Upokongaro

Upokongaro
St Mary's Anglican Church. In 1885, Alfred Burton noted: "Upokongaro boasts a church with a three-sided spire something like a bayonet."
Interactive map of Upokongaro
Coordinates: 39°52′S 175°08′E / 39.867°S 175.133°E / -39.867; 175.133
CountryNew Zealand
RegionManawatū-Whanganui
DistrictWhanganui District
CommunityWhanganui Rural Community
Electorates
Government
 • Territorial AuthorityWhanganui District Council
 • Regional councilHorizons Regional Council
 • Mayor of WhanganuiAndrew Tripe
 • Whanganui MPCarl Bates
 • Te Tai Hauāuru MPDebbie Ngarewa-Packer
Area
 • Total
25.04 km2 (9.67 sq mi)
Population
 (2023 Census)
 • Total
120
 • Density4.8/km2 (12/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Area code06

Upokongaro or Ūpokongaro is a settlement adjacent to the Whanganui River, located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) upriver from Whanganui, New Zealand, in the Makirikiri Valley. Settled by Europeans in the 1860s, it was an important ferry crossing and riverboat stop. A spectacular discovery of moa bones was made in the area in the 1930s.