The Dogs -
Hatrick Raceway
Held Weekly
Spriggens Park,
Sargeant Street
Wanganui
Tel: (06) 345 6794
www.wanganuigreyhoundracingclub.co.nz
More info
New Zealand
Master Games
Held bi-annually in February
Since its inception in 1989, the NZ
Masters Games has grown from 1500 entrants competing across 29
sports to over 8,000 entrants and 67 sports, making it the
biggest Masters Games event in New Zealand by far. The games
is a 9 day event with 67 different sports and over 580
individual events. One of the notable aspects of the games in
Wanganui is the intimacy of the city. The Games Village at
Springvale Park is within 10 minutes of the main street. Most
venues are within 10 minutes drive of the village. You will
find the sports venues to be top quality and the weather is
guaranteed to be perfect.
www.nzmastersgames.com
More info
Cemetery Circuit
Boxing Day
New Zealand’s legendary street circuit is a must on any racing
calendar. Held on Boxing Day each year, the event has seen
some of the world’s best racers compete on this exciting and
tight circuit. Respected internationally the Cemetery Circuit
is often called the “Southern Hemisphere’s Isle of Man” and
has over the years featured many world famous bike racers.
www.cemeterycircuit.co.nz
Heritage
Weekend
Held
March/April
The annual Wanganui Heritage Weekend event celebrates our
people and our heritage. Activities, both free and affordable
include rides on trailers behind Steam Traction Engine and
cruises on the only working paddle-steamer in New Zealand -
the PS Waimarie. There is a vast range of activities and
events over this celebrated weekend. A great opportunity to
dress up in clothes from a bygone era and experience life as
it used to be. Plan your visit to Wanganui’s Heritage Weekend,
and have a great time. Contact the i-SITE information centre
for details and timetables.
Hydroplanes
Downtown on the Whanganui River
Held in February
Australasia’s fastest boats on water
competing on this 2000 metre oval course to become the fastest
person ever on the Whanganui River. Explode into life with
this jaw-dropping action! Feel the fear! Experience the
thrills! Plenty of great family entertainment, wine & food
festival, bouncy castles, static displays. Don’t miss out!
These mad men on water will push their craft to the limit to
become the 2008 Downtown Wanganui Flying Lap Champion!!! Free
entry, for more info contact
denise@nzgrandprixhydroplane.comThis e-mail
address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript
enabled to view it
or
www.hydroplane.com
Jazzboat
Festival
Labour Weekend
Let your senses tingle and toes tap
to the soulful melodies of many well-known Jazz Artists in
Wanganui over Labour Weekend, Friday 19 – Sunday 21 October.
Events include Jazz Cruises on the historic Wanganui Paddle
Steamer the P.S Waimarie. Jazz will fill the air in Wanganui
this Labour Weekend - tickets will sell fast.... don’t miss
out!
Jet Sprints
Champs Held each December
Some of New Zealand’s and the world’s
best Jetsprint teams will be racing at Wanganui on the 27th
December 2007 at the Shelter View Track on the Murray’s farm
12 km North of Wanganui on the Parapara Highway (State Hwy 4)
just north of Upokongaro. Those who are keen to make a day of
it and catch the early mishaps will want to arrive by 10am. If
you have less of your day available, the action hots up with
the sudden death eliminations after lunch, where the field is
cut back in each class from 16 to 8, then 4, then the two boat
final.
www.jetpro.co.nz
Literary
Festival Held each September
This event has been called
“The booklovers event of the year.” The festival has attracted
some of New Zealand’s most famous writers. Poetry Live
attracts national poets and local poets to show their writing.
The Legends Literary Tour, a must for those interested in
literary history, brings together writers as diverse as Mark
Twain, Janet Frame and Ian Cross. The festival provides
several venues where local and national writers discuss their
work, and give workshops on writing. These occasions allow
festival goers to meet the authors. There are several
home-grown events where local writers can showcase their own
writing. The Wanganui Literary Festival has fast become an
important cultural event in our city.
Mayoral Mile
Held each February
The Mayoral Mile is the premier athletic event on the New
Zealand calendar. But it is much more than that – it is also a
mass participation event that provides the opportunity for
everyone to complete a realizable, physical goal. To run a
mile at the same venue that the legendary Peter Snell broke
the world mile record in 1962. There are also celebrity mile
races, a mile featuring real mayors, and shorter races for
toddlers including the ‘Toddler Twenties’. Join us for another
spectacular day. Complete a mile yourself – running, jogging
or walking – and then sit down and witness thrilling racing
from some of Australasia’s finest athletes.
www.mayoralmile.co.nz
Mountains
to Sea, Multisport Adventure Race Labour
Weekend
Pound your way through
a mountain run in the Tongariro National Park World Heritage
Area. Pedal beautiful back country rural roads. Paddle the
mighty Whanganui River. Seven stages: two runs, three rides,
two paddles – there’s something for everyone in the Mountains
to Sea multisport adventure! It’s a race package with
outstanding value, put together by a team responsible for some
of New Zealand’s most wicked events.
www.mountainstosea.co.nz
New
Zealand Superstock Champs Held in
February
The New Zealand
Superstock Champs return to Ocean View Speedway on Friday 22nd
February & Saturday 23rd February 2008. This is the first time
the blue ribbon event of NZ Speedway has been held at Wanganui
since 1995. The tight nature of the Ocean View track ensures
that every one of the expected 70 plus entries will see
themselves as having a chance of claiming the NZ1 race number
handed to the winning driver. The Friday night’s racing will
involve qualifying heats where the 26 finalists will be found
for the Saturday night. The overall victor will be the driver
accumulating the most points over the 3 finals on the Saturday
night. Supporting classes will race on both nights.
www.oceanviewspeedway.co.nz
Puanga Held in June
Nau mai, Haere mai. Join us in the
Whanganui Region to celebrate Puanga; the Whanganui Matariki
Celebrations. The appearance of the star Puanga (Rigel) or the
star cluster Matariki (Pleiades) in the winter sky, connects
Māori to land and sea, foodharvesting, weather patterns, the
Maramataka (Lunar Calendar), entertainment and learning. Our
Puanga festival is an open invitation for the Whanganui
community (and the rest of the world!) to learn and experience
our aspects of traditional Māori life from astral navigation
to a cutting edge fashion show, an art exhibition, a planting
day, Marae open-days, Kapa Haka, musical events and much more.
www.puanga.org.nz
Wanganui
Festival of Glass Held in
September
In September 2007 the Wanganui Glass Group will launch the
inaugural Wanganui Festival of Glass, building on a highly
successful Glass Week held in 2006. An exhibition at the
city’s majestic Sarjeant Gallery will celebrate 20 years of
glass practice in Wanganui. “Glass on Mainstreet” sees shop
windows come alive with stunning glass artworks by local
artists and current students of the Wanganui Glass School will
exhibit their innovative glass works at the Alexander Library.
Watch the hot glass process with demonstrations by local
artists or have a go and enrol in one of the short intensive
glass workshops being offered.
www.wanganuiglass.com
Whanganui Artist’s Open Studios Weekend
Held annually in late March/early April
Artists open their studios to everyone wishing to see just
what goes into creating an artwork … print making, painting,
glass, ceramics, sculpture, music and multimedia works. |
More Information email Karen on
stay@151onlondon.co.nz
|
