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The Whanganui District is deep in history and tradition. Ever since the ancient Māori prophets journeyed these pathways, Māori have maintained a deeply spiritual connection with the land and the river.
‘E rere kau mai te awanui,
mai te kahui maunga ki Tangaroa,
Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au’ |
This is the whakatauki (proverb) that defines the Maori people (iwi) of the Whanganui River and region. Translated it means,
‘The great river flows from the mountains to the sea I am the river, the river is me.’
“From the sacred mountains of the Central Plateau, the Whanganui River begins its journey of nearly 300 kilometres when it is eventually released into the Tasman Sea, off the western coastline of Wanganui… along its length the people of Te Atihaunui a Paparangi (Whanganui iwi) have descended for over 40 generations.”
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