Papanui Junction

Papanui Junction is a rural community in the Rangitikei District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located west of Taihape, in the Turakina Valley.

Overview
Several Māori land blocks are located in the hill country north-east of the junction, including a 157.7 hectare lot with 87 owners and a 52.5 hectare lot with 173 owners.

The area's windy gravel roads may have been a factor in a fatal crash in 2008.

GNS Science recorded slight landsliding on the hills between Papanui Junction and Kakatahi during flooding in June 2015.

Education
Papanui Junction School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of. It is the most isolated school in the wider Taihape area.

The school held a commemorative Daffodil Day in August 2016 to commemorate a local man who was heavily involved in the school, who had recently died of cancer.

Papaunui Junction School is a sole charge school due to its low roll. In June 2018, the New Zealand Educational Institute campaigned for better conditions for the sole charge principal.