Ototoka Beach is home to its very own waterfall. Photo / Bevan Conley
If you're looking for something to do in the Whanganui region this long weekend and are over the usual top-ten lists, this one's for you. Reporter Emma Bernard finds 10 things to do this long weekend that you won't find in the pamphlets.
Ototoka Beach
We've all heard of Castlecliff as
the go-to beach of Whanganui, but have you checked out Ototoka Beach?
This quiet, lesser-known beach, also known as Fossil Beach, can be found a little further north of Kai Iwi Beach, near Pākaraka.
The path from the carpark descends past the Ototoka pool, and has its very own five-metre-high waterfall. The cliffs surrounding Ototoka Beach are also well-known for fossil hunting. Rich in marine fossils over 1.5 million years old, they are scattered around - and we haven't even reached the beach yet.
Because this beach is lesser-known, there aren't the usual motorbikes or quad bikes going up and down the beach like you might expect at Castlecliff Beach. There are tidal pools for kids to play in, complete with beautiful black sand.
This is an unpatrolled beach, so take extra care when swimming.
Aramoho Toy Museum
If you're after something really different, the Aramoho Toy Museum could be for you.
Operated by Dan Hurley for more than 20 years, the 100,000 or so items on display have remained a secret to all but a handful of curious locals and out-of-towners.
There's everything from Beano figurines to 101 Dalmatians (in chronologically released order), and the oldest set on display is the Fast Macs cars released in 1985.
In the "big room" you can find 2019 magnets, 3188 teddy bears, 2087 dolls and 4046 key rings.
Dig a little deeper and you will find Sanitarium Kornies toys, Mr Bean, Smurfs and 241 Sesame Street figurines.
You can look around four or five times and there will still be something you've missed.
The Aramoho Toy Museum is open to the public by appointment.
For more information, call (06) 343 9148 or email lyledanralph@gmail.com.
Drive the Mangaweka Broadway Rd
Hidden behind State Highway 1 in Mangaweka sits the Mangaweka Broadway Rd.
With a population of 90, it puts the small-town in small-town New Zealand.
A stretch of buildings that could be right out of a Western movie scene, the road is full of historic buildings, old merchant stores and garages with swinging barn doors, tucked in between the main highway and the Mangaweka Scenic Reserve.
Stop off at The Dukes Roadhouse for a meal or just go to a drive-by of the buildings, Mangaweka Broadway Rd is a hidden treasure of New Zealand historic buildings.
Makotuku Track
If a one street drive-by isn't enough, perhaps try the 4.1km Makotuku Track in Raetihi. The walkway was built in 2019, starting near the bridge on the Raetihi-Ohakune Rd and extends as far as the wastewater ponds along State Highway 4.
Signs along the track give the walker names of the surrounding plants, birds and river creatures - both in te reo Māori and in English.
The walk includes two loops that take in beautiful pieces of bush, engulfing you in native plants and bird song.
The track draws visitors down to the Makotuku River to fish, swim and walk their dogs, and has reopened access to swimming holes Raetihi residents used to enjoy decades ago - one called The Papa and another called The Snooker Bob.
Transformed from a bleak area overgrown with wild blackberries to a lush oasis, you can follow one of the tracks down "Fairy Lane", filled with little painted doors on trees, which suggest the homes of little creatures.
The Dinosaur House
While you're in the area, be sure to visit The Dinosaur House, a small dinosaur museum housed in a 1922 heritage building in Raetihi.
It holds real dinosaur skeletons, life-size reconstructions of dinosaurs and information about their amazing prehistoric world.
The museum holds over 100 specimens carefully curated by dinosaur enthusiasts Ian and Sarah Moore. Tickets cost $10 for children aged three to fifteen, $12 for adults aged 16 and over, and $10 for anyone aged over 65.
Lazer Overload
Located deep in Brunswick is Whanganui's only outdoor laser tag facility. Lazer Overload provides an experience among a forest of lofty pines, 20 minutes from Whanganui.
With laser tag equipment and DIY structures to take shelter in, Lazer Overload provides a fun outing for the whole family.
Westmere Lake Loop
If you're wanting a nice lake walk without the busyness of Rotokawau Virginia Lake, try the Westmere Lake Loop.
Located on Rapanui Rd approaching Bason Botanic Gardens, Westmere Lake is a designated wildlife refuge that includes a nine-hectare lake nestled in 20 hectares of bush and tracks.
Although no dogs are allowed, the 1.8km track is home to a mix of native and exotic species of plants and birds.
Thistle Sweet Shop
Looking for some childhood nostalgia paired with aiding your sweet tooth? Thistle Sweet Shop is packed floor to ceiling with sweets of all shapes and sizes.
The store opened its doors in 1935, and since has gained an international reputation as a traditional sweet shop.
Packed with all your favourite classic candy - and some - from jet planes to bullseyes, aniseed balls to bonbons.
Be sure to stop in at 136 Victoria Ave for a treat.
Tawhai Falls
Also known as Gollum's Pool, Tawhai Falls is located in the Tongariro National Park.
This short walk to the cascading 13 metre waterfall is accessible on foot from Whakapapa Village or a short drive to the start of the track.
The 10-15 minute walk through mountain toatoa and beech forest brings you to a lookout, then down to the base of the waterfall, which tumbles over the edge of an ancient lava flow.
Araheke Bike Park
For those more adventurous, the Araheke Bike Park is home to 10km of mountain biking tracks, split between two areas named the Wiritoa and the Pauri.
The novice biker, or if you're biking with children, will want to stick to the Pauri area. Otherwise, the Wiritoa area is best if you're more experienced.
The tracks are located in a small block of pine trees, just 10 minutes from Whanganui centre towards Kaitoke. With a seasonal river featuring farm and lake views that are a visual treat while you get your exercise in for the weekend.
The claim alleges breaches of Treaty principles in fast-track approvals process.