An all Gunn salute for our great city

Remember Jason Gunn? The former "face of children's television" made a whirlwind visit of Whangarei as part of his hunt for the Seven Wonders of New Zealand.

Together with his Classic Hits afternoon drive show host Dave Fitzgerald, they toured various places around the district yesterday and later shared their experience on the radio station's afternoon programme in Whangarei from 4pm to 7pm.

Each week - for seven weeks - the Christchurch-based presenters will throw a dart at a giant map of New Zealand and wherever it lands, will be the next place they visit on the tour.

Both have already visited Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth and Southland, and Monday's dart landed on Whangarei as their fourth stop.

Looking for weird and wonderful places, people and objects in Whangarei, they had a quick swim at Whangarei Falls, bared all for a run on Uretiti's nudist beach, visited Whangarei Boys' High School which taught the likes of Billy T James and Winston Peters, and grabbed hangi in a box.

"Couple of highlights? Hangi in the box, it was a party in the box with kumara vodka which is so unique in this part of the country," Gunn said.

"Explored ourselves on the local beach and a quick swim at the falls. Our listeners told us that we've got to try a few things here ... it's all about people, they say g'day and have a yarn and that's what's unique here."

Gunn mentioned the weather in particular, saying they flew to Whangarei in their jackets and discarded them upon their arrival.

He visited Whangarei many years ago as part of his show, the Young Entertainers, and also with his family.

He is famously known in New Zealand from shows such as The Son of a Gunn Show and What Now in the late 80s to early 90s and more recently hosted Dancing with the Stars and Wheel of Fortune.

Gunn became the co-host of the Classic Hits FM Breakfast show for Christchurch in 2009. In 2012, he moved to a nationwide networked show with Fitzgerald on the afternoon drive show "Jase and Dave".