Whanganui Regional Museum.

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Whanganui Regional Museum

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Spend an hour or two in one of NZ’s better natural history museums. Te Atihaunui-a-Pāpārange Māori exhibits include an amazing waka (canoe), fire-hardened here (bird spears) and some vicious-looking mere (greenstone clubs). Colonial and wildlife installations are upstairs, including plenty of fossils and skeletons. Don't miss the amazing old photos of Māori life along the Whanganui River in the early 1900s.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Ward Observatory

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2. New Zealand Glassworks

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The pick of Whanganui's many glass studios. Watch glass-blowers working, check out the gallery, take a one-day glass-blowing course ($290, four people max…

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4. Whanganui Riverboat Centre

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8. Putiki Church

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