Mangaweka is a township on State Highway One (SH1) in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand.

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "weka stream" for Mangaweka.

[4] Development at Mangaweka began with clearance of the forest for the North Island Main Trunk Railway.

[6][7] Other major features close to the town include some of the country's biggest railway viaducts on the Mangaweka deviation.

[8] Nearby, the Rangitikei River canyon provides the setting for the southern hemisphere's highest flying fox, an 80m bungy jump, as well as a The Lord of the Rings film location.

[citation needed] For over 30 years, a well-known landmark in Mangaweka was an elevated Douglas DC-3 aircraft installed in the middle of the town as a tearooms,[9] adjacent to a service station on SH1.

[11] The aircraft was installed as an attraction in Mangaweka in 1984 by the owners of the local service station, to help promote their river adventure company.

[18] Notable people who have lived or worked in Mangaweka include the New Zealand poet Sam Hunt and the artist Robin White (whose iconic "Mangaweka" painting hangs in Te Papa).The town also hosts an annual "Fakes & Forgeries Art Exhibition and Festival" in October and November.

[6] Karl Sim the notorious New Zealand art forger was born in the town,[19] and was a regular attendee at the festival until his death in 2013.

Clement Gordon Watson, an editor, journalist, World War Two soldier and communist activist was also born in Mangaweka.