HARI
HARI
At the time of visiting
Hari Hari it was unfortunately pouring with rain, which prevented the
opportunity to walk the town. But Hari Hari did have the qualifiable
items that determined inclusion and so here is the synopsis mainly
from Wikipedia.
Hari Hari
sometimes wrongly referred to as "Harihari" (meaning
"Ambulance"), is a small rural settlement in the South West of the
West Coast region of the South Island. It is slightly inland from the
Tasman Sea and the Saltwater Lagoon and is situated between the
Wanganui and Poerua Rivers, 45 minutes south of the tourist town of
Hokitika. State Highway 6 passes through the town on its route from
Ross to the Fran Josef Glacier.
Hari Hari's main claim to
fame occurred on 7 January 1931 when Australian aviator Guy Menzies
landed upside down in a swamp near Hari Hari, completing the first
solo flight across the Tasman Sea. Menzies, who had left Sydney 11
hours and 45 minutes earlier, was aiming for Blenheim but had been
blown off course and mistook a swamp for flat pasture suitable for
landing. Despite the accident, he was unharmed. On 7 January 2006,
75th anniversary celebrations of the feat were held in Hari Hari, with
roughly 400 people in attendance. To mark the occasion, Dick Smith
recreated Guy Menzies' flight, though Smith chose to land upright in
Hari Hari.
One has the impression Hari
Hari is in a very pretty part of the country.
Hari Hari has a hotel,
War Memorial and church.
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