The Road
Henry Field was the first to survey the Mangawhero River in 1869 exploring possibilities of a road to the hinterland. Despite his consistent and varied attempts over the next ten years, roading progress in the Parapara was very slow and only progressed with the formation of the Wanganui County Council in 1876. In 1880 Field was appointed County Engineer and his Murimotu Road development got the green light later that year. Field gave his name to Fields Track the main exit from the Parapara road, a route he later helped to develop.
Tar sealing the Parapara started in the late 1930s but little progress was made until after World war Two, with the tar sealing completed in March 1960.
Today the Parapara road (Wanganui to Raetihi on State Highway 4) it is a highway with both beauty and isolation and is possibly the shortest route between Auckland and Wellington. It is no longer the harrowing experience it used to be in the days gone by, though it can be quite challenging with its many hills and tight bends. Extensive rains in the winter months result in many slips (large and small landslides) so it is best to be on the lookout for changes to the road and to confirm road conditions before travelling.
View the AA website for more information
The name Parapara refers to the soil in the area that is hard blue clay. According to the Maori population the name referred to a black pigment used in the early days for face making and tattooing. Parapara initially applied only to the stretch of road from Wanganui to Field’s Track, but today the name is used for the whole road between Wanganui and Raetihi.