Whanganui National Park, National park in Manawatū-Whanganui Region, New Zealand
Whanganui National Park covers 742 km² along both banks of the Whanganui River in the North Island, established in 1986 from Crown land, former state forest and reserves. The river itself lies outside the park. Lowland podocarp-hardwood forest of kāmahi, tawa, rimu, mīro and tōtara covers most of the land, with kahikatea, mataī and nīkau palm near the water and northern rātā throughout.
The park was established in 1986 to protect ancient Māori settlements and traditional pathways that served as important transportation routes for centuries. The river itself has been a vital link for human movement and cultural exchange since pre-European times.
Māori called the river corridor 'the plaited rope of Hinengākau', after a Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi ancestor, and pā lined the banks throughout what is now the park. From the 1840s, Christian communities built chapels along the river, and followers of the Pai Mārire religion settled nearby. At Tīeke Marae/Kāinga, re-established in the early 1990s by Tamahaki descendants, the site is co-managed by the Department of Conservation and Te Whānau o Tieke and can be booked year round.
The park offers multiple entry points with hiking trails, camping facilities, and river activities, with the main access near the town of Whanganui. Plan your visit during drier months when trail conditions are better and river activities are safer to enjoy.
The Whanganui River received legal status as a person in 2017, a globally rare decision that reflects how indigenous views of nature are being written into law. This recognition stands as an extraordinary example of how traditional knowledge shapes contemporary environmental protection.
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