Wanganui

There was a wonderful market on the Saturday morning - a farmers market with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Bought a bunch of rhubarb for $1, some pears, apricot jam and handmade aloe vera soaps. There was lovely home baking but resisted the impulse as we would have had to carry it all through town to get to our bus to Marton the next day.

The Wairarere steamer goes on excursions up the river twice a day - belching out rther a lot of black smoke, which put me off going rather.

The main street is very attractive with hanging baskets and good street architecture, like this lamp.

There were a few tents in Moutua Gardens probably for the 20th anniversary of the occupation of the gardens by local Maori. These tents were occupied over the weekend.

This old building housed an interesting museum on river transport in the past.

Americarna

A sample of the 800 cars in town for this festival.

Art in New Plymouth

The middle artwork is the famous wind wand by Len Lye, situated on the coastal walk north and south of this landmark.

The other works are by the Colombian artist Alberto Baraya, on expedition in Pukekura Park with his huge flower installations among the trees and artifical fern specimens also located within the park. More artificial ferns and flowers are catalogued and displayed in the Govett-Brewster Gallery. He comments on our obsession with representations of nature which somehow often become more prized than the real thing.

New Plymouth Buildings

Some pictures from our recent trip to New Plymouth.