Whanganui is a quiet and well-maintained city at the mouth of the river of the same name. Actually the place has nothing remarkable and, in fact, very few tourists stop here and the few who do seem to be passing through. There are many popular tourist destinations in the North Island of New Zealand. In any case, Whanganui seemed a charming city, with its main street full of small shops, restaurants and cafes, its immense river and its many parks and gardens. Even the hostel had its charm, located next to the river in a Victorian house with high ceilings.
Whanganui National Park:
A place in New Zealand where living great adventures is the Whanganui National Park, full of green hills and deep gorges. But if we must speak of the true heart of this place, both physically and spiritually, that is the Whanganui river that gives it its name. As a curiosity, another striking place in this park is the “Bridge to Nowhere“, an abandoned concrete bridge in the middle of the jungle that leads nowhere. Here you will fully enjoy nature, peace, tranquility, the wide variety of birds and native forests.
Whanganui Museum
In addition, the city has two museums one of art, quite small but with interesting exhibitions of local artists, and another, much larger, dedicated to the history and fauna of the country. Museums are always a good option when the weather does not accompany, so, when I said goodbye to Lance – who had to go to look for kiwis in a national park – spend some entertaining hours going through these two. What I did not do was visit some of the famous glass workshops in Whanganui. It is the most amazing place to visit!
Go Through The Bridge Of Nothing
This hidden place is situated in the woods of the Whanganui National Park, this solid way over watches out at nothing. There is no street to any side and there are no indications of development or progress there. It is really a “Bridge of Nothingness“. As you can envision, there is an intriguing story behind this extension. The far off valley of Mangapurua was open since 1919 to give ranchers and officers come back from the First World War. There is a wooden suspension connected for the steeds gave access to the valley.
Go on a trip through Whanganui
This river has a length of 290 kilometers, and is deemed to be one of the longest rivers of the whole country. Here, you can experience a 90-mile canoe or kayak experience, as if you were deep in the forests of a large national park. This tour offers all the natural wonders, without the need to walk. Drifting on the river through the steep gorges there are more than 200 rapids to navigate over them. This adventure is not difficult since they are fully adapted for beginners. During your trip, you will not find shops, roads or houses.
