Whanganui Heritage Month kicks off with boat parade on Saturday, October 8

The oldest steamboat in New Zealand 'SS Puke' will also take part in the boat parade. Photo / NZME

Whanganui Heritage Month kicks off this weekend with a parade featuring what organisers say will be the biggest variety of boats on the Whanganui River.

Heritage Month event organiser Ann Petherick said with this year's theme being transport, it was important to include the river.

"River transport and the river itself are so important to Whanganui and Whanganui's history," Petherick said.

"It was the first form of transport before there were any roads."

She said in the 19th century people would arrive on a ship from Wellington and get off in Whanganui, then go up the river to Taumarunui on one of the paddle boats, which would take four days.

"Back then it was the only way to go north because there were no roads or trains."

The Waimarie was now the only working passenger steamboat in New Zealand and an icon of Whanganui, Petherick said.

"Because of my own involvement in the river over the years, it was something I was keen to involve."

Petherick retired from being the Waimarie manager two years ago.

Ann Petherick is this year's Heritage Month event organiser. Photo / Paul Brooks

"Through working there I knew there were a few other heritage steamboats around the North Island."

She said many of these boats would participate the parade.

"It's absolutely amazing to have all these boats coming from all over the North Island."

The boats included the SS Puke, built at the end of the 19th century.

"That's one of the stars of the show. It belongs to the Maritime Museum in Auckland and is coming down on a truck on Thursday."

The SS Puke represented New Zealand in the 1988 World Expo in Brisbane.

Steve McClune, who is organising the heritage boats for the river parade, said 20 boats were registered to take part in Saturday's event.

"We have Te Waka, a range of small clinker-built dinghies, steamboats and old motor boats and hopefully others," McClune said.

"We tried to get the biggest variety of boats possible."

McClune would take part in the parade with his own vintage steamboat Mary Rose.

Steve McClune is organising the boats for the river parade, which will include his own vintage steamboat Mary Rose. Photo / NZME

"I don't think there have ever been so many different types of boats on the river for one event."

Later in the day SS Puke and the bigger boats would give rides to the public, he said.

Whanganui Iwi leader Ned Tapa said around 12 iwi members would steer Te Waka down from the top end of the river behind the Waimarie and Union Boat Club building.

"All of the other vessels will be at the other end of the river at the City Bridge, and we will come down and do a slight wero [challenge] on the water, then turn Te Waka around and lead the boats up the river past the markets.

"We're just ensuring Whanganui keeps their face on the river to welcome others to the river."

He said the iwi used Te Waka, around once a month for a variety of events.

"We use it to carry our loved ones who have departed from Pākaitore [Moutoa Gardens] down to Pūtiki and vice versa for them to carry on with their journey, wherever that may be.

"This weekend is a celebration of steamboats and we're going to be there to celebrate with them and we thought nothing more fitting than the Whanganui Iwi to say welcome to the river."

Petherick said Heritage Month would be officially opened with karakia at 10am on Saturday at the Whanganui Regional Museum.

"A lot of us will be dressed in heritage clothing. Then we will follow drummers down Drews Ave to the river," Petherick said.

She said Te Waka would arrive at 11am.

"Then Te Waka will lead a procession with the boats from City Bridge.

"The boats will be in order of age, with the oldest boats first and we have a person doing a commentary of each boat over a loudspeaker."

For more information about Whanganui Heritage Month visit www.whanganuiheritagetrust.org.nz or whanganuiheritagemonth4500 on Facebook.