MV Wairua And Skipper Sam, Whanganui, New Zealand
Built at Poplar London UK by Yarrow & Company, the Motor Vessel Wairua (Spirit) joined the famous Hatrick & Co Whanganui River Steamer fleet in November 1904 and was a pioneer of river travel above Pipiriki.
The Motor Vessel Wairua has a unique form of propulsion that is known as tunnel drive or raised propeller boat. That is the propeller is located in a tunnel above the bottom of the vessel and the water is drawn up into this and then thrust out of the stern past the vessels rudders. A very early fore runner of today’s jet boats. This enabled the Motor Vessel Wairua to work in very shallow water.
See more: visitwhanganui.nz/motor-vessel-wairua/
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MV Wairua Meets Ja1271 At Aramoho, Whanganui
MV Wairua (1904) crosses paths with Steam Incorporated's Ja1271 (1956) on the Aramoho Railway Bridge spanning the Whanganui River in New Zealand.
The train was an excursion named the Rivercity Express from Paekakariki and was in Whanganui for the afternoon. While the train was here, a local excursion called the 'Eastown Express' was run for Whanganui residents. The MV Wairua was out on the river carrying the Wellingtonian visitors from the earlier train.
The plan was to get MV Wairua to line up with the excursion train at the railway bridge to create a spectacle for train and boat passengers alike.
Ja 1271 was built at the Hillside Workshops in Dunedin April 1956 and was withdrawn from service in November 1971. 1271 was restored for mainline use in 1997 by Steam Incorporated in their depot at Paekakariki and is now a regular visitor to North Island destinations such as Whanganui.
MV Wairua was built in Poplar London by Yarrow & Company. MV Wairua joined the famous Hatrick & Co Whanganui River Steamer fleet in November 1904 and was a pioneer of river travel above Pipiriki.
MV Wairua has a form of propulsion that is known as tunnel drive or raised propeller boat. That is the propeller is located in a tunnel above the bottom of the vessel and the water is drawn up into this and then thrust out of the stern past the vessels rudders. A very early fore runner of today’s jet boats. This enabled MV Wairua to work in very shallow water.
MV Wairua was withdrawn from service in the 1940's and was used as a pontoon until it sank at it's mornings. Was salvaged out of the river in 1987 faithfully restored to first class condition
M.V.Wairua offers Day Picnic Trips to Hipango Park, Cruises to Upokongaro and Personalised Cruises for all occasions.
MV Wairua Gliding Past PS Waimarie.
Whanganui River, New Zealand.
This video clip is taken from PS Waimarie on its regular Two hour sailing. MV Wairua was also out and about with a small group of happy passengers.
MV Wairua was salvaged out of the riverbank in 1987 after many years in the mud by Four good keen men. This group then went on to create a charitable community trust to restore an old inner city riverboat wharf in 1989 and salvage and restore the PS Waimarie which lay in the mud at the base of this wharf in 1993.
There was a large community spirit supporting the PS Waimarie project and this steamer was relaunched in May 1999 and entered into service in 2000.
The privately owned MV Wairua was relaunched 2006. Both vessels now complement each other in scenes such as this.
Waimarie Paddle Steamer - Whanganui, New Zealand - ONZAMAP.co.nz
John and the ONZAMAP film crew visited the wonderful region of Whanganui and had a maritime heritage experience with Waimarie Paddle Steamer.
To find out more information go to
May 14 2011 Waimarie Wanganui River
Created on May 14, 2011 using FlipShare.
Newly Restored PS Waimarie On Opening Day
Video by John Burroughs.
Here it is! The first day of the year 2000 has finally arrived.
In Wanganui a coal-fired steamboat was re-commissioned to be New Zealand's only operating paddle steamer
For riverboat enthusiasts, the 1990's was about digging an old paddlesteamer out of the mud, housing it in the Whanganui Riverboat Centre for restoration and lifting its freshly painted hull back onto the river in 1999.
The PS Waimarie had been adopted as the towns 'millennium project' and the race was on to have the vessel ready and sailing by the first day of the year 2000.
This is part of a longer dvd presentation which was on display at the Whanganui Riverboat Centre between the years 2006 and 2012. The dvd was regularly shown to visitors viewing the museum display and to passengers awaiting their boarding call onto the PS Waimarie.
Whanganui Paddlesteamer
Waimarie, New Zealand's last surviving coal fired paddle steamer. A trip up the Whanganui River in February 2014.
Jb 1236 arrives for Whanganui Vintage Weekend
Mainline Steam's Oil fired locomotive Jb 1236 arrives in Whanganui for Vintage Weekend after a 160km journey up from Plimmerton. 20/01/2018
Refloating of the Waimarie 5/11/16 Whanganui
Refloating of the Waimarie Paddle Steamer (of Whanganui fame) using traction engines.
Just another reason to visit the beautiful city of Whanganui, New Zealand.
Enjoy!
More info
The Waimarie being pulled out of the water 17/9/16:
This is an unofficial original work (C) Eric Gordon 5/11/16 14:50pm NZT
You are free to republish, but a shout out to the author / link to the original video is appreciated :-)
(Part 2) Pumping Mud As The Hull's Outline Appears
(New Zealand)
A fire engine is brought down to the wharf to supply the water pressure to help move the mud away from the PS Waimarie's hull. The salvage crew take care as they find their footing and learn to work on this new salvage. But for the members of the public standing on the wharf, it is all still a hidden mystery!
(Jan 6, 1993)
Video filmed by Millicent Brasell;
Commentary by David McDermid & Mark Cambell.
'Project Waimarie' was an imaginative maritime heritage project undertaken in Wanganui. The project team set out to restore an old riverboat wharf in 1991 and to salvage NZ's last paddle-steamer, the PS Waimarie, from the muddy riverbank in 1993.
The restored PS Waimarie was re-launched in 1999. The vessels first public day of operations was January 1st, 2000.
Millicent Brasell was a big supporter of the project and an enthusiast of the video camera. Millicent followed the project with her camera in the early period of PS Waimarie's rebirth, thoughtfully documenting each stage for posterity.
PS Waimarie Queen Of The River (1996)
New Zealand
The Whanganui Riverboat Centre was officially opened in 1996. Situated at 1a Taupo Quay Wanganui, the former 1881 rowing club building had undergone an extensive restoration as it had been tasked with the important role of housing the PS Waimarie while the hull restoration took place.
What you are about to watch is a video that used to be played in the WRC museum to the visitors who had come to check on the progress of the paddle steamer project in the latter half of the 1990's. That is of course if the visitors weren't distracted by workmen busy rattling away with their loud rivet guns!
By the year 2000, Waimarie was operating back on the river and this video had obviously become outdated now that the vessels restoration project was complete. The VHS video had been played hundreds of times and had stretched and become grubby before it was put into storage.
This video is property of the 'Whanganui Riverboat Restoration & Navigation Trust' and permission was gained before being uploaded to YouTube.
Happy Crowds & Busy Boats At Hipango Park 100th
(New Zealand) Hipango Park was gifted to the People of Whanganui on April 3 1913.
In this video, the Whanganui riverboat fleet and other smaller vessels are attending the centenary gathering. This was the first time that these three vessels: MV Wairua, MV Adventurer II & PS Waimarie had been moored alongside each other.
It was the first occasion that PS Waimarie and MV Wairua were at 'the park' together in over 60 years.
Speaking at the Hipango Jetty are; Whanganui Riverboat Centre Director Grant Collie, Wanganui Mayor Annette Main and Harete Hipango, the great granddaughter of Waata Hipango.
In the days before Facebook and Twitter, people used to actually meet together as a community at events such as social picnics.
Picnic outings on the riverboats were popular with all sorts of groups, ranging from workplace social clubs, schools and the church communities.
The boats used to take huge crowds on these outings to upriver destinations like farmer's riverside paddocks.
But the paddocks were not suitable for the growing demand. The farmers were increasingly becoming unhappy at the inconvieniences associated with hosting hundreds of people, who were unintentionally damaging fences and spooking the livestock.
Mr Waata Hipango came to the aid of the townsfolk looking for a formal picnic destination along the river valley. He oversaw the gifting of land, including an old Pa site, at the head of the Whanganui tidal reach about 17 miles upstream from Town Bridge.
Many photographs were taken at Hipango Park picnic gatherings from the busy 1910's through to 1950's.
In the 1960's & 70's riverboat visits to the park lessened, but the well known MV Waireka was still an occasional visitor.
In the 1980's & 90's the PW Otunui also ran an occasional Hipango Park excursion.
In the more recent era, the park has seen an increase of riverboat visits, especially from the MV Wairua (1903) which was recommisioned in 2006 and travels to the park frequently in the summer season.
PS Waimarie (1900) has visited Hipango Park about once every two years, since its recommisioning in 2000.
Whanganui River Riverboats
After the exciting Billy Webb Rowing challenge, MV Wairua approaches her jetty to tie up, meanwhile, PS Waimarie slips by on the far side of the river on her way to her berth outside the Riverboat centre. 11/12/16
Wanganui Vintage Weekend land, sea and air.
As part of Vintage Weekend Wanganui 2015, the paddle steamer PS Waimare and riverboat Adventurer II passed under the Aramoho railway bridge as the steam locomotive Ab663 puffed its way across, while at the same time a Tiger Moth flown by Richmond Harding circled overhead.
Wanganui River Road
Another great ride down the river road. Plenty of winter damage and roadworks. This video does not show the worst of it - there was mud!
River Steamer Lists To Port As Flood Waters Recede
Wanganui, New Zealand.
Whanganui River on a Paddle Steamer
Trip up the Whanganui River on a paddle steamer
TMN 251 Large Rubbish Fire 28-02-10
Taumarunui 251 responds to a large rubbish fire.
(It was a 1 pump call and I'd just got home and knew I wouldn't make the truck but had my camera with me so....)
Wanganui V8 Flatties Scratch Race
V8 Flattie race from Wanganui
Steaming Along
The extended video from the Whanganui Riverboat Museum and PS Waimarie.
Please note this is a flash version. A HD version to follow.
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