A few months in the past, I reconnected with a good friend, Nikki, right here in New Zealand. Nikki attended one of many on-line bootcamps I used to co-run, the place we taught individuals easy methods to construct a profession in journey or begin their companies. Last 12 months she and her companion determined to go away Wellington and head a few hours north to Whanganui, the place they’ve simply opened their boutique gin distillery, Papaiti Gin.
Whanganui sits midway between Wellington and Taranaki on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, one of many nation’s oldest cities. As we yarned on a Zoom name, I used to be instantly struck by how cool Whanganui sounded. My author’s ears perked proper up, listening to issues like a foodie scene, avenue artwork, cool nature, and inventive people. I needed to go.
Over the years, I’ve handed via Whanganui, however I’ve by no means truly frolicked there. And I’ve been right here a very long time, and I’ve been in every single place, and it’s not usually that I really feel shocked by a vacation spot anymore. And guys, wow, Whanganui shocked me a lot! It was time to go to Whanganui correctly.
I don’t assume I can emphasize sufficient simply how essential the Whanganui River is, each prior to now, current, and future. In reality, it’s so essential that in 2017 the Whanganui River was acknowledged in New Zealand legislation as a dwelling being with authorized personhood.
For Māori, the Whanganui River has lengthy been an important supply of meals, transport, and a non secular house. It’s been settled for practically one thousand years. Once Europeans arrived, they eliminated many constructions alongside the river the place Māori caught eels so their steamboats may journey additional. The Whanganui River is one among New Zealand’s oldest tourism facilities, with guests for the reason that late nineteenth century. On your journey to go to Whanganui, you have to spend a while on the river.
There is a widely known Māori whakataukī (proverb) that ends:
‘E rere kau mai te Āwanui,
Mai i te Kāhui maunga ki Tangaroa
Ko au te awa ko te awa ko au.’
“The great river flows from the mountains to the sea. I am the river; the river is me.”
Anyways, add Whanganui, New Zealand, to your bucket record ASAP. It’s not usually that I stumble throughout a spot that surprises me as a lot as Whanganui did. A visible feast, it’s acquired all the things I really like in a single place: epic nature, unbelievable historical past and tradition, nice foodie spots, and a thriving arts scene.
Whanganui was all the things Nikki described and extra. It’s good! When you consider a spot that’s up and coming, that is it.
I’ve acquired heaps of tales to share about my week-long journey right here; to go to Whanganui is to be delighted and shocked. Here are 30 of my favourite photographs from the journey – get pleasure from.
Spend a while on the enduring Whanganui River
New Zealand’s longest-navigable river is among the most extraordinary pure areas within the nation.
Here you’ve got the perfect of all the things from historical past and tradition to unimaginable nature, all linked by the longest navigable river within the nation. Clocking in at 290 kilometers lengthy, additionally it is formally one among New Zealand’s Great Walks, however as a substitute of mountaineering on land, the Whanganui Journey is a Great Walk on water.
You can paddle it in a Canadian-style canoe over three or 5 days staying in DOC huts alongside the best way. This will not be a visit for solo vacationers or those that aren’t robust swimmers, can paddle for hours and hours, or don’t have canoe/kayak expertise. But one of the simplest ways to expertise the river is on a guided journey.
I used to be fortunate sufficient to hitch in on a neighborhood Māori-owned and operated three-day journey with Whanganui River Adventures. We didn’t get so fortunate as we occurred to time it with the arrival of that massive, uncommon cyclone that hit Auckland and the North Island this summer time. We acquired in the future of paddling in earlier than the river flooded in a single day, and we needed to abort. At least this provides me a giant purpose to return again!
Another nice approach to get on the river nearer to city is to hop on the Waimarie, New Zealand’s solely coal-fired paddle steamer working from the golden riverboat period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They even have nice sustainability values.
Sleep within the Ioana Tiny House – a ship changed into a house
It’s not on daily basis you get to remain in a historic boat that’s been transformed into a contemporary and trendy tiny house. The Iona Tiny House was delivered to life by native architect Elinor and sits alongside the banks of the Whanganui River, proper throughout from the middle of city. You’ve acquired metropolis and nature proper in your doorstep right here, actually.
Made from the timber hull of the Iona, a historic boat, it’s one of the vital attention-grabbing and inventive locations I’ve stayed in New Zealand! With all of the trimmings and comforts you count on in a really cool setup, it’s good. And did I point out the wood outside spa?
Normally I get to remain in these locations for just one or two nights, however I spent practically per week right here. It was robust to go away.
Meander via Bushy Park in search of birds
Coming off the Whanganui River early meant that I had additional time on my palms. What would I seek for first? Native birds, after all.
Whanganui is house to one of many coolest predator-free ecosanctuaries in New Zealand: Bushy Park. I’d by no means heard of it, and it’s free! You can even drive contained in the reserve, which is uncommon for locations like this. Bushy Park is a must-do when you’re eager to go to Whanganui and love wildlife.
Since I had no expectations, I used to be utterly blown away by this place. It was magical! And I had all of it to myself. With a number of kilometers of strolling tracks via Bushy Park, there’s one thing for everybody. You’ll additionally see a few of our rarer birds, together with the hihi/stitchbird and tīeke/saddlebacks. It’s additionally house to Ratanui, the biggest rata tree in New Zealand.
Take a gin crafting class with Papaiti Gin
No one has been extra enthusiastic in regards to the gin growth than me over time. While I can’t fairly put my finger on the 12 months, I noticed I simply couldn’t drink something candy anymore; I bear in mind falling in love with gin in Spain. And boutique and small-batch distilleries? Well, these are my fave.
I used to be so stoked to listen to Nikki take the leap of religion and open her personal gin distillery in Whanganui. When they moved as much as Whanganui from Wellington again in 2021, their home got here with pear orchards. Unsure of what to do with the fruit, the thought to launch a gin distillery appeared, they usually haven’t appeared again since.
Freshly open and working, Papaiti Gin options botanicals that replicate the land the place they craft it, akin to kawakawa, lemon, quince, basil, rose hip, stinging nettle, and, after all, pears. Papaiti is a small space of land above Aramoho on the appropriate financial institution of the Whanganui River. My favourite of their gins is certainly the Potager, which has essentially the most superb citrus style.
They provide a gin crafting expertise, which I heartily signed up for. It was a lot enjoyable making an attempt to select the botanicals, and I cherished to whip up my very own batch. It didn’t prove half dangerous, both!
Check out the superb Whanganui Regional Museum
Ok, hear, guys. I do know I’m a nerd. I really like native museum. And the Whanganui Regional Museum is spectacular. And it’s free. Home to an unimaginable taonga Māori assortment of artwork, historic objects, and Lindauer portraits. And upstairs, it has essentially the most epic assortment of moa bones, the massive flightless extinct birds that after roamed New Zealand. I used to be blown away. I spent three hours right here and broke my “no more buying new books” rule on the present store.
And simply so as to add to that, one thing I realized about Whanganui is easy methods to pronounce it accurately. In New Zealand, we study largely that in te reo Māori (Māori language), the letter mixture “wh” is pronounced as an “f.” However, the native dialect right here drops the “h” and pronounces it as “Wanganui.”
Now, it is a gross oversimplification, however right here we go. Now some older pākehā (white kiwis) are nonetheless, properly, fairly racist and refuse to pronounce issues accurately with the “f” sound for “wh,” in addition to worldwide guests who simply don’t know.
And then the remainder of us who pronounce them as we now have realized to, with the “f” sound for “wh.” But then you definitely go to Whanganui, and it’s pronounced as a “w,” so that you get woke individuals like me making an attempt tremendous exhausting to say all the things accurately, but nonetheless messing it up. But now you realize. It’s appropriate to check with “Whanganui” as “Wanganui” when spoken. No “f” sounds on this a part of the woods.
Get misplaced within the Paloma Gardens
As somebody borderline obsessive about botanic gardens, I couldn’t consider my eyes once I stepped contained in the Paloma Gardens outdoors Whanganui for the primary time. How had I by no means heard of this wonderland? It completely ought to have been in my guide!
Here Nicki and Clive Higgie have spent over 30 years creating and sculpting one of the vital spectacular gardens within the nation. $10 money in an honesty field will allow you to in, and when you’re like me, I wandered for hours and didn’t see one other particular person. If you need to go to Whanganui and see the inexperienced aspect of the realm, make sure to head right here.
Check out the superb avenue artwork
I’ve all the time thought a metropolis that invests in avenue artwork is a extremely cool metropolis. After a number of festivals over the previous few years, well-known avenue artists have flocked to create unimaginable murals across the previous metropolis heart.
Additionally, among the finest methods to discover downtown Whanganui is by wandering round and testing the road artwork. How many can you discover?
Indulge within the rising foodie scene
I don’t assume I had a foul meal or a foul espresso the whole time I went to go to Whanganui. I positively overdid it with the meals, although!
- Favorite espresso: Article Cafe
- Favorite brekkie: Little Curious Bagels
- Favorite lunch: Mud Ducks
- Favorite dinner: Maria Lane Eatery
- Favorite bar: Porridge Watson
Make a paperweight at New Zealand Glassworks
There won’t be one other glassblowing studio in New Zealand the place you possibly can pop in and do an hour-long workshop to make your personal glass paperweight. You’ll love making one thing with glass when you’re something like me. There’s one thing so mesmerizing about it, and it’s actually lovely.
The artists at New Zealand Glassworks are world-famous, and their work is unimaginable, which you’ll recognize all of the extra after trying to make a paperweight.
Their paperweight glassblowing workshops refill quick, so get in fast.
Take within the buzzing artwork scene
Whanganui is house to a whole bunch of working artists, and it has a really artistic vibe to it that you simply’ll decide up instantly. And the artwork scene is barely rising. It additionally feels recent, welcoming, and thrilling, such as you’re discovering new galleries and artists to comply with.
Also, there are heaps of nice artwork galleries and two spectacular artwork museums: The Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua and Quartz Museum of Studio Ceramics.
Climb up the Durie Hill Tower for the perfect views of Whanganui
Durie Hill is a cute little suburb overlooking Whanganui and is house to the one underground and public transport elevator in New Zealand. Over a century previous, you stroll down an extended tunnel on the backside of the hill earlier than hopping on the elevator – $2 every means. The Durie Hill elevator is an iconic vacationer attraction if you wish to go to Whanganui, however locals additionally use it to get house.
The views on the high are superb, however be sure to climb the 113-meter-tall tower, which serves as a battle memorial to the 513 individuals from Whanganui who died in WWI.
Head to the seaside for sundown
Finally, it’s straightforward to think about the river when you think about Whanganui, but it surely additionally sits proper up alongside a reasonably stretch of shoreline. With three nice seashores a simple distance from town, you’ve acquired a little bit of all the things: South Beach, Kai Iwi Beach, and Castlecliff Beach.
Most are patrolled in summer time with lifeguards, and they’re lovely to stroll alongside for sundown.
Have you been eager to go to Whanganui? Have you been earlier than? Spill.
Many due to Whanganui and Partners for internet hosting me on this superb journey – like all the time, I’m maintaining it actual. All opinions are my very own, like you possibly can count on much less from me.