountains to the sea. I am the river; the river is me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Anyways, add Whanganui, New Zealand, to your bucket list ASAP. It\u2019s not often that I stumble across a place that surprises me as much as Whanganui did. A visual feast, it\u2019s got everything I love in one place: epic nature, fantastic history and culture, great foodie spots, and a thriving arts scene.<\/p>\n

Whanganui was everything Nikki described and more. It\u2019s perfect! When you think of a place that is up and coming, this is it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve got heaps of stories to share about my week-long adventure here; to visit Whanganui is to be delighted and surprised. Here are 30 of my favorite photos from the trip \u2013 enjoy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Spend some time on the iconic Whanganui River<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

New Zealand\u2019s longest-navigable river is one of the most extraordinary natural spaces in the country.<\/p>\n

Here you have the best of everything from history and culture to incredible nature, all connected by the longest navigable river in the country. Clocking in at 290 kilometers long, it is also officially one of New Zealand\u2019s Great Walks, but instead of hiking on land, the Whanganui Journey<\/a> is a Great Walk on water.<\/p>\n

You can paddle it in a Canadian-style canoe over three or five days staying in DOC huts along the way. This is not a trip for solo travelers or those who aren\u2019t strong swimmers, can paddle for hours and hours, or don\u2019t have canoe\/kayak experience. But the best way to experience the river is on a guided trip.<\/p>\n

I was lucky enough to join in on a local M\u0101ori-owned and operated three-day trip with Whanganui River Adventures<\/a>. We didn\u2019t get so lucky as we happened to time it with the arrival of that huge, unusual cyclone that hit Auckland and the North Island this summer. We got one day of paddling in before the river flooded overnight, and we had to abort. At least this gives me a big reason to come back!<\/p>\n

Another great way to get on the river closer to town is to hop on the Waimarie<\/a>, New Zealand\u2019s only coal-fired paddle steamer operating from the golden riverboat era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They also have great sustainability<\/a> values.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Sleep in the Ioana Tiny House \u2013 a boat turned into a home<\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s not every day you get to stay in a historic boat that\u2019s been converted into a modern and stylish tiny home. The Iona Tiny House<\/a> was brought to life by local architect Elinor and sits along the banks of the Whanganui River, right across from the center of town. You\u2019ve got city and nature right on your doorstep here, literally.<\/p>\n

Made from the timber hull of the Iona, a historic boat, it\u2019s one of the most interesting and creative places I\u2019ve stayed in New Zealand! With all the trimmings and comforts you expect in a very cool setup, it\u2019s perfect. And did I mention the wooden outdoor spa?<\/p>\n

Normally I get to stay in these places for only one or two nights, but I spent nearly a week here. It was tough to leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Meander through Bushy Park looking for birds<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Coming off the Whanganui River early meant that I had extra time on my hands. What would I search for first? Native birds, of course.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whanganui is home to one of the coolest predator-free ecosanctuaries in New Zealand: Bushy Park<\/a>. I\u2019d never heard of it, and it\u2019s free! You can also drive inside the reserve, which is unusual for places like this. Bushy Park is a must-do if you\u2019re keen to visit Whanganui and love wildlife.<\/p>\n

Since I had no expectations, I was completely blown away by this place. It was magical! And I had it all to myself. With several kilometers of walking tracks through Bushy Park, there\u2019s something for everyone. You\u2019ll also see some of our rarer birds, including the hihi\/stitchbird and t\u012beke\/saddlebacks. It\u2019s also home to Ratanui, the largest rata tree in New Zealand.<\/p>\n

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Take a gin crafting class with Papaiti Gin<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

No one has been more enthusiastic about the gin boom than me over the years. While I can\u2019t quite put my finger on the year, I realized I just couldn\u2019t drink anything sweet anymore; I remember falling in love with gin in Spain. And boutique and small-batch distilleries? Well, those are my fave.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I was so stoked to hear Nikki take the leap of faith and open her own gin distillery in Whanganui. When they moved up to Whanganui from Wellington back in 2021, their house came with pear orchards. Unsure of what to do with the fruit, the idea to launch a gin distillery appeared, and they haven\u2019t looked back since.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Freshly open and running, Papaiti Gin<\/a> features botanicals that reflect the land where they craft it, such as kawakawa, lemon, quince, basil, rose hip, stinging nettle, and, of course, pears. Papaiti is a small area of land above Aramoho on the right bank of the Whanganui River. My favorite of their gins is definitely the Potager<\/a>, which has the most amazing citrus taste.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They offer a gin crafting experience<\/a>, which I heartily signed up for. It was so much fun trying to pick the botanicals, and I loved to whip up my own batch. It didn\u2019t turn out half bad, either!<\/p>\n

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Check out the amazing Whanganui Regional Museum<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ok, listen, guys. I know I\u2019m a nerd. I love a good local museum. And the Whanganui Regional Museum<\/a> is impressive. And it\u2019s free. Home to an incredible taonga M\u0101ori collection of art, historical objects, and Lindauer portraits. And upstairs, it has the most epic collection of moa<\/a> bones, the huge flightless extinct birds that once roamed New Zealand. I was blown away. I spent three hours here and broke my \u201cno more buying new books\u201d rule at the gift shop.<\/p>\n

And just to add to that, something I learned about Whanganui is how to pronounce it correctly. In New Zealand, we learn mostly that in te reo M\u0101ori (M\u0101ori language), the letter combination \u201cwh\u201d is pronounced as an \u201cf.\u201d However, the local dialect here drops the \u201ch\u201d and pronounces it as \u201cWanganui.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, this is a gross oversimplification, but here we go. Now some older p\u0101keh\u0101 (white kiwis) are still, well, pretty racist and refuse to pronounce things correctly with the \u201cf\u201d sound for \u201cwh,\u201d as well as international visitors who just have no idea.<\/p>\n

And then the rest of us who pronounce them as we have learned to, with the \u201cf\u201d sound for \u201cwh.\u201d But then you go to Whanganui, and it\u2019s pronounced as a \u201cw,\u201d so you get woke people like me trying super hard to say everything correctly, yet still messing it up. But now you know. It\u2019s correct to refer to \u201cWhanganui\u201d as \u201cWanganui\u201d when spoken. No \u201cf\u201d sounds in this part of the woods.<\/p>\n

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Get lost in the Paloma Gardens<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

As someone borderline obsessed with botanic gardens, I couldn\u2019t believe my eyes when I stepped inside the Paloma Gardens<\/a> outside Whanganui for the first time. How had I never heard of this wonderland? It absolutely should have been in my book<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Here Nicki and Clive Higgie have spent over 30 years creating and sculpting one of the most impressive gardens in the country. $10 cash in an honesty box will let you in, and if you\u2019re like me, I wandered for hours and didn\u2019t see another person. If you want to visit Whanganui and see the green side of the area, be sure to head here.<\/p>\n

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Check out the amazing street art<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve always thought a city that invests in street art is a really cool city. After several festivals over the past few years, well-known street artists have flocked to create incredible murals around the old city center.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Additionally, one of the best ways to explore downtown Whanganui is by wandering around and checking out the street art. How many can you find?<\/p>\n

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Indulge in the rising foodie scene<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

I don\u2019t think I had a bad meal or a bad coffee the entire time I went to visit Whanganui. I definitely overdid it with the meals, though!<\/p>\n