Landscape and the river
The River is a person : “I am the river, and the river is me” The Whanganui River has gained its own legal identity with all the corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a legal person. Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) established the river as an indivisible and living whole from the mountains to the sea.
The road is approximately 79 km in length and is carved from the cliffs surrounding the river. It is the only scenic driving route alongside a river in New Zealand. Sections of the road are gravel. Wanganui River road is a trip from mountains to the sea, it is a trip into the history of settlement of New Zealand reaching back 900 years. A special journey for New Zealanders. Visitors are invited to explore Aotearoa NZ, its timeless landscapes and human connections reaching back into time.