... continued ....

The weather in Wanganui is much better than in Auckland. It is rather windy and a bit chilly, but the low wind-torn clouds look too small to produce any rain. So I decided to walk into the city centre instead of getting a cab. It is a pleasant walk through the countryside - lots of different animals, farms/lifestyle blocks, a gallery and assorted rural stuff. Pass Patiki Pa, scene of battles long ago (both between Maori tribes and also between Maori and European). After 20 minutes or so the rest of the way is alongside the Whanganui River. The tide is heading in, with little bores evident. The wind gusting down off the hills alongside the river is shown by ephemereal ripples circling in the water. I walked up Durie Hill for a nice view over the city, and took the 90 year old elevator down the bowels of the hill.

Across the river and wander through the old (well for NZ anyway) city centre. It is faintly reminiscent of Blenheim, but crossed with the slow decay of Te Kuiti. The old buildings look nice and the town is quietly alive. I take a look at Cooks Park, where in years gone by so many famous (in NZ) middle distance runners raced and set some records. Sometimes it is nice to step away from the normal pace of life and explore like this. Eventually it is time to head back and I decide to walk that too. It takes 30-45 minutes from the town centre, depending on how fast you walk, maybe more if you stop to talk to some locals en route.

Some of the tranquility of the walk out is lost however when I pass the pistol range which is being well used at the moment (coincidentally the Wanganui mayor has recently talked about getting a gun in one of his newpaper columns, at least I hope it is coincidence ).

No need for me to check in since I already have the return boarding pass. The terminal seems huge for the dozen or so pax already here when I arrive. More follow me in - a great benefit of these small airports is the ability to check in very close to departure. Yes the flight is almost full.

The weather has improved somewhat for the return flight, so we get glimpses of the rugged hill country as we fly back north. Alas it is still bad in Auckland as we dodge the storms to land.