Best of 2019: Abandoned to the Whanganui River

This summer the Chronicle is bringing you another look at some of the best content of 2019. This story originally ran on January 29, 2019

The Whanganui River is the beating heart of the city and is now world famous thanks to its unique legal status. But on a trip to the river mouth, photographer Bevan Conley came across a few sights and produced this essay of pictures that he calls "Abandoned to the River".

Still visible above the water is the wreck of the Te Anau, the last passenger vessel of the Union Steam Ship Company, scuttled in 1924 for use as a river wall opposite the port's number one wharf.

The old marina site at the Wharf St slipway.

The North Mole at Castlecliff with the abandoned railway line above it.

A ferro-concrete yacht that sank at its moorings near Balgownie Ave.

The old loading wharf used by the New Zealand Refrigerating Company at its Imlay freezing works.