Wanganui

Or, in Maori, Whanganui....
It is a lovely city, about 40,000 people live here.    It was one of the original European ports in New Zealand.  Before the arrival of the train, everything went by boat and up the River Whanganui by woodfired paddle steamer, which is still going!
In the early days the boats winched theirselves  up rapids right into the interior as far as one of the first inland towns, Taumaranui. (Thanks to The Pirate for the information)

I haven't seen much of the town yet,  I've been on one clubrun up the river on Highway 43 and back, but most of my time has been spent on the velodrome, built in 1990 for the Commonwealth Games.
The original velodrome in Cooks Gardens was asphalt and about 450  metres, where the present athletics track is sited. The pavilion was cut in half and moved on two transporters and stuck together again...as you do in New Zealand!!

It is named after Peter Snell who ran the first sub 4 minute mile in NZ, forty years ago.

 The track is just like Meadowbank in Edinburgh, Scotland....with sun!!

The Pirate having a chat during his "warm down" after training with his friend Adam Hamlin, born thirteen days earlier, also near London (UK) but resident in New Zealand for forty odd years.     They are both riding Adam's bikes!