John Ballance

 Maybe some things are not meant to be...

 Twelve-year old Kia Kingi practises flax weaving beneath the pumpkin-headed statue of John Ballance during the 79-day occupation of Whanganui’s Moutoa Gardens (Pākaitore). The demonstrators believed Ballance – a former Whanganui MP and premier of New Zealand – had encouraged Māori land alienation.https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/35094/ballance-beheaded

 

  

A bronze statue of former New Zealand premier John Ballance has been unveiled in Wanganui, 14 years after its plaster-and-concrete predecessor was beheaded.  The new statue, unveiled by mayor Michael Laws, stands outside the offices of the Wanganui District Council.https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/52091/ballance-restored-in-wanganui

Wanganui's controversial John Ballance statue is undergoing major repairs after it was discovered every weld in the structure needs to be replaced.

The bronze statue, which cost Wanganui District Council $64,000, was removed for repairs in March after its foot went missing one night.

However, it was revealed at the council's community and environment committee meeting yesterday that the statue's problems were more than an absent foot.

"Every weld has had to be replaced, and the whole statue has had to be built from scratch."https://www.nzherald.co.nz/whanganui-chronicle/news/statue-in-total-rebuild/VZEIHYMMIL6QXKAWAKPT3TSNYE/

The Beacons

 

 The Beacons are a prominent landmark near the foreshore between Napier and Bay View. They were erected in what was then part of the Inner Harbour in 1907 by the then Napier Harbour Board, to serve as leading lights guiding shipping into the Port of Napier through the channel at the south end of the Pania Reef. 

Apparently, they were built on swamp land until an earthquake drained the land.

Te Kiri hall memorial

Outside of the hall at Te Kiri is a piece of art depicting the work of the pioneers in the area that we have passed many times. A few weeks ago, we stopped to capture its beauty. I can find nothing about it on the internet. Enjoy.

Front

Side (away from the road)

Back

There's not much information about the town of Te Kiri itself

except  this bit that was written on 1908.

This short article on the Waimate Plain says a lot. 

The Waimate plain, north-west of Hāwera on the southern ring plain, was once one of New Zealand’s most densely populated rural areas. There were small communities, often centred on a dairy factory or school, at nearly every intersection of the grid of roads in the area. However, Mākākā, Te Kiri, Awatuna, Riverlea, Auroa, Mangawhero, Mātapu, Ōtākeho, Ōeo and Mangatoki all but disappeared in the later 20th century. The district’s population fell sharply during this period – the population of Waimate West County dropped from 2,788 in 1951 to 1,944 in 1981. The closure of many schools in 2004 and 2005 was the final blow for many townships.

https://teara.govt.nz/en/taranaki-places/page-5

A bar of Bochox

 Hubby got this 'medicine' for me when he was picking up some refills at the chemist/pharmacy.

I love that it is 'not to be taken seriously'!!