Putiki Marae (Putiki Pa) is a marae on Takarangi Street in the Whanganui settlement of Putiki, rated 4.6 from 47 reviews. Reviewers call it a beautiful place they plan to return to with their grandchildren, and note its position at the end of the street on the banks of the awa. A marae is the living heart of a hapū or iwi — the setting for tangihanga, hui and celebration, centred on the wharenui and the courtyard before it. First-time visitors are usually welcomed formally, so it is wise to make contact beforehand; shoes come off before entering the wharenui, and a koha is appreciated. In Whanganui, marae belong to a region where the river itself holds ancestral standing, which colours how locals speak of the awa. Few places hold a neighbourhood the way a marae does; this one, resting by the water at the end of its street, has clearly been a familiar presence for locals.