"My Home Town - RAGE ON!!!" a Hawera Travel Page by hailsbails

My town originates from the name of a Maori Village, Te Hawera. The main purpose of my town used to be to support the farming district. Providing anything from food to car parts. Originally Hawera's land was surveyed and was going to be used for prospective militant settlers. But as the dairy industry took off in the 1880's Hawera became recognised as an important services town. Dairying in Taranaki has a significant contribution to NZ's economy. Also the world-ranking dairy company Fonterra has the largest single-site dairy factory in the southern hemisphere just two kilometres south of the Hawera. Fonterra supplies a lot of jobs for locals!!

This stands tall in the middle of my town, to pay tribute to the New Zealand and Australian men who lost their lives during the 20th Century Wars. On ANZAC Day (Australia New Zealand Army Corps) the 25th April each year. The arch is filled with flowers and wreaths to commemorate New Zealanders and the of return servicemen and women.

"The Dawn Parade" takes place obviously at dawn, and return servicemen and women march, with speical members of the community. Then prayers, hymns are said, here the last verse of Laurence Binyon's 'For the Fallen':

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Another ceremony takes place later that morning, with returned service personnel wearing their medals, and marching behind banners and standards. The veterans are joined by other community groups, including members of the armed forces, the Red Cross, cadets, and veterans of other countries' forces.

The March leads back to the War Memorial where the wreaths are laid. This service happens everywhere around NZ, and similar in Australia!

Out the window...Thats our main street, you can blink an eye and your through the whole thing!! Its a nice peaceful town. We have a beach, some pubs, cafes, cinema, mountain!! Its not all bad. But like every small town, everyone knows who you are and what your doing and who your with!! Thats the way it goes i guess, but im sick of this place, gotta get outta here!! And with 8,000 people im getting rather bored of the old routine!!