Whanganui has been named one of New Zealand's top 10 visitor destinations.
The district has come in at eighth place in a poll conducted by Experience Oz, a leading Australian-based travel provider. It's the first time Whanganui has made the top 10.
Visit Whanganui was told a few weeks ago that the district was a finalist in the annual survey of New Zealand, Australian and international tourists.
In descending order, the top 10 are: Fiordland, Queenstown, Taupo, Taranaki, Nelson, Dunedin, Hanmer Springs, Whanganui, Central Otago and Bay of Plenty.
Experience Oz received close to 7000 votes in its month-long survey. Respondents were asked to consider - among other factors - the typical Kiwi nature of the destination, its unique natural highlights, the area's cultural, historic and architectural features, the variety of activities, whether it was over-commercialised, and if it was considered objectively "beautiful".
It said the work of local tourism operators and groups that provided quality imagery played a role in establishing the destination's appeal to online audiences.