Instantly likeable
Mike Yardley discovers some local gems on a visit to Manawatu¯
FANCY AN AUTUMN roam in Manawatu¯ ? If it’s a Friday, your first stop should be the flower-filled streets of Feilding, a multiple award-winner of New Zealand’s Most Beautiful Town, taking out the gong on 16 separate occasions.
Even a fleeting foray to Feilding soon reveals why. It is an instantly likeable town, immaculately clean and colourful, studded with impeccably-maintained character buildings.
Friday is market day in Feilding, with the largest operating saleyards in the Southern Hemisphere doing their busiest trade, while the fresh produce and artisan treats roar into life at the weekly Farmers’ Market — also adjudged the nation’s best on multiple occasions.
It’s held in Manchester Square in the shadow of the town’s heritage clock tower and the Feilding Hotel, and you can feast on the delicacies from more than 30 stalls including fromage from Cartwheel Creamery and sausages from Foxtonbased Foxy Bangers.
After eating my fill, I headed to Joe McMenamin’s wonderful art studio in the heart of Feilding, ready to unleash my creative juices.
Joe was known as Mr Mac in his art teaching years, before stepping away from being a high school teacher to become a full-time artist. His abiding love for organic, flowing patterns, diving into painting, drawing, and making a be with dyes and printmaking runs deep.
I was joining Joe for a hands-on session screen-printing my own T-shirt. He guided me through the whole process, from selecting a design, the image and font for the wording, all the way through the finished product. I’m now proudly wearing my custom-made shirt, sporting my personal slogan, “Keep Discovering.”
Joe’s love of New Zealand native birds is ever present in the studio, and he paints them in lush, photo-realistic detail.
He’s recently been in my neighbourhood in Christchurch, painting a commissioned mural for some friends in their family home.
Whether it’s his giant murals adorning many of our towns, or smaller scale murals and paintings and prints to purchase, you’ll discover a world of artistic delights in his studio. Plus he regularly runs art classes, if you want to get totally hands-on with a true pro, who has a saintly patience and easy humour.
While in town, further your artistic explorations with a visit to the Feilding Art Centre.
Established over 50 years ago, their gallery hosts a new exhibition every three weeks, plus the arts centre shop is chocka-block with beautiful locally-made items.
You can purchase unique, hand-made and locally designed art and craft objects, spanning all disciplines.
Peckish? Right across the road from Joe McMenamin in Ferguson St is The Strong Room. Here you’ll find fresh fabulous food, and a private bank vault dining space downstairs.
Their tapas and sharing menu is particularly good. Don’t miss the popcorn chicken sliders with brie, ranch slaw and cranberry sauce.
Ready to stretch the legs? Heading east of Feilding, I joined the hordes of local weekend warriors striking out on the region’s signature Te A¯ pitiManawatu¯ Gorge walking trail.
Landslips forced the permanent closure of the gorge road five years ago and the new highway route is currently being constructed over the Ruahine Range, scheduled for completion in two years.
With the rumble of vehicle traffic permanently silenced from the gorge, it’s the cacophony of birdsong that rules the roost, with tui, fantails and kereru thriving in the bush-draped gorge, coursing through the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges.
I made a beeline for the Manawatu¯ Gorge Loop track, an easy stroll of 1.2km through native bush.
Branching off it is the longer Tawa Loop Track, which is deliciously good, studded with soothing nikau groves and red flowering rata. Set aside 2 hours to knock off this 4km-long route, which follows a steady gradient and is steep in places.
All that puffing is handsomely rewarded with a heart-stealing view across the sinuous curves of the bush-wrapped gorge.
Keep an eye out for Whatonga, a stirring 6m-high steel sculpture of the Rangita¯ne chief who captained the Kurahaupo¯ waka when it landed in the 12th-century.
Eight Ma¯ori-inspired information panels also tell the story of the region’s Ma¯ori heritage and culture.
It’s a banger of a walk.