The new status of the Whanganui River, or Te Awa Tupua, is believed to be unique in the world. The Maori people recognise the river as part of the living mountains and the sea.

The road sign in Ranana, alongside the Whanganui River. Photo / Mark Mitchell . From Kaitaia to the Bluff, there are all kinds of places to see and cities to visit in little old New Zealand - and ...

A Māori pa, or fortified village, on the Whanganui River, on the North Island of New Zealand in 1902. Print Collector/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Te Mataruru Marae -- or Māori communal place ...

The Whanganui Iwi have fought for this day for over 160 years, an indigenous MP told Radio New Zealand. “From a Whanganui viewpoint the wellbeing of the river is directly linked to the well ...

A Māori pa, or fortified village, on the Whanganui River, on the North Island of New Zealand in 1902. Print Collector/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Te Mataruru Marae -- or Māori communal place ...