01/01/2024
Happy New Year.
Back on the road again and moving slowly back to the central North Island to continue our adventure. We are taking our time and looking for off the beaten track locations while we wait for the busy Summer holiday crowds to disperse. Leaving our friends in Raumati South and travelling only as far as Levin we spent the night parked at a farm east of Levin close to the Ohau River. The evening light on the paddocks was spectacular and the quietness was lovely.
02/01/2024
Our intended destination for the day was Foxton Beach but on arrival we encountered huge crowds and hundreds of cars. Purely by chance we had arrived at the biggest event of the year for Foxton Beach, the Foxton Beach New Year Fair, with an estimated attendance of six thousand people. Not our scene, so we we we went for a walk on the beach and escaped, quickly. The beach at Foxton Beach is typical of so many beaches we have visited, flat and sandy, backing onto sand hills. Pleasant enough but unremarkable.
We did come across an impressive sand castle that someone had put a great deal of effort into creating before abandoning it to the elements.
As an alternative to Foxton Beach to park for the night we investigated Koitiata settlement on Turakina Beach at the mouth of the Turakina River - although the river mouth regularly changes up to 4.5 kilometres along the beach - and what a good decision. This small seaside settlement has a relaxed friendly feel to it with about half the baches and houses inhabited by permanent residents and the rest used as holiday homes. Of note was the bird hide overlooking the freshwater lagoon and the abundance of driftwood deposited on the beach by the prevailing wind and tidal conditions after being washed down the many rivers along this coast.
03/01/2024
After a short drive from Koitiata we arrived in Whanganui. Here, following some reprovisioning, we made our way to the Durie Hill Elevator, one of only two underground elevators in the world. Completed in 1919 to allow easy access to the new garden suburb of Durie Hill, planned by the architect Samuel Hurst Seager, the elevator and tunnel are rated a category one historic place by Heritage New Zealand. Starting beside the Whanganui River we entered a 213 metre long tunnel into the hillside, which has a colorful lighting display near the elevator doors.
Upon entering the elevator car, we were quickly lifted 66 metres to the upper exit where commanding views of the river and city can be seen by climbing the spiral staircase to the top of the bright orange elevator machinery building.
There was a bonus. Standing on the hill behind the elevator building is the 33.5 metre tall First World War Memorial Tower. A spiral staircase inside this tower takes you to an observation deck at the top of this category 2 heritage building where more spectacular views are on offer. We thoroughly enjoyed this experience and at a very reasonable two dollars per head it is highly recommended. You can save the two dollars for the elevator trip down by walking down the pathway to the bottom.
One of the other main tourist activities in Whanganui, the steam driven paddle steamer on the river, was not running this day. However on our way back to our motorhome we passed the paddle steamer moored to it's wharf along side a very eye catching polished stainless steel sculpture called 'Bearing', by David McCracken. This large reflective sphere represents the sinuous course of the Whanganui River from mountain to sea along with it's major tributaries.
From here we made our way to the Castlecliff Beach Free Camping parking area for the night, a short walk along the beach to the Whanganui River mouth.
04/01/2024
On our way back to the central North Island for a few days fishing we left Whanganui on State Highway 4 alongside the Whanganui River initially, then into the Central North Island steep hill country which we stopped to view from the Parikino lookout.
Another brief stop at the Raukawa Falls, visible from the road, and an opportunity to have a break from the constantly turning and twisting, rising and falling roads.
Looking ahead for potential stop over locations, we fancied the look of the Ruatiti Domain campsite so we made the 17 kilometre diversion to investigate. What a fabulous camp ground it was. Spacious grass parking areas and many smaller alcoves in the native bush which surrounded the campsite made it seem that there were very few people there camping. However, that was not the case as it turned out, there were many people scattered throughout the whole campsite.
Adjacent to the domain flows the Manganui o teo Ao River with a large deep swimming hole.
For the last few kilometres to the domain the access road follows the river high up on the steep hillside giving impressive views of the river below.
An excellent campsite made all the better by the fact it is free.
05/01/2024
Continuing on with our slow trip to Turangi our next stop was Mangahuia DOC Campsite. To quote DOC on this campsite, 'A peaceful campsite beside a stream on the edge of the Tongariro National Park'. That's about all that can be said.
On our way there we passed the Main Trunk Railway line Makatote viaduct which made an impressive sight especially with it's red colour contrasting against the green bush. Completed in 1908 it is 262 metres long with a maximum height of 79 metres.
06/01/2024
A short drive to Turangi today to prepare for a few days in the backcountry. Lake Taupo was very picturesque as we descended on state highway 47.
07/01/2024 - 08/01/2024
Gone fishing.
09/01/2024
Looking for a break from fishing and a change of scenery we made our way to the DOC Urchin Campground in the Kaimanawa Ranges. Why? Because it looked interesting and was well reviewed on the internet. It turned out to be far more interesting than we had envisioned. About 2.5 kilometres along Kaimanawa Road after leaving the Volcanic Loop highway, state highway one, we crossed a bridge over deep ravine. Peering over the railings we could see the Tongariro river far below squeezed through a series of pools and channels eroded deep into the base rock, both upstream and downstream, before cascading into a turquoise pool. This cascade of five or six metres we found out is the Waikato Falls, accessed by an inconspicuous side road about 100 metres before the bridge. There is no roadside sign to inform passers by of the spectacular natural beauty right beside the road.
Walking from the Urchin campground to the Pillars of Hercules natural attraction took us about an hour return. Once again here, the Tongariro River flows through a deep and very narrow (about a metre or less) channel carved by water action over millennia. It must be a deep slit in the base rock for the Tongariro River to pass through it with virtually no perceiveable current on the surface and surely impressive with the river in flood. Unfortunately it is very difficult to see this natural feature as it is mainly obscured by tree and shrub branches. DOC have dropped the pass here badly. Some judicious branch pruning and / or shrub removal would make this natural feature, that is promoted by DOC themselves, worth the effort and expense of getting there to see it.
10/01/2024
Lacing on our walking shoes we made our way from Urchin campsite along the Tree Trunk Gorge Track following an old abandoned service road for the Tongariro Power Scheme to see the two spectacular gorges described in the DOC track literature. It was a very pretty track but after exceeding the prescribed one and a half hours walking time with no sign of the gorges we turned back. Some more signs or track distance markers would have been helpful but DOC seldom places such information on their tracks. We did see the upper Tongariro River again on a short deviation track briefly before we abandoned our walk.
Urchin campsite is a peaceful place with lots of bird song but it is up near the ridgeline away from any creeks or rivers. The walks on offer left us a bit disappointed as explained but the drive to view the Waikato Falls is well worth the effort. Later in the day we returned to Lake Otamangakau for more fishing.
11/01/2024
In the afternoon we moved to Lake Kuratau for a little more fishing before taking State Highway 41 to Piriaka with a brief stop at the Waituhi Scenic Lookout. The views in all directions are spectacular from the top of the raised viewing platform.
12/01/2024
Taumarunui is a short trip from Piriaka and was our first stop of the day in order to provision and prepare for our journey along the Forgotten World Highway, Route 43, to Stratford. State Highway 43 is 149 kilometres of winding, hilly road joining the King Country with Taranaki and has the only section of gravel road remaining in the New Zealand state highway system.
Initially following the Whanganui River we then climbed up to Nevins Lookout for a clear view across the steep hill country of mounts Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu far behind us to the south east.
The steep farmland gave way to lush sub tropical rain forest as we proceeded into the Tangarakau Gorge where we stopped at the site of Joshua Morgan's grave. In 1893 Joshua was charge surveyor planning a route to establish a road through the gorge when he fell very ill with severe abdominal pains in this remote location. He subsequently died of suspected peritonitis and was buried close to where he had died in the gorge. Two years after his death the road to Whangamomona was opened on the route he had surveyed.
When Morgan's wife, Annie, died in Auckland aged 85, her ashes were placed on his grave in the Tangarakau Gorge bush, a short distance off the road he had surveyed.
Not long after the grave site we passed through the Moki tunnel, the only one constructed of five tunnels proposed for the road.
Next we left the Forgotten World Highway turning onto the gravel road to Bushlands Campground at Tangarakau. As we crossed a bridge over the old Taumarunui to Stratford railway a group of rail carts passed below us enroute to Whangamomona.
Bushlands is a very rustic and relaxed campground at the ghost town of Tangarakau which was established to accommodate the construction workers and their families while the railway was being built between 1925 and 1937. During this brief period the population peaked at around 1200. Today it is about 25.
13/01/2024
Before continuing on our travels this morning we followed the farm track from Bushlands alongside the Tangarakau river to the bottom of the gorge and Fossil Canyon with it's towering mud stone cliffs. It is these cliffs which were once on the seabed that yield fossils as they weather and erode slowly. Some examples of fossilised crabs and sea shells are on display at Bushlands.
Next place of interest was the small township of Whangamomona (population 126 according to the 2018 census). Whangamomona declared itself a republic in 1989 as a protest against being included in the Manawatu - Whanganui Region when the boundaries were redrawn, and removed from the Taranaki Region, with which most residents associated. Whangamomona holds a Republic Day annually and a President is duly elected. Past presidents have included Billy Gumboots the Goat and Tai the Poodle.
After crossing the Whangamomona Saddle the dense native forest gave way to farm land and we were soon in Stratford having completed the Forgotten World Highway. Taranaki is dominated by the dormant Mount Egmont volcano. Standing 2518 metres high, it demands your attention where ever you are. So our first night in Taranaki was spent nearly 1200 metres up Mount Egmont at the Stratford Plateau car park. Mostly vieled in cloud we just caught fleeting glimpses of the summit in the late afternoon sun.
14/01/2024
Up early to watch the changing light as the sun rose on Mount Egmont with a clear sky, from the pre-dawn to mid morning. One of the few times we saw the summit free from clouds.
Twenty minutes later after descending the mountain and on our way to our next stop, Dawson Falls, the cloud had started forming around the summit.
The Dawson Falls loop walk starts at the Dawson Falls Visitor centre as do several other walks and tramping tracks. This walk takes about 30 minutes and allows access to the base of the 18 metre tall waterfall with sturdy wooden steps.
Shortly after the start of the walk a side track takes you to the hydro electrical power generator for Dawson Falls in it's small red shed. Built in 1899 for use by the NZ Defence Forces in Wellington, followed by helping to run lighting for the Wellington cable car before being moved to Dawson Falls in 1934. It is thought to be the oldest continuously operating power generator in the world.
Waihi Beach Reserve three kilometres south west from Hawera was our final stop for the day. Access to this wild beach is only possible on the lower half of the tide, but worth the effort. Exposed to the prevailing westerly wind driven waves the high cliffs are constantly eroding.
15/01/2024
With windy and cloudy weather forecast for the day we moved as far as Opunake anticipating fine weather the next day. We parked at Lake Opunake which was constructed 100 years ago to store water for a power plant. This power plant, one of several small power plants in Taranaki, has not been in operation for several years but is currently being recommissioned.
The lake has a walking track around it which we did along with the cliff top walkway through maintained flower gardens out to the remains of the old jetty pounded by the waves. An interesting feature was the concrete sofas beautifully covered in mosaics of ceramic tiles.
16/01/2024
The fine weather we had anticipated had arrived this morning. So after a brief walk on Opunake beach, with a clear view of Mount Egmont summit, we made our way to Cape Egmont and the lighthouse.
This was significant to us on our North Island adventure as we had now visited the four major capes. Cape Palliser, East Cape, Cape Reinga and now Cape Egmont. However, this was by no means the end of our journey as we carry on.
Cape Egmont lighthouse first shone at Cape Egmont in 1881. This cast iron tower which stands 20 metres tall was originally erected at Mana Island north of Wellington before being relocated to Cape Egmont.
Another interesting feature on the ring plain about Cape Egmont were the lahars. These mounds are basically volcanic mud slides, a rapidly flowing mixture of rock debris and water, expelled from a volcano by an eruption under a crater lake or volcano cone collapse. They can be quite small to very large and travel extremely fast for considerable distances as they slide down the slopes of volcanos. The result is rounded mounds on otherwise flat ground.
Carrying on around the Mount Egmont ring plain, we concluded our day staying at Kaitake Golf Club, a short distance from New Plymouth.
17/01/2024
Not much to report. Our motorhome is booked in for a service tomorrow so we moved from the golf club to New Plymouth just to familiarise ourselves with the suburb of Bell Block where the service was to take place and also our parkup for the night.
18/01/2024
An early start to get our motorhome to the truck service workshop by 7:30 am. We walked from there to Bell Block retail centre where we had a very satisfying cooked breakfast while our motorhome was being attended to. The day was hot, so a visit to the beach was called for. The familiar Summer sight in New Zealand of Life Guards on the beach greeted us. Every year thousands of volunteer Life Guards give their time willingly to make our beaches safer. Keep up the great work.
However, the highlight of the day was our evening visit to the New Plymouth, TSB Festival of Lights. Held twice a year, once in the Summer at Pukekura Park and another display in the Winter at the New Plymouth CBD, these are very popular events. As shown by the selection of photographs we took, it was spectacular!
19/01/2024
Went fishing at Lake Mangamahoe, then spent the night at a Park Over Property near Lepperton.
20/01/2024
Back to the sea coast today and travelling north along state highway 3. We made a diversion to Pukearuhe where we walked down the boat ramp at the mouth of Waikaramarama Stream onto the beach. From there we proceeded for about one kilometre along the beach, only possible at low tide, towards White Cliffs, much further along the coast. This section of beach can be used as a loop track returning along the White Cliffs walkway from Wai Pingao Stream. Although not the White Cliffs, the cliffs above this section of the beach were pretty impressive in their own right. The White Cliffs walkway extends up the coast for eleven kilometres, a large part of which follows the Kapuni to Auckland natural gas pipeline.
21/01/2024
After visiting the Three Sisters lookout on the northern headland above the Tongaporutu river mouth we continued along this picturesque coastline before turning inland to follow the Awakino River up through its rugged gorge. We stopped for a short walk to the historical Awakino road tunnel blasted through a limestone bluff in the 1920s. It is now by passed with a new bridge and sealed to prevent public entry.
Finishing our day at Aramatai Gardens we had a team talk.
Having ticked off a lot of the Taranaki and central north island we had fourteen days before our next adventure activity. But more about that later.
The Gentle Annie road between Napier and Taihape was another route that had my curiosity. So having made the decision to fill this tick box we set a course for Napier.
22/01/2024
On our way to Taumaranui to provision and prepare for the journey ahead we had one stop. Omaru Falls seemed like it was worth the effort of walking to and so it was. A thirty minute walk to the very photogenic 45 metre high falls along an easy stream side bush walk was most enjoyable.
23/01/2024
We were not rushing to Napier as we had a bit of time to fill before our next adventure. So we broke our journey to Napier into sorter stages. Having reached Whakaipo Bay on the north side of Lake Taupo we parked for the night. Purely by coincidence we were right next to a motorhome identical to ours. This was was all the more remarkable as to our knowledge there were only ever six of these vehicles built.
24/01/2024
Continuing through Taupo and onto State Highway 5 to Napier, we stopped at Opepe Scenic Reserve, about 11 kilometres east of Taupo. There are two bush walks here of which we walked the loop track on the north side of the Taupo to Napier road. There were some magnificent trees on this pleasant walk including one huge Rimu tree right beside the track.
Further along the road we parked for the night at the Waipunga Falls lookout car park. It is not possible to walk to the falls but they look impressive from the viewing point. A great place to have a break from driving.
25/01/2024
Departing from Waipunga Falls early we proceeded to Mohaka River Farm where we spent a very enjoyable twenty four hours or so at this beautiful, well serviced camp site and accommodation facility. The Mohaka River sweeps round the farm camp with swimming holes and a riverbed littered with fossil shellfish embedded rocks. This is a campsite we would eagerly return to.
26/01/2024
Continuing to and through Napier we settled down at Clifton Beach Reserve, a beach side camping area we enjoyed previously when we visited Napier.
28/01/2024
Joining Taihape Road at Ferndale, we cruised our way west through the rolling hill country of Hawkes Bay to the DOC campsite at Kuripapango (Ox Bow) campsite. Here, surrounded by steep hill country covered with native forest on the banks of the Ngaruroro River we settled in for our stay in this idyllic location.
However, this was not to be. Shortly after arriving it started to rain which became torrential. Not wishing to be isolated by slips or other flood related events we took our opportunity during a brief respite in the rain to cross the Ngaruroro River bridge to the Taihape - Napier Road and continued on our way. With the hope of less severe weather to the west we tackled the very steep and twisty roads up over saddles and down into valleys.
Eventually the forest clad hills gave way to the rolling hill country of the Manawatu - Whanganui district. Surrounded by sheep and beef farming country on the banks of the Rangitikei River we parked at Springvale suspension bridge with the rain easing and the evening sun highlighting the hill beside us. Dark clouds and the distant rumble of thunder faded into the night.
29/01/2024
Morning revealed the Rangitikei River swollen with muddy water from overnight rain in it's head waters.
I took the opportunity to photograph the one hundred year old historic Springvale suspension bridge which served the local communities for forty five years before being deemed unsafe and replaced.
The final forty one kilometres to Taihape, back in the rolling farm land, were relaxed and uneventful.
We were disappointed to learn that we had missed the annual Taihape Gumboot Day by two days.
Another box ticked, we had experienced the changing landscapes of the Gentle Annie Road, but would like to take this route again some day when the sun is shining.
30/01/2024
After a night spent in Taihape at Gumtree Motorhome Park we resumed our slow return to Taumaranui stopping over at Lake Otamangakau.
31/01/2024
This morning we discovered that our house batteries had reached the end of their life and needed replacing. The nearest major city to us was Hamilton, some 220 kilometres away, where we believed we would be most likely to purchase replacement batteries off the shelf. So we ammended our planned destination from Taumaranui to Hamilton, travelling as far as the pleasant Mangakino Lakefront Reserve on Lake Maraetai. One of several lakes created along the Waikato River for hydroelectric power generation. By breaking our trip in two we could arrive in Hamilton early the next day, hopefully purchase the batteries we needed and leave to resume our journey to Taumaranui.
Looking forward to the next chapter...
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