Day 151 & 152 Wanganui, Waverley, Patea, Stratford

Our time in Wanganui ended up being more of a day of rest.  We spent most of the day being very lazy and just enjoying the sunshine.  We did do a little blogging, a little research and some planning but that was about all. 

The research did tell us something about Wanganui.  It is located on the South Taranaki Bight, close to the mouth of the Whanganui River.  A considerable proportion of their economy relates directly to the fertile and prosperous farming area that surrounds the city.  Recently tourism has also become a major income stream for the area.  It is a nice little town and we really enjoyed our lazy day.

The next day we decided that we better get our butts in gear but it was a tough decision.  We almost stayed another day.  However, we did make the tough decision and got away around 10:30AM.  We thought we better have a good look at the town so we headed to a view point that the lady at the holiday park told us about.  Another example of talking to the locals gets you the best info.

Wanganui



 

We also spent a little time downtown taking a few pictures and having a latte. While we were at the cafe we saw that they were observing the 2 minutes of silence being held at 12:51PM in honor of the Christchurch victims.  It was exactly one week ago that the quake struck.

Whanganui River



Downtown Wanganui




Downtown Wanganui




Downtown Wanganui



After we finished our lattes we wanted to have a look at the mouth of the river so we went exploring and managed to find what we were looking for.

When we left Wanganui we weren't sure what our final destination for the day was going to be.  We had a couple of options and were going to play it by ear.  The drive away Wanganui was through some pretty impressive farmland and we stopped at a Strawberry Farm. You could pick your own if you desired.  We didn't desire.  However we did buy a good supply of them before getting on our way. 

We stopped for lunch in a small town called Waverly and we were told about a couple of beaches we should have a look at.  I think it is classified as one beach today but at one time there were two.  One was called Caves Beach and the other Waverly Beach.  They were both pretty impressive.

Caves Beach

It is pretty easy to see why it was called Caves Beach.  The tide was out so the walk along the beach in front of the caves was quite exhilarating.  You wouldn't want to get caught down here is high tide.

Waverley Beach



Waverley Beach





The Ramp




The Ramp







In looking at the last two pictures you can see how the cars and 4x4's make their way down to the beach using the natural rock formation.

It was getting late so we finished our walk and headed back to the van.  We wanted to get to a town called Hawera as they have a museum that is reported to be one of the best in the country.  In spite of our time restraint we did stop at a town called Patea to have a look at their beach and estuary. 

Our last stop of the day was going to be the museum if we got there in time.  So, I put the pedal to the medal and got that old Volkswagen motor just a revving.  I must have been going at least 60 mph.  Well, except on the hills.  We finally got to Hawera and the museum only to find out it is closed during the week.  Aren't surprises fun.

So we left Hawera and headed up the road to Stratford. The real tourist attraction is Mount Taranaki and Stratford is the jumping off point.  However, we couldn't see it today due to the clouds.  The plan for tomorrow is that if it is still clouded over we are going to drive "The Forgotten Highway".  If is a clear day then we are going to the mountain to do some hiking. 

Just prior to it getting dark Kathy went out to check the sky.  It didn't help, I still can't tell what tomorrow will bring.