Whanganui Reputation

When I tell people that I've moved here from the States (or they ask where I'm from because of my accent), they always seem surprised that I would come to Whanganui. They all seem to think that no one would voluntarily move to Whanganui, rather than Auckland or Wellington. However, when I tell them that I really like it here so far, they are proud to say that it is a nice little town, with plenty of things to do, and that they enjoy living here.

As I have had more of these conversations, I have realized that the locals are a bit embarrassed and frustrated by what they feel is an undeserved negative reputation. Apparently, Whanganui gets made fun of a bit by other Kiwis, because there is a bit of a gang problem, and because the river is muddy. I have heard mixed opinions on whether or not the gangs are dangerous, but the consensus seems to be that they keep to themselves and don't bother the rest of us. As for the river, you may have noticed in some of my pictures that it is quite brown - this is because of all the silt that gets into it. I don't actually mind it, and still think it's pretty, but apparently not everyone agrees. One thing that all of this means is that one of the big platforms in elections is turning around the image of the city, and getting people to move here and bring in business and money.

As far as I can figure out, Whanganui is a fantastic place. The people are friendly and helpful, and they seem to have great relationships with each other. Not only do some shopkeepers already remember my name, they great a lot of their customers by name and seem happy to see them and help them with whatever they need. There are lots of small businesses that seem to be doing well, as well as plenty of chains and big stores. The weather is most nice, there are pretty beaches, and you only have to drive an hour or two to get to bigger cities like Palmerston North, or to the mountains in Tongariro National Park.

Moreover, everyone I've talked to who moved here as an adult says that they much prefer it over where they came from (regardless of where that is). They all, like me, were happy to find so many nice people, and to have both a small-town feel and plenty of variety.

In conclusion, people should wake up and appreciate Whanganui for all it's wonderful qualities.

On an unrelated note:
I am not going to be able to keep posting every day. I am getting busier, and I am optimistic that I will get my NZ Background Check back next week, and then I'll be even busier. In addition, now that we are a bit more settled, I am spending my days doing things that are important and fun for me, but not really blog-worthy. I would rather not write when I don't have anything to say than try to invent things to say and end up being boring and rambling. But I promise to write at least every other day for the time being, and see how that goes. So don't stop checking in if there's not something new every day. Okay?