Clowning Around NZ & Australia: Whanganui and its River to Raetihi.

Continuing our trip up the Whanganui river. This was delayed when I came back from a 8klms Unicycle ride past some cyclists amassing to start a ride from the isite in Whanganui. I was invited to join them

, and did! However this turned out to be quite a race with a really fit group, they weren’t going to slow down for any late joiners, so in spite of pedaling like a maniac I was left in their dust never to be seen again.

I’d been to see Peter Snells birthplace in Opunaki, in Taranaki, and now I visited the seen of one of his greatest triumphs. Cooks Gardens Whanganui.

Whanganui has its share of unsual buildings

The Glass studio and showroom had work in progress, with a viewing gallery above.

I visited two of the smaller Sarjent Gallerys in town, but the main one, on the hill has this sign outside.

And is therefore under repairs and alterations.

I am so impresssed by people with this sort of skill, to paint with oils,

and it comes out looking like a photograph.

Impressive work by Andre Bronnimann called “Wikitoria”

Another by Gaynor Mulholland this is a watercolour called

“The Tree of Life”

Now on the way north on the Eastern side of the River, on the edge of town we find the water tower.

Kilometres away from the sea the roadside cutouts revels masses of shells buried from millions of years ago!

I chip out some of these sea shells in very loose rock deposits

Natures patterns continue to attract me...endless shapes to enjoy!

A lot of rain had fallen the day before so the river was very muddy.

Road works are still continuing from major washouts last year

I highly recommend stopping and checking out these little attractions, revealing some history of the area.

This was restored in the 1970's

Below is St Joseph’s (Hiruharama) church at Jerusalem

The Cosmopolitan Club in Raetiki has a sweet little park up behind club, complete with very friendly locals to catch up on local events and chew the fat about all sorts of things