WANGANUI
Wanganui is now Whanganui, but give
all reference during our visit was the ‘w’ version Wanganui survives
for this synopsis. Wanganui is a pretty terrific place and has now
stopped being the poor cousin to Palmerston Nth or any other centre.
Just 20 years ago Wanganui was a struggling and typical provincial
centre. Today the place is a ‘with it’ commercial and social centre.
These upgrades now added to the classy schools and gardens. Plus, a
main street to die for and increasingly invigorated river front.
Wanganui continues service a healthy
rural market.
In the early years the town was a major military
centre during the Land Wars of the 1860s, although local Māori at
Putiki remained friendly to the town's settlers.
Cook's Gardens are a major sporting venue, used for
cricket, cycling, and athletics. On January 27, 1962, a world record
time for running the mile was set by Peter Snell on the grass track at
the gardens.
Tourism is now becoming a major income stream for the
district and the local Council has undertaken a number of tourism
initiatives.
In 1995, Moutoa Gardens in Wanganui, known to local
Māori as Pakaitore, were occupied for 79 days in a mainly
peaceful protest by the Wanganui iwi over land claims.
Wanganui has a number of memorials including a number
at the Moutoa Gardens. At going to print we had yet to determine where
the names of the 1914-1918 war deaths are on display/recorded.
      
Wanganui has a number of Museums, of which the city
museum gives one of the best concise Maori history presentations.   
The churches, with the exception of the central
Presbyterian Church
disappoint architecturally, but the Catholic Church
does make the modern version work.  
Wanganui has a number of ‘old’ hotels but Grand is the
stand-out.
There is a lot to discover and to
allow a minimum of two days is warranted.
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