Mangaweka is a township on State Highway One (SH1), in the North Island of New Zealand, with a population of just under 200. It is between Taihape to the north and Hunterville to the south. The Rangitikei River runs adjacent to the township, which is popular for rafting, kayaking, fishing and swimming. The township is interesting not only for the visually interesting historic main street, but also because of its growing artists' community. The main street is preserved in its original state due to SH1 being re-located in the early 1980s. This tore the heart out of the township as the main street became redundant, but this is what makes the township such a tourist attraction today, with many people stopping to take photographs. Famous (or infamous) people who have lived in Mangaweka include the New Zealand poet Sam Hunt, the artist Robin White (whose iconic "Mangaweka" painting hangs in Te Papa) photographer/artist Richard Aslett and Mangaweka's most famous son, C. F. Goldie forge, Karl Sim . Other major features close to the town include some of the country's biggest railway viaducts on the Main Trunk Line and the Rangitikei River canyon which provides the setting for the southern hemisphere's highest flying fox, 80m bungy jump and Lord of the Rings location.