Zombie empire strikes back

Julie Herewini, organiser of the Zombie March.

A planned "zombie march" is not intended to be a protest but a celebration of Wanganui, says organiser Julie Herewini.

The Yeah Hard Whanganui Zombie March would be a response to TVNZ's programme Sunday, which suggested Wanganui was a "zombie town", she said. More than 200 people had indicated on a Facebook page that they intended to be at the march, which will start at Ridgway Park at noon on Saturday.

Ms Herewini, from Maori development organisation Nga Tai O Te Awa, said people were "hurt and upset" by the report.

"Wanganui is a great place to live and there are many positive things happening here across many sectors," she said.

"We understand that some people are hesitant about this approach, and we know this comes from a place that has Wanganui at its heart.

"We want to be clear that this is not a protest. This is a celebration of what a great place we live in. This is our way of telling these defeatists that Wanganui is alive and kicking and that we as a community are prepared to take up the challenge to ensure our town progresses positively forward from this."

She said the march would leave from Ridgway Park, rather than Trafalgar Square as initially planned, to combat traffic management issues, and would make its way to Majestic Square.

Participants were encouraged to dress up as zombies, or fairy princesses or supermen, or anything else they felt reflected them and to join in the fun.

Yeah Hard Whanganui Zombie Event can be found on Facebook.

Nga Tai O Te Awa has also started a social media hashtag #whanganuiisawesome.