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Matipo Park

Matipo Park is a reserve with a mix of native and exotic trees and walking and mountain biking tracks.

It was donated to Whanganui by the Matipo Land Company in 1913.

In the past, park users accessed Matipo Park from Brunswick Road by parking in the carpark, then walking over a short wooden bridge and up a small hill before crossing the railway line to get to the park.

However, the Brunswick Road entrance to Matipo Park was closed in 2017 when structural issues with the wooden bridge were identified.

Subsequently concerns were raised about the legality and safety of crossing the railway line, so we worked with KiwiRail to explore the possibility of installing a level crossing.

In September 2020 KiwiRail decided a level crossing would be unsafe at that location, mainly because of sight distances, vertical rail alignment and train speed and operation through the section of railway.

Since Matipo Park cannot be accessed from Brunswick Road without crossing the railway line, the Brunswick Road entrance will remain closed.

Until there’s a safe and legal option to cross the railway line, the wooden bridge near the Brunswick Road entrance will not be replaced.

Walkers can still access Matipo Park via a one-hour walk from the Westmere Walkway.