Parikino, Whanganui: Settlement Guide to River Road and Marae Life

Last updated October 2026

Parikino is a small marae settlement on Whanganui River Road, upriver from Whanganui in the Whanganui District. It sits among river flats and hill-country farmland, with Parikino Pā at the centre of community life for Ngāti Hinearo of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi.

The original fortified pā stood across the Whanganui River; people later moved to the agricultural land where the settlement now stands.

The road through Parikino continues toward other river kāinga, including Pungarehu, Ātene and Koriniti, and toward Whanganui National Park much further upstream. There is no township centre. This is a rural settlement shaped by the awa, the marae and surrounding farms, and people passing on the River Road will see a working landscape rather than shops or a visitor centre.

Official Locality Facts

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About Parikino

Whanganui District Council groups Parikino with the district’s marae-based river settlements, alongside Kaiwhaiki, Pungarehu, Ātene, Koriniti, Matahiwi, Ranana and Jerusalem.

Much of the district is rough hill country around the valley of the Whanganui River, and Parikino belongs to that pattern: farms on the flats and slopes, and a road that is the practical link back to the city. It is not part of Whanganui National Park. The park and the end of the Whanganui Journey lie well upstream, around Pipiriki.

Parikino Pā, at 909 Whanganui River Road, is the marae of Ngāti Hinearo, a hapū of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi. Māori Maps records two wharenui, Te Aroha and Wharewhiti, and links the marae to the waka Aotea, the maunga Ruapehu and the awa Whanganui.

Council landscape work for this rohe also names Ngāti Tuera alongside Ngāti Hinearo, and records that the hapū regard the whole landscape as significant, not only sites marked on a plan. The same council material points to Te Awa Tupua, the legal personhood of the Whanganui River, as the framework councils are expected to recognise along the awa.

Pungarehu, about 3 kilometres south, is a separate marae settlement. Its meeting house Maranganui Tuarua was built for Ngāti Tuera by the carver Hōri Pukehika. Together these kāinga mark a stretch of river where hapū life, rather than a commercial strip, is what defines the place.

Day to day, Parikino is quiet. There is no local shopping strip, and the school that once stood here has closed. A sports day built around horseback competitions and family activities has been part of local life since 1928, with farm work traditionally set aside for the day.

People travelling the River Road are passing through a living community. The marae is not a public museum, and a visit should be arranged rather than assumed.

History and Heritage

Parikino began as a fortified pā in 1845, established as security against a possible raid by a Ngāti Tūwharetoa taua.

The people of that pā later shifted to unfortified agricultural land across the river, which is the relationship between the original site and the settlement on the road today. A sketch by the missionary Richard Taylor is one of the early images of the pā on the river.

During the New Zealand Wars, militia and military settlers built the Parikino Redoubt in 1865 on the river flat west of the awa. Department of Conservation records describe it as a work to secure river communication after the April 1865 advance to Pipiriki. On 13 August 1865 local troops were replaced by men of the 14th Regiment.

A contemporary description noted a redoubt near the bank, commanded by a hill on the opposite side, with the parapet raised and loopholed on that face. The site is recorded in the district archaeological inventory. It is not a signposted park, and earthworks on private or unmarked land should be left undisturbed.

A school at Parikino opened in 1874. In 1963 the photographer Ans Westra made a series of photographs of children and teachers at Parikino Māori School. Parikino School later closed and, from 2006, merged with the schools at Pipiriki and Ranana.

The district archaeological record also notes a pā at Parikino, described as a low-lying site using ditch and bank defences together with the stream and river, and a separate defensive pā and redoubt entry. These are heritage records, not visitor facilities.

Getting Around

The only practical public access is Whanganui River Road. It leaves the city and follows the river north through the outlying settlements. Traffic is local and visitor traffic heading further up the valley. Whanganui’s urban bus network, including routes through Aramoho, Whanganui East and Pūtiki, does not serve Parikino, so a private vehicle or bicycle is the realistic way in.

The same road is the Whanganui River Road section of the Mountains to Sea cycle trail, Ngā Ara Tūhono, which runs on from Ūpokongaro. Riders and drivers share a rural river road, so cyclists should expect farm traffic and winding sections rather than a separated path.

Further up the road, the Atene Viewpoint Walk is a short Department of Conservation walk with views over the river and toward Whanganui National Park. It is a separate stop, not a track starting in Parikino.

There is no public wharf, visitor centre or formed riverside reserve described for the settlement. The river itself is the defining feature, but this page is about the settlement, not a swimming or paddling guide. Anyone on the awa should follow local conditions and the tikanga of river hapū.

Where to Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Parikino?
Parikino is a rural settlement in the Whanganui District, on Whanganui River Road upriver from Whanganui.

Which iwi and hapū are connected with Parikino?
Parikino Pā is the marae of Ngāti Hinearo, a hapū of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi. Council records also name Ngāti Tuera in this rohe. The marae connects to the waka Aotea, maunga Ruapehu and the Whanganui River.

How do I get to Parikino?
Drive north from Whanganui on Whanganui River Road. Urban buses do not run to the settlement. The River Road section of the Mountains to Sea cycle trail also passes this way.

Is there a school in Parikino?
No. Parikino School opened in 1874 and closed in 2006, when it merged with Pipiriki School and Ranana School.

Can I visit Parikino Marae?
Parikino Pā is a living marae, not a public museum. Contact the marae before visiting. Māori Maps publishes the address 909 Whanganui River Road and a general phone number of (06) 342 5819.

What is the Parikino Sports Day?
It is a local tradition of horseback competitions and family activities, held since 1928, when farm work was traditionally set aside for the day. Check locally before travelling for a particular gathering.

Is Parikino inside Whanganui National Park?
No. It is a farming and marae settlement on the river road below the park. The road continues upriver toward Ātene, Koriniti and, much further on, Pipiriki.

What is the Parikino Redoubt?
It is a New Zealand Wars earthwork west of the river, built in 1865 to help secure communication after the advance to Pipiriki. It is an archaeological site, not a signposted attraction, and should be left undisturbed.

Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.

Explore Whanganui only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Parikino is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.