“A FORGOTTEN RIVER?”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 55, 7 March 1939, Page 6

“A FORGOTTEN RIVER?”

CHARM OF THE WANGANUI IS BEING OVERLOOKED CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO ACT "The beauty <»f the Wanganui River, especially beyond Pipiriki, L not being made as much of as it should be,” said Mr. J. Williams, a member of the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce, last, night. urging that something be done to improve the itinerary of tourists to allow them t > see more of the glories of the upriver roaches than is possible under present conditions. Mr. Williams said that v»h" Pipiriki House recently, a party had come from Palmerston. They had afternoon tea and wanted to stay overnight, and see something of the upper reaches next, day, but the timetable of Ihe tour would not permit that. They were compelled to go. Difficulty in obtaining information and photographic records of the upriver localities was mentioned by the president of the Chamber, Mr. F. Bcthwaite. He said that he had to prepare a modftl of the Wanganui River for the Centennial Exhibition in Wellington, the length being 96 feet, and although he was able to easily obtain information about the town and lower reaches, he found ii. hard to gather photographs and records of lengths higher up. “1 had to delay the making of that map,” he said, “and if it had not been for the fact that the late Mr. T. W. Downes had taken Mr. F. J. Denton up-river some years ago, I would not have been able to secure photographs.” Mr. Bcthwaite said that a tourist had been quoted in one of the Hawke’s Bay newspapers as saying that he had been on practically all the famous rivers of the world, but had seen none to equal the Wanganui for scenery. He was surprised that more was not made of it. A committee was set up by the chamber to confer with the Wanganui River Services, Ltd. and to take steps to have a film taken of the whole length of the river.