Day 14 February 15th New Plymouth to Wanganui

Garden waterfall

Tui

orchids

Another pleasant day to make our next move to Wanganui - a city much admired by the late Kenny Goddard.  After packing the last things we were away fairly early and wanted to visit the acclaimed New Plymouth Pukekura Park gardens before we left.  We had been told that this was the must do thing in the city. They were near where we stayed and were soon wandering round the extensive grounds.  There was a man made waterfall which did not compare with the natural ones we had seen previously!   There were plenty of birds and I managed to photograph a tui which had eluded us on Tiritiri Matangi.  There were black swans on the lake and beautiful begonias, orchids etc in the greenhouse. 

 


Coast at Patea

 After this enjoyable stroll round we were on the road.  We  stopped at a place called Hawera for a snack and this seemed a typical, small, rural town.  We then followed the coast and stopped in Patea where the sand was black volcanic.  After a quick wander and look we were on our way again to Wanganui.
 
 

The Waimarie

 


Art Deco cinema in Wanganui

 
We reached our motel successfully and after settling in we walked down into the city and had a look at the river.  We decided to book for tomorrow on a paddle steamer, the Waimarie, which does trips up the river. We thought it would be a good way to find out about the region.  Much of the city is attractively built in the 1920s art deco style.  We shall explore more tomorrow.