The road to Pipiriki - Manawatu-Wanganui

Allow a couple of hours for the 80 kilometre journey from Wanganui to Pipiriki - not because the road is particularly slow, but because there's a lot to see along the way. The road follows the Whanganui River, ensuring a constant stream of beautiful scenery. First place of interest is the Kawana Flourmill and Millers Cottage. Built in 1854, Kawana was the most successful of the flour mills that operated on the river. The next highlight is the fascinating village of Jerusalem (Hiruharama). Originally a larger Maori village known as Patiarero, Jerusalem was once home to famous New Zealand poet James K. Baxter and Sister Mary Aubert, whose Catholic mission remains there to this day.At Pipiriki you can visit the Colonial House, a museum that has many exhibits on the history of the Whanganui River. Another interesting sight is the restored riverboat MV Ongarue, which plied the river from 1903 to 1959. From Pipiriki you can organise a jet boat tour to the Bridge to Nowhere. Marooned in the forest, this bridge was built across the Mangapurua Gorge to give access to an isolated farming settlement that was finally abandoned in 1942.