History of the Manawatu Gorge

For the early Maori, the rivers throughout the region were of importance for canoe transportation with the Manawatu Gorge being a east-west access route.

The first European to view the Manawatu Gorge was thought to be an early trader called Jack Duff (Wild Pigs and Flax) who was guided through the impressive gorge by local Maori in the late 1830s.

In the early 1870s under the guidance of the government surveyor John Tiffin Stewart, a road was carved out on the Tararua ranges side of the gorge, followed in the 1890s by a railway line complete with tunnels running along the Rauhine ranges side of the steep gorge.

Today the rugged beauty of the area forms the Manawatu Gorge Scenic Reserve.