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Story: Whanganui region

Whanganui region landforms

  • Vegetation

  • Landforms

  • Highways

  • Districts

  • Place names

There are four main landform zones in the Whanganui region: a large area of hill country covering about two-thirds of the region; to the north, the Waimarino plain and nearby volcanic areas around Mt Ruapehu; part of the North Island main range in the north-east; and a strip of coastal lowland.

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How to cite this page

Diana Beaglehole, Whanganui region – Landscapes and climate, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/19005/whanganui-region-landforms (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Diana Beaglehole, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 June 2015.