Whanganui's Kowhai Park flying fox still missing five months after removal

The flying fox at Whanganui's Kowhai Park has been missing since October, and the council can't say if it will be back. Photo / Ethan Griffiths

Ethan Griffiths

The Whanganui District Council says it still intends to reinstate Kowhai Park's flying fox, but can't say when.

The popular flying fox at the famous park on the banks of the Whanganui River has been missing since October.

The council had initially said the flying fox was "not currently operational as we are having to make some repairs".

"We have been talking to a contractor to get prices for the required work and hope to have it back up and running for the summer," it said in December.

But by January, the flying fox was still missing from the park, with the council saying it was in fact removed due to safety concerns.

"Whanganui District Council still plans to reinstate the flying fox and discussions with an engineer are ongoing."

At the same time, Mayor Hamish McDouall assured the public the flying fox would return.

"I noticed it wasn't there, so asked where it had got to," McDouall said at the time.

"I was told that it will be reinstated. It will be back."

But in late March the flying fox is still nowhere to be seen, with a council spokesperson saying the decision-making process was still under way.

"When playground equipment reaches the end of its useful life, we need to look at whether its replacement can be improved to meet current standards. We're still considering what might be required for the flying fox," the spokesperson said.

"No final decision has been made on the extent of an upgrade or the timeframe, but the intention is still to reinstate the flying fox at Kowhai Park."

Another popular attraction that has been removed in recent times is the Mosquito Point swing.

Mosquito Point had its famous swing removed in 2016 after rot was discovered in the pole. Council staff subsequently decided not to replace it, citing safety concerns and reputational risk should anyone have an accident.

However, councillors voted to return the swing in 2018 on the back of strong public demand and against the advice of staff and council policy.

It was removed again the following month after two people suffered serious injuries and in June 2020, councillors decided to formally decommission the swing.