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Story: Whanganui places

Te Taurawhiri

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Te Taurawhiri

This carving, Te Taurawhiri, symbolises the three guardians of the Whanganui River. Hinengākau (top) looks to the source of the river on Mt Tongariro, Tama Ūpoko guards the central section, and at the base Tūpoho looks towards the mouth of the river.

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Wanganui District Library

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How to cite this page

Diana Beaglehole, Whanganui places – Whanganui River, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/19719/te-taurawhiri (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Diana Beaglehole, published 3 March 2009, updated 15 June 2015.