For the Māori tribes of the Whanganui River, the river was vitally important for transport, food and spiritual wellbeing. Māori caught eels by building ingenious eel weirs in the river – but these structures were removed by European settlers to allow access for steamboats. Boat trips up the river became popular with tourists in the late 19th century.
Listen to a Roadside Story about the Whanganui River. Roadside Stories is a series of audio guides to places around New Zealand.
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YouTube: Manatu Taonga's channel
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