Wanganui Overview

Home to an art school, an opera house, and a regional museum, Wanganui (pop. 43,000) merges bohemian mentality with historic sensibility to create the most funky and cosmopolitan spirit in the region. Despite its welcoming charm, vestiges of colonial animosity linger passively in the background. Tensions between Maori and European cultures are apparent in the grassroots movement among locals to restore the “h” to the town’s name—Anglicized in the early 20th century. Regardless, Wanganui remains a pleasant stop for a stroll by the Whanganui River.

• Buses: InterCity stops at the Wanganui Travel Centre, 156 Ridgway St. (☎345 4433). Open M-F 8:15am-5:15pm. Buses leave for: Auckland (8hr., 2-3 per day, $72) via Hamilton (6hr., $53); New Plymouth (2hr., 1-2 per day, $30); Palmerston North (1hr.; M-F 3-4 per day, Sa-Su 2-3 per day; $17); Wellington (3hr., 2-3 per day, $35). White Star Buses operates from the i-Site (☎347 6677) to New Plymouth (2hr., 2 per day, $27) and Wellington (4hr., 2 per day, $36).
• Public Transportation: Tranzit CityLink (☎345 7100) handles bus transport to Castlecliff Beach and the suburbs. All buses depart from Maria Pl. between Victoria Ave. and Saint Hill St. and run until early evening ($2).
• Taxis: River City Cabs (☎0800 345 333) and Wanganui Taxis (☎343 555).
• Car Rental: Rent-A-Dent, 26 Churton St. (☎345 1505). Economy cars $45 per day plus 100km. Free insurance. Open M-F 7am-5:30pm, Sa 7:30am-5pm, Su 8am-1pm. MC/V.
• Hitchhiking: Though Let’s Go doesn’t recommend hitching, hitchers often head to the outskirts of town. People traveling toward Taranaki do so by way of Great North Rd., toward Ruapehu by way of Anzac Pde., and toward Wellington by way of Main South Rd.

Orientation And Practical Information

Wanganui rests at the junction of SH3 and SH4; the latter is called Anzac Parade in the city and runs alongside the east bank of the Whanganui River. (Taupo Quay and Somme Parade follow a similar course on the west bank.) They’re linked by Victoria Avenue, which runs perpendicular to the river and is the town’s main street.

• Visitors Center: Wanganui i-Site, 101 Guyton St. (☎349 0508; www.wanganuinz.com), near Saint Hill St. next to the District Council. Open M-F 8:30am-5pm, Sa-Su 9am-3pm. Extended hours in summer.
• DOC: 74 Ingestre St. (☎348 8475), at the corner of Saint Hill St. Open M-F 8:30am-4:30pm.
• Banks: Money ebbs and flows along Victoria Ave. at BNZ, ANZ, Westpac Trust, and National Bank (all with ATMs). Most open M-F 9am-4:30pm.
• Police: 10 Bell St. (☎349 0600).
• Medical Services: Wanganui Hospital (☎348 1234) on Heads Rd.Esquilant Unichem Pharmacy, 145 Victoria Ave. (☎345 7529). Open M-F 8:30am-5pm, Sa 9am-2pm. After-hours service at Wanganui City Doctors, 163 Wicksteed St. (☎348 8333).
• Post Office: Main Branch, 226 Victoria Ave. (☎345 4103). Open M-F 8:30am-5pm.
• Internet Access: Available at the library, in Queens Park (☎345 1000; $2 per 1st 15min., $1 per 15min. thereafter; open M-F 9am-8pm, Sa 9am-4:30pm, Su 11am-4:30pm), and at the i-Site for $4 per hr.

Accommodations And Camping

Most of Wanganui’s backpackers and campsites are rooted on the riverbanks beside English oak trees.

• The Tamara Backpackers Hostel (BBH), 24 Somme Pde. (☎347 6300; www.tamaralodge.com), 5min. from the center of town. Amiable hostel with heated rooms, river views, and lounges. A guitar, piano, and pool table provide amusement. Free pickup and local calls. Linen $1. Key deposit $10. 4-bed dorms $22; singles $38; twins and doubles $48, with bath $58; triples $66; quads $86. Cash only.
• Braemar House (YHA), 2 Plymouth St. (☎347 2529; www.braemarhouse.co.nz), 5-10min. from the center of town. The intensity of the pink exterior has faded over the years, but the B&B vibe of this century-old Victorian house still spills over into the backpackers units. Dorms $22; doubles $50; B&B singles $55, doubles $80. Tent sites $12. Cash only.
• Wanganui River Top 10 Holiday Park, 460 Somme Pde. (☎343 8402 or 0800 272 664; www.wrivertop10.co.nz), 7km from the center of town. “Aramoho” bus stops at the gate. Sidle up to the river in this tranquil setting shielded from the road by tall pines. Spa $5 per 30min. Kayak trips from $40. Linen $4. 2-person cabins $50, with kitchen $60; 2-person motel units $110. Powered sites $17. MC/V.
• Crellow House B&B, 274 Taupo Quay (☎345 0740), 1.5km southwest of the town center. The 3 rooms share a bathroom, but the riverside location and impressive international cheese dish collection make communal rituals a pleasure. Free laundry. Rooms $45; double $65. MC/V.

Food And Nightlife

Eateries cluster around Victoria Avenue and its sidestreets from the river to Guyton Street. Whip up your own dish after a stop at Countdown Foods, at Taupo Quay and Saint Hill St. (☎345 8720. Open daily 7am-9pm.)

• Red Eye Cafe, 96 Guyton St. (☎345 5646). Secondhand furniture, funky blues, and streamers above create a bohemian atmosphere. Brunch $8-12. Curries $19. Open M-W 8am-3:30pm, Th 8am-10:30pm, F 8am-late, Sa 9:30am-late. MC/V.
• Amadeus Riverbank Cafe, 69 Taupo Quay (☎345 1538). Delicious burgers, salads, and sandwiches ($7-16) satisfy salt-receiving tastebuds. Sweets from the Calorie Gallery ($4-6) and river views top it all off. Open daily 8:30am-4pm. Cash only.
• Kebabholic, 155 Victoria Ave. (☎348 8332). Popular with the hungry teen set. Expect cheap and filling although not the most savory kebabs ($7.50-8.50.) Lamb kebabs $10-12. Open daily 10:30am-9:30pm. Cash only.
• Ceramic/Orange, 51 Victoria Ave. (☎348 4449). The nighttime navy blue interior of the jazzy wine bar complements the daytime bright orange decor of the cafe. Brunch $9-10. Panini $6. Tapas $13. Mains $23-25. No cover.

Sights And Outdoor Activities

Before heading out into the wilderness, get your bearings and survey the land from the top of the Durie Hill Lookout Tower. The journey begins from Anzac Pde. at the base of Victoria Ave. where a long tunnel takes you 205m into the hill. An elevator whisks you 66m up through the hill, depositing you at the top. (Elevator runs M-F 7:30am-6pm, Sa 9am-5pm, Su 10am-5pm. One-way $1.) But why stop there? Climb the nearby 34m Durie Hill Memorial Tower for the ultimate view. The P.S. Waimarie navigates the silty Wahanganui waters from a closer distance. Built in 1899, the restored paddle steamer—the last in New Zealand—chugs from the Whanganui Riverboat Centre 16km up the river. (☎783 2637; www.wanganui.org.nz/riverboats. 2hr. round-trip departs daily Nov.-Apr.; May-Oct. Sa-Su. $30.) Fifteen kilometers north of town off SH4, the narrow and winding 79km River Road also heads upriver and makes a good daytrip.

Get your fill of culture in Queens Park, a block away from Victoria Ave. Overlooking the green hills is the reflective white-domed exterior of Sarjeant Gallery, notable for its collection of 19th-century and contemporary regional and British art. (☎349 0506; www.sarjeant.org.nz. Open daily 10:30am-4pm. Donation appreciated.) Just steps away, modernity gives way to Maori history at the Whanganui Regional Museum. Its “Te Ati Haunui a Paparangi” gallery (a place for people to “anchor their canoes”) houses the largest surviving waka taua (war canoe) in the region. (☎349 1110; www.wanganui-museum.org.nz. Open daily 10am-4:30pm. Free.)

Sports enthusiasts circle Cooks Gardens, on Maria Pl., home to a rugby pitch, one of two wooden cycling velodromes in New Zealand, and a running track that was the site of Peter Snell’s world-record mile . For recreational water action, head to one of the local beaches. Castlecliff Beach, where the river meets the sea, is notable for black sand and good surf. To get there, take Taupo Quay West to Heads Rd. and continue another 9km. Alternatively, head for Maria Pl. in town and catch the bus. Farther up the coast, Kai Iwi Beach also has good swells and attracts locals who wish to avoid the crowds, but is not accessible by public transport. Mountain bikers in the area get their kicks on a host of rugged single-track trails built by the Wanganui Mountain Bike Club up the river at Hylton Park in Aramoho.

The Blooming Artz Festival, a celebration of visual arts, occurs in September of odd-numbered years, whereas the Wanganui Arts Festival features performing arts and occurs at the end of February in even-numbered years. Every Boxing Day, accommodations fill to the brim, and the town is rattled to its bones by the grave-rumbling Cemetery Circuit Motorcycle Race.