Where To Eat, Drink & Explore In Whanganui’s Thriving Arts District, According To A Local Creative

Whanganui has had plenty of press for its newly reopened Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery, and its Unesco City of Design status. But it’s the lesser-known businesses and the people who run them that entice you to stay longer in town.

Art & Craft

Housed in one of Whanganui’s impressive Brutalist buildings is Quartz Museum of Studio Ceramics, Aotearoa’s only dedicated museum to studio ceramics. Established a decade ago by renowned studio potter Rick Rudd, the museum houses several nationally important ceramic collections.

Displays such as Fit For Function – domestic ware by late Whanganui potter Ross Mitchell-Anyon, and Slipped! – colourful slip-cast work by Brendan Adams, break the 1000-plus piece collection into digestible samples. The texture and form of ceramics are best seen in person. Here they’re bathed in natural light from the mid-century building’s generous windows.

8 Bates St, open Tuesday-Sunday, 10.30am-4pm

For ceramics with a sense of humour, visit Rayner Brothers Gallery. Its group shows are also unmissable.

45 Taupō Quay, Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-1pm

New Zealand Glassworks Te Whare Tūhua O Te Ao is the national centre for glass. Open daily, the working hot shop is fascinating to view in action. Book glassmaking workshops (well ahead) on nzglassworks.com.

In 2022, Dr Emma Bugden and partner Frank Stark bought the derelict Gonville civic centre, which included the town hall and municipal swimming baths. “Where else can you live and work in an abandoned town hall and public swimming baths?” asks Bugden. “Whanganui is somewhere you can imagine and carry out extraordinary things”. Indeed, last year their Patchwork Architecture-designed Gonville Pool House won a national housing award at the New Zealand Institute of Architects’ awards.

Abandoned no longer, the 1911 Old Town Hall at 39 Tawa St will host Gonville Craft Market in November. The craft market follows in the footsteps of Gonville Cottage Industries, started in the same hallowed hall in 1976. The 2025 version boasts 15 or so stallholders, curated by Bugden, whose CV ranges from performance artist to economic development.

Noted potters, weavers and makers will travel to join Whanganui-based artists such as Matthew McIntyre-Wilson (Taranaki Iwi), raranga whakairo and textile artist Nicola van Weersel, selling bags and handmade toys respectively. In addition, Brews on Drews, which brew on site, will open the brewery door for beer sales and Big Moose will be grilling outside.

Sunday, November 16, 11am-3pm. Follow @gonville_town_hall

Jeweller Frances Stachl (Ngāpuhi) has spent large portions of her life living in Whanganui, beginning in 1988 and more recently settling in 2013. She opened A Place For Hammers, her workshop and gallery on Guyton St in 2019. In June, Frances was awarded the Pattillo Award at The Whanganui Arts Review at Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery for her work Lost and found in translation. Translations of ‘You and I are earth’. (A phrase from an English earthenware plate, c.1661). The prize includes a solo exhibition to follow.

68b Guyton St, Whanganui, Wednesday–Friday, 10am–5pm / Saturday 10am–2pm

Eating & Drinking

While there are great burger options in Whanganui, it’s fair to say dining options are still catching up to other centres. Restaurant kitchens close remarkably early in the evening; book ahead if you’re thinking of eating past 7pm. If you’re an independent restaurateur, do consider moving to Whanganui.

Edition is a new pop-up dining event satiating culinary yearnings from locals and visitors alike – you just need to move fast enough to secure a seat. Cooked up by chefs Isaac Paurini and James Schellenberg and hosted at Article Cafe by proprietor Jack Mitchell-Anyon and musician Anthonie Tonnon, excitement fills the room as Edition’s welcome cocktail is served. The seasonal semi-shared set menu changes each Edition and can be paired with wine or cocktails on demand. There’s just one dinner left for 2025 but there’s more to come next year, and the group hopes to pop up in other Whanganui venues.

See @edition.dining on Instagram

During the day, Article Cafe makes the best flat white in Whanganui, courtesy of Jack Mitchell-Anyon. Its tasty counter food and cakes are not to be outdone by a curated selection of vintage homewares and clothing, best browsed while waiting for your coffee.

Corner Drews and Rutland Sts. Wednesday-Saturday, 8.30am-2pm

Chef James Schellenberg operates Big Moose (@big.moose.whanganui), slinging juicy, home-cured sausages from his wood-fired grill at the Whanganui River Markets on Saturday mornings. The markets are hands down the best place to eat on Saturday morning.

Saturdays, 8am-1pm, Taupo Quay

Tucked upstairs, above a bakery on Drews Ave, The Teal Lounge is a pint-sized bar – about 20sq m – frequented by Whanganui locals. The cosy booths mean you will end up chatting to friendly locals and might even meet your future ex-fiance. Owned and refurbished by Tanya and Chris Hayton, the bar’s dim lighting, squishy cushioned booths and vintage theatre seating evoke early airline travel and entice you to stay a while. The tasty beers on tap are brewed in Gonville by Chris and named for Whanganui places and people.

“My favourite beer is the Manky Cat Red IPA, which was the first recipe I had locked down”, says Chris.

The beer is named after renowned glass artists David Murray and Emma Camden’s old cat.

There’s a succinct cocktail and wine list, and elevated burgers are available next door from Easy Tiger (@easy_tiger_whanganui, inside another great bar, Porridge Watson). Its buzzer signal reaches the booths at Teal, so you can grab your burger to enjoy with beer at Teal Lounge – just arrive early to secure a booth.

40 Drews Ave, Thursday 4pm-9pm, Friday-Saturday, 4pm-10pm

Whanganui is the only place in Aotearoa with a listing on Unesco’s international Breads of the Creative Cities project. There’s a strong bread game in the town if you know where to look.

George Jackson of Jackson’s Rēwena Parāoa sells traditional and sometimes hard-to-find Māori potato bread from his shop in Whanganui East. He uses his great-grandmother’s rēwena recipe, passed to him through his Nan.

The starter bug he uses has been kept alive by his whānau since the 19th century and was given to George by his cousin. The slightly sweet and fermented taste of rēwena sings paired with butter and golden syrup. It makes delicious toasties, as evidenced at Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery’s cafe where Jackson’s Rēwena is used for grilled sandwich combos such as kimchi, Swiss and chicken on rēwena.

jacksonsrewenabread.co.nz, 131 Duncan St, Thursday-Saturday 10am-6pm

In a past life, Little Curious Bagels (@littlecuriousbagels) was the Old Curiosity Shop on the corner of Glasgow and Harrison Sts. After buying the building in 2022, Grace Hessell and Joel Arnold ditched the dilapidated shelving, but kept the room’s bookish charm. They’ve transformed it into a thriving neighbourhood cafe, specialising in bagels with exciting toppings and great coffee.

118 Harrison St, Thursday-Friday 7.30am-2.30pm, Saturday-Monday 8.30am-2.30pm

Notable Neighbour: Parāoa sourdough is a delicious newcomer to the Whanganui breadscape, and quickly gained a cult following. Baker Mass Dioli previously worked his magic on Sour Bros sourdough. Parāoa is available Tuesday-Saturday from Frank, 60 Ridgeway St, 7am ’til late.

Exploring

Tracy Marshall (Te Ātihaunui a Pāpārangi) was born in Whanganui and raised in Koriniti on the Whanganui River. After 28 years in Sydney, Tracy moved home in 2012. She and partner Linda purchased the Whanganui River mail run in 2020 and have been steadily building Whanganui Tours since. They organise various self-guided overnight bike tours and charming Whanganui River Mail Run tours. It’s a privilege to observe daily life on Te Awa from the mail van as Tracy delivers mail to the eclectic letterboxes of the river road, while telling childhood stories and local history. On the way, she checks in on kaumatua and pays a visit to her Marae Koriniti – originally named Otukopiri. Tea break features Linda’s legendary scones at Hiruhārama/Jerusalem, with time to explore the church and convent.

Tours run Monday-Friday, whanganuitours.co.nz

Within strolling distance of the city bridge is the legendary Durie Hill Elevator’s Anzac Parade entrance. On a hot day, the cool tunnel leading to a 106-year-old public transport elevator is perfect for your own pace. For $2.50 you can ride the lift to the top of Durie Hill for a bird’s eye view of Te Awa. The elevator and surrounds underwent a chic refresh last spring, and new lighting and projectors enhance the visitor experience, especially during guided tours now available. The informative and exciting tour covers Whanganui’s public transport history and the elevator. A highlight is a peek at the lift’s Mercury Arc Rectifier.

Tours can be booked ahead on duriehillelevator.co.nz/tours. DHE is open seven days, tours by appointment. Tunnel entrance: 42 Anzac Parade. Monday-Friday, 7.30am-6pm and Saturday-Sunday, 9.30am-5pm

For grown-ups, Papaiti Gin is a picturesque bike ride upriver from Whanganui in Upokongaro. Gin lovers should sample its signature Orchard gin – notes of pear, kawakawa and nutmeg reflect the fertile land of the Papaiti flats. Typically open three days for tastings and gin crafting classes, changes are afoot. The boutique distillery is moving its entire operation to Drews Ave and fingers are crossed for Christmas trading. It is joining forces with Good Bones Distilling to open The Distillery – a combined bar, cellar door and working distillery, which will offer tastings and crafting classes.

See papaitigin.co.nz, Facebook or Instagram for The Distillery opening updates. Papaiti Gin 454 State Highway 4, Upokongaro 4575, Thursday-Friday, noon-4pm, Saturday 10am-3pm, subject to change.

Karlya Smith is a Whanganui-based stylist, fashion columnist, costume and set designer. Her partner is musician Anthonie Tonnon.

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