I apologize for not blogging about this on Tuesday as I had said I would. Just the same here are my thoughts, impressions and some realities of this city I live in called Wanganui.

First of all, you just need to know that it is 127 kilometers (78.9 miles) from the mountain where you can go skiing to the beach. We are located in a very versatile spot and I love it! Just a warning though, those 127 kms are made up of some very curvy roads!

Wanganui is divided by the Wanganui River that runs through it. The river flows into the Tasman Sea. There are some beautiful coastlines made up of gray sand due to the iron in it. The population is about 46,000. This city is made up of several business and residential streets but the main street, Victoria Avenue, is the one to know about with it’s several shops, restaurants, banks, cafes and the cinema (it boasts 3 screens!). Some of my favorite things have been the cafes, the way you can cross any direction at a traffic signal (including vertically), and the fact that it’s not too big so you can pretty much walk to where you need to go if you have to. Wanganui has some spectacular parks and walking areas as well as the longest underground elevator in the Southern Hemisphere. There are several things that make this town a real gem.

Along with the perks of this town there have been some struggles as of late with gangs. There are two particular gangs that had been staying pretty mellow until recently when there was a shooting. More police have been patrolling the streets to try to keep things at bay. Things like this remind me of why I am here. No matter where you are in the world people need Jesus, that’s all there is to it!

Here are some pics of Wanganui taken from the top of Durie Hill Tower….enjoy! Of course to see it in it’s true amazingness you have to come and visit! *hint, hint*

Looking to the West

Looking to the East

Looking to the North up the Wanganui River

Looking to the North West