Durie Hill Elevator


Across City Bridge from downtown Whanganui, this elevator was built with grand visions for Durie Hill’s residential future. Beyond an entrance lined with Māori carvings, a tunnel burrows 213m into the hillside, from where a 1919 elevator rattles 66m to the top.

At the summit you can climb the 176 steps of the 33.5m War Memorial Tower and scan the horizon for Mt Taranaki and Mt Ruapehu. There's another lookout atop the lift machinery housing (just 41 steps).


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1. Lift Machinery Housing Lookout

0.12 MILES

High on Durie Hill atop the machinery housing for the Durie Hill Elevator, there's a lookout platform from where the city views are eye-popping. Climb the…

2. War Memorial Tower

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Ride the ratchety old Durie Hill Elevator up to the top of Durie Hill, then keep climbing skywards up the austere War Memorial Tower. It's 176 steps and…

3. Sarjeant on the Quay

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4. Whanganui Riverboat Centre

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5. New Zealand Glassworks

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The pick of Whanganui's many glass studios. Watch glass-blowers working, check out the gallery, take a one-day glass-blowing course ($290, four people max…

6. Whanganui Regional Museum

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Spend an hour or two in one of NZ’s better natural history museums. Te Atihaunui-a-Pāpārange Māori exhibits include an amazing waka (canoe), …

7. Ward Observatory

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8. Putiki Church

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