My perfect Whanganui weekend: Chris Buckley

Poppy Buckley keeps her dad Chris company before he strides out to the middle. Photo / Supplied

Chris Buckley has been the head of commerce at Whanganui Collegiate School for the past eight years. Next year he will depart for Geelong, Australia, but not before he maps out a perfect weekend in his hometown.

Without sounding like too much of a punisher, I’ll be down at City Fitness first thing on a Saturday morning. It’s a good way to start off the weekend - friendly staff and good attendees.

After that, I’ll go out to Kai Iwi Beach with the kids for a paddle and a run-around.

In the afternoon it will be playing cricket up at Victoria Park with Whanganui Old Boys Tech.

As this is my perfect weekend, we would win the toss and send them in to bat. They would be skittled for next to nothing and we would knock the runs off in four-and-a-half overs. I would be in at the end, having got there arguably too conservatively. Ultimately though, I hit the winning runs.

Then we would show some appreciation to our naming-rights sponsor, the St Johns Club, by going down there and celebrating said victory responsibly.

As for Sunday, it’s straight down to the kids’ bike park at Springvale Stadium, followed by a coffee and a bit of cake at the Springvale Garden Centre.

The weekend would be rounded out at Porridge Watson with a large lager and some hot fries in the little courtyard there.

What am I going to miss most about Whanganui? The river and all the surrounding parks and walkways, and the people as well - my Whanganui Tech Old Boys Cricket Club team members in particular.