Woodville, previously known as The Junction is a small town in the southern North Island of New Zealand, 75 km north of Masterton and 25 km east of Palmerston North. The 2013 census showed that 1401 people reside in Woodville. The town is in the Tararua District and the Manawatū-Whanganui region, although it has strong ties with the Hawke's Bay region, of which it was once a part, but is often considered to be the northern boundary of Wairarapa. It is within the catchment area of the Manawatu River. Geography Woodville covers a land area of 4.04 km². Only a few kilometres west of Woodville, the Manawatu River runs from east to west and cuts a deep gorge through the mountains, effectively slicing a mountain range in two. It is unusual geology as the river flows east towards the Pacific coast of the lower North Island, then cuts back west through the gorge and flows out into the Tasman Sea near Foxton. Known by Māori as Te Apiti, the gorge itself features in Māori mythology as the consequence of a show of strength by Okatia as he made his way to the sea. Hacked into the steep sides of the gorge on each side of the river are a road, now permanently closed, and a little-used railway. Since the indefinite closure of the Manawatu Gorge road, the Saddle Road and the Pahiatua Track now provide the easiest access between the east and west coasts of the southern North Island. Once a vital route between Manawatu, Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa, geologic instability means the Manawatu Gorge road will never be re-opened. A new 4-lane road project was approved by the NZ Government in September 2019. It will be built between the existing Saddle Road and the Manawatu Gorge, connecting to SH2 west of Woodville. History Woodville is at the northern end of the Tararua Range and the southern end of the Ruahines. In Māori history, it appears to have been a traveller's rest spot and a place for hunters to rest after they had walked from one side of the Manawatu Gorge to the other. The local iwi were Rangitane, descended from Whatonga of the Kurahaupo canoe. They maintained strong and positive relations with other tribes for the most part. One local landmark is Whariti, one of the main peaks in the Ruahine Ranges, a mountain range that runs northeast for