Night-time climb on offer
A chance to tower above a town’s nightlife will be on offer this weekend.
Hawera’s 55-metre high water tower is opening on Saturday for a night climb, allowing people to survey the town as the lights go down.
Nearly 5000 people make the 215 step climb to the top each year - but usually in the daylight.
The tower was popular with visitors for the fabulous view it offers out over Hawera, its suburbs and the countryside beyond, and towards the mountain, South Taranaki i-Site supervisor Tarin Hunt said.
‘‘We haven’t had any weddings, but people sometimes get their wedding photos taken from the steps outside.’’
It only opens about once a year at night, but is otherwise open every day of the year except Christmas Day.
‘‘Our overseas visitor numbers have increased this summer,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s a cost-effective way to see the town and get a stunning view, especially if the mountain is out, but people will go up in the pouring rain.’’
Those wanting to see the view on Saturday will need to bring their own torches and headlamps because there are no lights inside, apart from at the very top, which has been lit up since 1932 when neon lights were installed to celebrate Hawera’s 50th jubilee.
The tower, which opened in 1914, was built to ensure Hawera had a reliable water supply after several devastating fires in the town. But it was never used for this purpose and the water tanks were removed in the 1950s, Hunt said.
Nowadays, the tower is the town’s most popular visitor landmark and also its most impressive site for cell phone antennae.
In 2015 it was closed for earthquake strengthening after some concrete fell off one of the eight balustrades. It reopened in early February 2016 and was rated at 70 per cent of the modern building code, despite its age.
Inside, flights of steps wind upward around the edge of the concrete walls, narrow enough to make the climb exciting, but with sturdy balustrades for security.
Hundreds of names are scrawled on the concrete in plain pencil.
A Pattern visited on 7/8/18 and JA Mossman made the climb in 1921.
The cost is $2.50 for an adult, $1 for a child and $6 for a family.