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The historic riverside city
of Wanganui straddles New Zealand’s longest navigable river the Whanganui.
First settled by Europeans in 1831 and known as Petre until 1854, the city
quickly grew and saw a golden age of paddle steamers plying the scenic
waters until the 1940’s. The provincial city of 39,000 residents owes its
prosperity to the fertile countryside that first attracted the European
settlers more than 150 years ago. The area has an extensive agricultural
base as well as some engineering and port industry. Wanganui boasts some of
New Zealand’s most prestigious and imaginative educational institutions;
Wanganui
Collegiate,
Wanganui Girls School and,
Wanganui School of Design and
UCOL
Polytechnic.
Wanganui retains its delightful historic charm in the colourful
streetscape along Victoria Avenue and in its well kept Queens Garden which
boasts the impressive
Sarjeant Gallery. Views from the Durie Hill Elevator Tower are
unbeatable. A visit to the
Whanganui Riverboat
Centre and a paddle upstream are a must. Hikers and kayakers will be
amazed at the scenic wonders to be discovered further up the river and in
the untouched wilderness of
Whanganui National Park.
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