There is much history in Wanganui and the surrounding area. Visitors should stay for at least two days.

Wanganui is New Zealand third oldest settlement and has some fine old buildings, most restored and painted in heritage colours. Children enjoy the brass-rubbing trail around the city centre. The museum has an extensive collection of Maori artifacts and a recreation of Wanganui Street in Victorian times.

Jet boat trips from ninety minutes to full day leave from the river twenty minutes from Arles. Taking the all-day trip to the Bridge to Nowhere is a wonderful way of experiencing the river's beauty but also of learning about a bygone era.

You can drive along the road to Pipiriki, stopping at little places such as Koroniti, Atene (famous for its skyline tramp) and Jerusalem (made famous by Mother Suzanne Aubert and James K.Baxter). At Pipiriki, you may wish to take a jet boat ride to the Bridge to Nowhere or continue along the road to Raetihi, returning via State Highway 4.