Māori Culture in Whanganui
Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Te Awa Tupua, Pākaitore and Pūtiki, the River Road marae and what Whanganui means.
Whanganui is the home of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, the people of the Whanganui River. Their saying puts the river at the centre: Ko au te Awa, ko te Awa ko au, I am the River and the River is me. Here’s where to experience Māori culture in Whanganui: taonga at the museum, Pākaitore and Pūtiki, the River Road, marae, events, the iwi, Te Awa Tupua, te reo and what the name means.
What Whanganui means
Te Ara says the name of the Whanganui River means “the great harbour”, probably for its broad tidal lower reaches. Another telling links it to Tamatea, who left his servant at the river mouth while he explored upriver: from whanga nui, a long wait. The town was called Wanganui for many years, the version European settlers heard.
Pūtiki
Across the river from the city. Te Ara gives the name as the place where Tamatea tied his topknot with flax.
Pākaitore
The riverside place where Māori distributed their fish catch and later traded. Named Moutoa Gardens after the 1864 battle at Moutoa Island.
Te Awa Tupua
The river as an indivisible and living whole, from the mountains to the sea, with all its physical and metaphysical elements.
Puanga
The star Rigel. Whanganui iwi look to its rising to mark the Māori new year.
Ways to experience Māori culture in Whanganui
See taonga at the museum, drive or canoe the river with local guides, and visit places of significance at your own pace. Check with each operator for dates and prices.
Experiences and museums
Whanganui Regional Museum
The museum calls itself a bicultural waharoa (gateway) to the region’s social and natural histories. Admission is free, and koha is always appreciated. A one-hour guided highlights tour of the taonga collection costs $20 per person, by appointment.
Plan your visitSarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua
The heritage gallery has a new wing named Te Pātaka o Tā Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa. Entry is free, and donations are appreciated.
Plan your visitWhanganui Tours
The Original Mail Tour travels the Whanganui River Road by road, with morning tea, for $90 per person. Their full-day Discover Te Awa Tupua trip combines cycling, canoeing from Koriniti to Ātene and Māori storytelling, $430 per person including an e-bike, minimum four people.
Find out moreAlexander Heritage & Research Library
Known in te reo Māori as Te Rerenga mai o te Kāuru, the heritage branch of Whanganui District Library, for local history, whakapapa and archives.
Read our guideAt your own pace
Pākaitore (Moutoa Gardens)
Te Ara describes Pākaitore as the riverside place where Māori distributed their fish catch and later traded with the townspeople. In 1995 it was occupied for 79 days.
Te AraSt Paul’s Memorial Church, Pūtiki
Consecrated in 1937 and the fifth church on the Pūtiki mission site, it has fine Māori carving and tukutuku inside. It is a working church: check with the parish before you visit.
Read our guideWaitaha Pā Track
A short, steep walk to a small historic pā site with a lookout over the Whanganui River valley. DOC calls it a culturally significant site, so treat it with respect. Dogs on a leash only.
Read our guideWhanganui River Road
The road follows the river past the marae settlements of Parikino, Ātene, Koriniti, Matahiwi, Rānana and Hiruhārama. The marae are homes and community places, not stops: enjoy them from the road unless you are invited.
Read our guideWhanganui Journey and Tīeke Kāinga
DOC’s river Great Walk. Tīeke Kāinga is a functioning marae as well as a hut, and DOC asks paddlers to avoid alcohol and smoking on the awa and at Tīeke.
Read our guideRātana
The village grew on the farm of Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana and is the headquarters of the Rātana Church, formed in 1925. A living religious community first.
Read our guideJoin in
Learn te reo Māori
Classroom courses at the Whanganui campus with no fees, from beginner level.
See the classesRespect Te Awa Tupua
The river is a legal person under the Te Awa Tupua Act. In January, sections are reserved for the iwi’s Tira Hoe Waka.
What it meansMāori events through the year
Tira Hoe Waka
The iwi’s annual two-week river wānanga, paddling from Taumarunui to Whanganui. Sections of the river are reserved for the Tira while it passes, so check closures if you plan to be on the river in January. In 2026 it ran from 5 to 19 January.
Waitangi Day
A public holiday on 6 February. Check local listings for commemorations in Whanganui.
Puanga
Whanganui iwi mark the Māori new year by the rising of Puanga (Rigel), with dawn karakia by the river and on Ruapehu. The date moves with the star.
Matariki public holiday
Matariki falls on Friday 25 June in 2027.
Marae in Whanganui and on the river
Marae are the gathering places of hapū and iwi. They are not visitor attractions: you visit a marae when you’re invited, or by arrangement with the marae, often with a group, a school or an event. Each marae has its own kawa (protocol), so ask your hosts what they expect.
Parikino
A marae of Ngāti Hinearo and Ngāti Tuera, with the wharenui Te Aroha / Ko Wharewhiti.
Read our guideTe Ara notes that the meeting house at Pūtiki, Te Paku-o-te-Rangi, replaced an earlier house destroyed in an 1891 flood, and links Te Ao Hou at Aramoho with Ngā Paerangi as well as Ngāti Tūpoho and Ngāti Rangi.
Along the river
Te Kāhui Māngai lists more marae of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi along the Whanganui River Road and the river.
- Pungarehu (Maranganui Tuarua)
- Kākata (Ātene) (Te Rangi-i-heke-iho)
- Ōtukopiri (Koriniti) (Te Waiherehere and Poutama)
- Ōhotu (Matahiwi) (Tānewai)
- Ruakā (Rānana) (Te Morehu)
- Te Pou o Rongo (Rānana) (Tūmanako)
- Patiarero (Hiruhārama) (Whiritaunoka)
- Paraweka (Pipiriki) (Pire Kiore)
West and south
Ngā Rauru Kītahi have three marae at Kai Iwi, on Rangitatau East Road: Kai Iwi (Awhakaueroa), Taipakē and Te Aroha (Te Kotahitanga). Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa have Tini Waitara Marae (Te Horo Taraipi) at Turakina. Our Turakina guide.
How a welcome usually goes
- GatherThe visitors gather together outside the marae before the welcome begins. Don’t walk on until you’re called.
- KarangaA woman from the hosts calls you on, and a kaikaranga (caller) from your group answers. Walk on together as the calling continues.
- Whaikōrero and waiataSpeeches from hosts and visitors, each followed by a song.
- KohaA gift, usually money in an envelope, laid down by your last speaker.
- Hongi and harirūShake hands and press noses with the hosts.
- KaiA shared meal ends the welcome and lifts the tapu of the pōwhiri.
The iwi of the Whanganui River
Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi are the iwi of the river. Te Kāhui Māngai lists the Whanganui iwi rohe as including Te Atihaunui a Pāpārangi (Tamaupoko, Hinengākau and Tūpoho), Ngāti Hāua, Ngāti Rangi and Tamahaki. Te Ara tells how the three children of Tamakehu, Hinengākau of the upper river, Tama Ūpoko of the middle reaches and Tūpoho of the lower river, are bound together as te taura whiri a Hinengākau, the plaited rope of Hinengākau.
E rere kau mai te Awa nui 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 and the River is me. Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui
Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui
Established for the Whanganui River settlement. They describe Te Awa Tupua as the inseparability of the people and the River.
Their storyNgā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui
Their deed of settlement, He Rau Tukutuku, was signed at Kaiwhaiki Pā on 2 May 2026, and the settlement legislation passed its final reading on 3 September 2026. It includes $30 million in financial and commercial redress, $15.5 million for cultural revitalisation and 27 culturally significant sites.
Minister’s releaseNgā Rauru Kītahi
The iwi between Whanganui and Pātea, with marae at Kai Iwi, Waitōtara and Pātea. They signed a deed of settlement with the Crown in 2003.
Te Kāhui MāngaiNgā Wairiki Ngāti Apa
The iwi to the south-east, with Tini Waitara Marae at Turakina. They signed a deed of settlement with the Crown in 2008.
Te Kāhui MāngaiTe Awa Tupua: the river as a person
The Whanganui River is a legal person. The Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017, given assent on 20 March 2017, says Te Awa Tupua is a legal person with all the rights, powers, duties and liabilities of a legal person. It recognises Te Awa Tupua as an indivisible and living whole, from the mountains to the sea. The office of Te Pou Tupua acts as the human face of Te Awa Tupua. The river’s deed of settlement, Ruruku Whakatupua, was signed in August 2014.
Māori history and stories
Te Ara tells how Haunui-a-Pāpārangi arrived with Turi on the Aotea canoe, and how the 1864 battle on Moutoa Island was the most tragic clash between the lower and upper river. In 1995 the tribes occupied Pākaitore for 79 days to defend their claims.
Māori History in Whanganui
Whanganui’s Māori history, from the river ancestors to the iwi today.
Read the historyLearning te reo Māori in Whanganui
Te reo Māori learning for adults. Check each provider for the latest dates.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
Classroom courses at the campus include Te Kahupapa o te Reo (Level 1) and Te Pūtaketanga o te Reo (Level 3), both with no fees. The campus works with Te Puna Mātauranga o Whanganui, the iwi education authority.
Find out moreTe Ara Reo Māori
Part-time and full-time online courses from Level 1, with no fees.
See the coursesKōhanga reo
Kōhanga reo are Māori-language early learning centres. The Ministry of Education directory lists 16 in Whanganui District. Find one on the Kōhanga Reo National Trust map.
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Pirimai (Whanganui East)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Ngā Manu Tui (Aramoho)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Mangawhero Te Whare Pōtiki (Guyton Street)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Mangawhero (Guyton Street)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Kura Mahiao (Tainui Street)
- Te Heti Te Kohanga Reo (Castlecliff)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Puāwai o Te Aroha (Poutini Street)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Kaiwhāiki (Kaiwhāiki Marae)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Mere Te Aroha (Kaiwhāiki Road)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Parikino (Whanganui River Road)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Pūtiki Wharanui (Pūtiki)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Hunga Kāwitiwiti (Aramoho)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Reo Irirangi (Rangiora Street)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Tūtaramoana (Gonville)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Koriniti (Whanganui River Road)
- Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Rangahaua (Bell Street)
Kura: schools that teach in te reo Māori
TKKM o Te Atihaunui-A-Paparangi
Kura kaupapa Māori, full primary. All students taught in te reo Māori.
Read our school guideTKKM o Tupoho
Kura kaupapa Māori, composite school. All students taught in te reo Māori.
Read our school guideTe Kura o Te Wainui-ā-Rua
Composite school up the river. All students taught in te reo Māori.
Castlecliff School
The Ministry directory lists all students as taught in te reo Māori.
Read our school guideTawhero School
The Ministry directory lists some students as taught in te reo Māori.
Read our school guideMāori health and community services
Te Oranganui
A hauora hub with services including Healthy Families, disability support, mental health and addictions, and whānau and community health.
Find out moreAbout this page
Explore Whanganui is an independent local guide. This page draws on Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui, Te Kāhui Māngai, Te Ara, the Te Awa Tupua Act, DOC, Heritage New Zealand, Whanganui Regional Museum, the Ministry of Education and the operators’ own sites. Spotted something to add or correct? Let us know.
Frequently Asked Questions
What iwi is Whanganui?
Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, the iwi of the Whanganui River. Ngā Rauru Kītahi have marae at Kai Iwi, and Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa at Turakina.
What is Te Awa Tupua?
The Whanganui River as an indivisible and living whole, from the mountains to the sea. Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui describe it as the inseparability of the people and the River.
Which river in New Zealand is a legal person?
The Whanganui River. The Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017 says Te Awa Tupua is a legal person with all the rights, powers, duties and liabilities of a legal person.
What does Whanganui mean?
Te Ara says it means “the great harbour”, probably for the river’s broad tidal lower reaches. Another telling gives “long wait”, from Tamatea leaving his servant at the river mouth.
What does “Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au” mean?
I am the river and the river is me. It expresses the relationship between the Whanganui iwi and their river.
What is Pākaitore?
The riverside reserve also called Moutoa Gardens, on Taupō Quay. Te Ara says it was where Māori distributed their fish catch and later traded with the townspeople.
Why was Moutoa Gardens occupied in 1995?
Te Ara says the tribes occupied Pākaitore (Moutoa Gardens) for 79 days in 1995 to defend their claims.
What is Puanga?
The star Rigel. Whanganui iwi mark the Māori new year by its rising, where many other iwi look to Matariki.
Is the Whanganui Regional Museum free?
Yes. Admission is free and koha is appreciated. It is open daily 10am to 4.30pm, except Good Friday and Christmas Day.
Can you visit a marae on the Whanganui River?
Only by invitation or arrangement. On the Whanganui Journey, Tīeke Kāinga is a functioning marae as well as a DOC hut.
What is the Tira Hoe Waka?
The annual two-week river wānanga for descendants of the river iwi, paddling from Taumarunui to Whanganui in January.
Where can I learn te reo Māori in Whanganui?
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa runs classroom courses with no fees at its Whanganui campus on Victoria Avenue, and online courses.