Cemetery Circuit, Whanganui
Cemetery Circuit, Whanganui at a glance
- Location
- Whanganui, Manawatu-Whanganui
- Type
- street circuit
- Length
- 1.609 km (1 mi)
- Turns
- 8
- Surface
- asphalt (public roads)
- Opened
- 1951
- Owner
- Wanganui Motorcycle Club
- Capacity
- 10,000
- Address
- Taupo Quay / Heads Road area
- Website
- cemeterycircuit.co.nz
Track map and layout
The Cemetery Circuit is a one-mile (1.6 km), eight-corner temporary street circuit laid out on ordinary public roads around Whanganui's old town cemetery, from which it takes its name. Riders take in two railway level crossings, an overbridge and a series of blind, off-camber esses, all bounded by kerbing, concrete walls and lamp posts rather than run-off, which is why it has long been nicknamed the Southern Hemisphere's Isle of Man. There is only one layout - the roads are closed to normal traffic for the meeting and reopened afterwards, so there is no shortened or alternative configuration and nothing to drive or ride outside race day itself.
Named corners and sections
- Flower Garden Corner. A corner beside the cemetery's flower gardens; former champion Robert Holden had his ashes interred there in 1996 in tribute to the circuit.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Cemetery Circuit | 1.61 km | The only layout; public roads closed for the annual Boxing Day meeting |
Events and race weekends
The Cemetery Circuit's entire calendar is built around one day: the Boxing Day (26 December) street races, first run in 1951 and organised today by the Wanganui Motorcycle Club as the final and traditionally deciding round of the Suzuki International Series, alongside earlier-December rounds at Taupo and Manfeild. The meeting draws international and Australian riders as well as New Zealand's best road racers, and the 2026 edition marks the 75th anniversary of the event. There is no other racing at the venue during the year - the streets return to normal traffic once the meeting ends.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cemetery Circuit Boxing Day races | Suzuki International Series (final round) | December | Held 26 December every year since 1951; 2026 is the event's 75th anniversary |
Getting there and parking
The circuit runs through central Whanganui, on the Taupo Quay/Heads Road side of the city beside the Whanganui River, so it is walkable from most in-town accommodation. Whanganui Airport, across the river from the circuit, is only about 4 km from the city centre - roughly a 10-15 minute drive or taxi ride - making it the closest gateway for visitors flying in, though flight schedules are limited compared with the main centres.
- Whanganui Airport (WAG) · about 12 min drive
Parking
Street parking around Maria Place, Wilson Street, St Hill Street, Taupo Quay and the riverbank fills up early; some spectator parking is available on Taupo Quay outside the circuit itself.
Arrive well before racing starts to park and cross to your viewing spot - once the roads close for the day you cannot cross the live circuit and have to use the marked pedestrian routes and overbridge.
Hotels and camping near Cemetery Circuit, Whanganui
Because the circuit is the city's own streets, there is no on-site or trackside accommodation to book - visitors simply stay in Whanganui itself, and the closer to the CBD and river, the shorter the walk to the course. Motels and hotels in central Whanganui sell out well ahead of Boxing Day given the scale of the event relative to the town, so this is one visit where booking months in advance genuinely matters rather than being optional.
Where to look
Central Whanganui, especially around the CBD and riverside close to Taupo Quay, puts visitors within walking distance of the circuit; book well ahead of Boxing Day as the town's room stock is limited relative to demand.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
The public cannot drive or ride the Cemetery Circuit at any other time - it is a set of ordinary city streets that is closed to traffic for one race meeting a year and handed straight back afterwards. There are no track days, drive experiences or commercial providers operating on the layout, and the annual Boxing Day meeting itself is the only way to see the circuit in racing use.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outright (premier class) | 0:49.061 | Andrew Stroud | Superbike | 2006 |
| Outright (previous record, first sub-50s lap) | 0:49.910 | Richard Scott | Honda RS500 | 1986 |
Spectator guide
Tens of thousands of spectators line the fences, footpaths and railway crossings around the course each Boxing Day, making it one of the biggest single-day motorsport crowds in New Zealand. General admission is on foot around the circuit's perimeter; a limited-capacity Super Stand offers tiered seating near the railway crossing with a big screen opposite for those who want a guaranteed view. Whanganui's Boxing Day weather is typically warm, dry, early-summer conditions, though race organisers plan around the possibility of rain affecting the tight, low-grip street surface.
Seating
Limited tiered Super Stand seating near the railway crossing (bookable in advance); the rest of spectating is general-admission standing along the roped-off street perimeter.
Best places to watch
The railway crossing and the overbridge give some of the best combined views of braking and jump-style action on the bumpy crossing.
Weather
- Dec: Whanganui early summer: typically mild to warm and mostly dry, but race organisers monitor rain risk closely given the low-grip street surface
History of Cemetery Circuit, Whanganui
Round-the-houses racing comes to Whanganui
The Cemetery Circuit ran for the first time on 27 December 1951, the day after Boxing Day, organised by the Summer Carnival Committee and the Sports Motorcycle Club with the explicit aim of bringing European-style "Continental Round-the-Houses" street racing to New Zealand. The course was laid out on ordinary Whanganui streets beside the old town cemetery, giving the event its enduring name, and by 1959 the newly formed Wanganui Motorcycle Club had taken sole responsibility for running it.
A reputation built on danger and skill
With concrete walls, lamp posts, kerbing, two railway crossings and an overbridge standing in for run-off, the Cemetery Circuit quickly earned a reputation as one of the toughest street circuits in the Southern Hemisphere, drawing comparisons to the Isle of Man TT. International stars raced there through the Marlboro Series years of the 1970s, when American Pat Hennen won three times, and the circuit produced dramatic moments such as Marco Luchinelli's crash on the overhead bridge and a young Randy Mamola's high-side on Taupo Quay. In 1996, former champion Robert Holden's ashes were interred at what is now known as Flower Garden Corner, cementing the course's emotional pull for generations of New Zealand road racers.
Lap records and modern racing
Local rider Richard Scott set the circuit's first sub-50-second lap in 1986, a record that stood for two decades until Craig Shirriffs broke it in 2005, with Andrew Stroud setting the standing outright lap record of 49.061 seconds in 2006. Today the meeting forms the final, traditionally decisive round of the Suzuki International Series, following earlier rounds at Taupo and Manfeild each December.
Present day
Still run entirely on public roads closed for a single day each year, the Cemetery Circuit remains one of New Zealand motorsport's great traditions, drawing tens of thousands of Boxing Day spectators to a small provincial city and continuing to attract Australian and international riders alongside the country's best. The 2026 running marks the event's 75th anniversary, a milestone few street circuits anywhere in the world can claim.
Frequently asked questions
Can you drive or ride the Cemetery Circuit yourself?+
No. It is a set of ordinary Whanganui public roads that is closed to traffic only for the annual Boxing Day meeting and reopened immediately afterwards, so there are no track days or drive experiences on the layout at any other time.
How long is the Cemetery Circuit?+
The circuit is about one mile (1.609 km) long with 8 corners, run entirely on closed public streets around Whanganui's old cemetery.
When are the Cemetery Circuit races held?+
Every year on Boxing Day, 26 December, as the final round of the Suzuki International Series. The event has run since 1951, and the 2026 meeting is its 75th anniversary.
Why is it called the Cemetery Circuit?+
The course runs along public roads that border Whanganui's old town cemetery, giving the circuit its name since the first race in 1951.
Where do you stay to watch the Cemetery Circuit?+
In central Whanganui itself, ideally near the CBD and riverside close to Taupo Quay for walking distance to the course - there is no trackside camping or accommodation, and central rooms sell out well ahead of Boxing Day.
What is the lap record at the Cemetery Circuit?+
The outright lap record is 49.061 seconds, set by Andrew Stroud in 2006, edging out Craig Shirriffs' 2005 time that had first broken the 49-second barrier.
Other tracks nearby
- Manfeild: Circuit Chris Amon · 54 km · road course
- Levin Motor Racing Circuit · 79 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park · 170 km · road course
- Taupō International Motorsport Park · 170 km · road course
- Hampton Downs Motorsport Park · 287 km · road course
- Pukekohe Park Raceway · 303 km · dormant
Facts checked against 7 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.