The Whanganui River Road follows the magestic Whanganui River (Te Awa O Whanganui) from Pipiriki to just north of Wanganui City.
Settlements along the way include Hiruharama (Jerusalem), famous for its convent, Mother Aubert's mission and poet James Baxter's commune. Between Ranana (London) and Matahiwi is the Kawana Flour Mill, now beautifully restored as a museum.
Prior to the road's opening in 1934, almost all access to these remote settlements was by riverboats that operated along the Whanganui River.