Whanganui features in top AA attractions

Virginia Lake is listed as must-do in the Automobile Associations top 101 New Zealand summer destinations. Photo/Stuart Munro

Whanganui has emerged as one of the top places in New Zealand to visit.

The AA has released its 101 Must-Do's This Summer list which showcases the country's hidden gems and local favourites.

AA Traveller writers have sampled what Whanganui has to offer and found plenty to recommend.

In the city, writer and photographer Liz Light found "Four Fun Things to do in Whanganui" and listed the Durie Hill Elevator and War Memorial Tower - "A tower, tunnel and an elevator, Whanganui has it all," she wrote.

She visited New Zealand Glassworks and described Whanganui as "a hub for glass art and a great place for visitors to share the fascination for this versatile and beautiful medium."

New Zealand Glassworks is one of Whanganui's top attractions. Photo/Bevan Conley

She recommends Virginia Lake as an anytime destination.
"If the weather is inclement, not to worry, the extensive glass-covered winter gardens are warm and brightly filled with blooms all year round."

A trip on the paddle steamer Waimarie rounds off her top four.
"Visitors experience the scenery and history of this mighty Whanganui River in a genuine and relaxed way."

Jo Percival soaked up some of Whanganui's art and café cultures.

"For a small riverside city, Whanganui has a disproportionate number of creative residents, crafting beautiful wares in studios and galleries from the banks of the river to the wild west coast," she wrote.

"From clay to canvas; artworks, artefacts and molten glass, Whanganui is bursting with creative colour."

Once again New Zealand Glassworks made the list as did Rick Rudd's Quartz Museum of Studio Ceramics and the Sarjeant Gallery.

Percival recommends eateries Article, The Citadel, The Rutland Arms, Georges Fisheries, Japanese Kitchen WA and Momiji.

Charlotte Melser's cafe The Citadel in Castlecliff. Photo/Zaryd Wilson.

"You'll be spoilt for sushi in Whanganui, as the centre of town has not one but two great contemporary Japanese restaurants," she wrote.

If she had ventured to the north end of the avenue, she would have discovered that we are more spoiled than she realised and found Manna Sushi and Black Roll but it is fair to say that her appetite was probably sated.

Percival visited Paloma Gardens at Fordell where she discovered
"Stunning groves of bamboo, towering palms and a whole hillside planted in Agave, Yucca, cacti and succulents represent their native homes in the Pacific, the deserts of the Americas, Asia and Africa."

Floating sculptures and bamboo at Paloma Gardens. Photo/Terry Lobb

She also visited Ohakune where she cycled the Old Coach Road and discovered a family-friendly half-day experience.

"Discover the remarkable engineering feat of the Hapuawhenua Viaduct, remnants of cobblestones through the bush, a curved tunnel and other railway relics."

Leonie Freeman in collaboration with the Department of Conservation travelled by canoe for her "Whanganui National Park: The Magic River" story.

"The Whanganui is New Zealand's longest navigable river, canoeable for over 200 kilometres. The river winds its way from the mountains to the Tasman Sea through countless hills and valleys, and you can imagine it would have looked much the same a hundred years ago."

The article includes video footage of her journey.

Michael Larsen described the Bridge to Nowhere as a haven for the hardy, modern explorer.

"Where? Nowhere. Actually, the Bridge to Nowhere. Sounds very Zen, but it's more intense than that. And history lends poignancy, too, to this remarkable piece of construction deep in the woods."

The Bridge to Nowhere is one of the attractions in the region. Photo/File

Ruapehu has three new additions to the list this summer, with the Whanganui Journey, Waitonga Falls and Ohakune Old Coach Road joining classics such as Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Chateau Tongariro and the Timber Trail.

AA Travel and Tourism general manager Greig Leighton said the specially curated list is designed to inspire New Zealanders to get out and explore the world-class attractions close to home, rather than jetting off overseas.