21 October 2009

Wanganui Riverfront Whalkway

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We continue beside the river towards the sea scout hall. A number of jetties host a variety of boats, and most of them send a clear message that the riverfront is not necessarily always the haunt of the righteous. It is a dramatic contrast to marinas around most of the country, where the piers leading out to the boats are accessible to all.

Another riverboat tells much the same story. Notice the long, narrow beam design.

A bronze plaque set into a large boulder commemorates the first European landing in the area. Question. What happens to plaques like this if the Minister gives the nod to Whanganui as the correct spelling?

A few yards further on, the information board for the river steamer, Waimarie, is already showing signs of the orthographic concerns that exercise many of the locals.

Perhaps this plaque on the City Bridge stonework is a trifle premature:

But I am getting ahead of myself.

This spot must have been in the old times a natural landing place: A few yards away from the rock commemorating the European arrival is another, in Maori.

We head down some steps by the scout hall

past the Waimarie

and along the boardwalk. It's a pleasant afternoon. Up ahead you can see the City Bridge.

I'm a little puzzled about what prompted this river access. Unless, perhaps it's for chidren who wish to paddle. It doesn't seem geared to small boat access.

Alice thinks she has the answer. It's for dogs, of course. Like everything else that DOC hasn't assumed control of.

Well, that tastes a whole lot better than the river....

A few yards away, on one of the bridge supports, there are levels marking historic floods. So far, the 2004 floods have not made it to the list. Their brunt was borned by the Whangaehu in whose headwaters most of the rain occurred. Earlier, Peter had pointed out areas further south near Turakina where he had assisted in animal rescue at the time.

To the right you can see the beginning of the latest phase of riverbank protection, repairing damage done during the 2004 floods. During excavation for this a Maori midden was discovered, and work was called off while an archaeological team was called in to evaluate it. A local cartoon has them discovering amongst the shells and so forth a partially buried item that they cautiously identify as an H.

We head up towards the shops

and U-turn across the City Bridge.