Whanganui campgrounds fill up as holidaymakers prepare to welcome in the New Year
29 Dec, 2020 04:00 PM
3 minutes to read
Camping sites across the Whanganui District are packed to the rafters this week, as hundreds of out-of-towners and locals alike choose Whanganui as their summer holiday destination. At the Whanganui Seaside Holiday Park, in Castlecliff, families have pitched tents and hired cabins as they prepare to welcome in the New Year.
For the Edgecombe clan, they decided to make the trek from Masterton after first camping in Castlecliff two years ago. We came here two years ago because it was the only place that had a site left, Greg Edgecombe said.
Photos / Supplied
What better way to spend a Kiwi summer than in the Winterless North? From New Zealand’s longest beach (which isn’t actually Ninety Mile Beach) to our biggest Kauri tree, there’s an abundance of outdoor activities waiting.
Just under two hours from Auckland, the Kauri Coast is accessed on SH1 and SH12 via the Twin Coast Discovery Highway. Known for its ginormous Kauri trees, stunning beaches and rich Maori history, Hokianga’s Kauri Coast is a must-do for any nature-lover looking to experience one of our best drives.
Just a few minutes west of Dargaville, you can enjoy Ripiro Beach, NZ’s longest stretch of sand at 107km. Ideal in a four-wheel drive vehicle, Ripiro can be driven on, and contains many of the 153 shipwrecks that the Kaipara Coast has seen over the years. On top of this, there’s great fishing, surfing, and site-seeing to be done on this epic stretch of rugged sand.
Whanganui residents urged to stay safe on the water this summer
28 Dec, 2020 04:00 PM
4 minutes to read
Whanganui organisations are urging swimmers and boaties to stay safe on the water this summer. Photo / Bevan Conley Sixty-four people have lost their lives in the water, according to Water Safety NZ statistics.
Six of those were in the Manawatu/Whanganui region.
The majority of drownings are within the 15-24 age bracket and are related to recreational swimming while 87 per cent of victims are male.
Whanganui District Council community wellbeing manager, Lauren Tamehana, said enjoying swimming and water activities was very much a part of Whanganui life but safety had to be a priority.
New Zealand s best swimming holes, beaches and outdoor pools to visit this summer
27 Dec, 2020 05:16 PM
8 minutes to read
By: Ewan McDonald
Summer is bliss. Or Bliss , if your coming-of-age memory is Th Dudes gig at the Soundshell.
It s the rosy beginning, burnt-orange middle and fading end of the golden weather, when life is a beach, a surf break, lakeshore, swimming hole, whitewater raft-ride, sit-down or stand-up paddle bay; when New Zealand becomes a country of sails.
Aotearoa has 15,000km of coastline, which means that each of us gets 3 metres to find a tree, spread out a towel and moor a gently defrosting chilly bin.