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	Wednesday, 27 October 2004

Day Four - Made it to Muriwai I've made it to Muriwai. The West Coast is almost all beach between here and the northern tip of New Zealand and perfect kite buggy country. The Muriwai Moose Madness Meet is not until the weekend so I have tomorrow to relax (ie kite buggy). Friday I will head back into Auckland, which is only about an hour away, to pick up Ted from the airport, then we will both drive up the beach to the other end, where the meet will take place in the dunes of ... Mooseland! Muriwai is a wild place. I could try and describe it in words but my photos will do a better job of that. I can tell you that now I'm here, I feel like my adventure has truly begun and the best of it is just around the corner. This is the campsite this morning next to the Whanganui River at the Ohinepane Recreation Reserve. Freshly planted fields along the roadside as I left Taranaki District and entered the Waikato. I managed to safely negotiate Auckland's motorways with my heart in my mouth. This was in stark contrast to yesterdays drive through the Forgotten World Highway where I saw maybe a dozen other cars all day. The fishermen gather on the rocks at the South end of Muriwai Beach in the late afternoon. Notice the orange life preserver box install on the cliff. Apparently drownings are all to common on this popular and productive fishing spot. Some surfers on Muriwai Beach just before sunset. This is just over the dunes from my campsite tonight. ...and that is the day that was today. Tomorrow, some kite buggying (weather permitting... touch wood). ps. 1347 kilometers travelled so far. 9:29:46 PM    Comment []

Here I am in the middle of the North Island, an hour or so East of Lake Taupo. The campsite just outside Taumarunui was a beaut. I can see what I'm guessing is the upper Whanganui river (brown and swollen right now) from the van. I've just had a really good nights sleep. As promised, here are a few shots from yesterdays drive from Waverley to here, following the wonderfully named 'Forgotten World Highway' through the heart of the Taranaki region. Saying goodbye to the coast at Harwera. A typical central Taranaki scene. The dairy industry here is huge. There's a fair chance the mozzarella cheese on the pizza you're eating started out near here. A stop to stretch the legs at the top of the Whangamomona Saddle. The old Butcher shop at the Whangamomona township. The little township was full of old abandoned shops, some complete with hitching posts. It really has a forgotten feel about it. The Hotel and a small cafe are the only bussinesses still alive in Whangamomona. That's it from the forgotten World Highway for now but I'll be publishing a gallery of photos from this area when I get back from the road trip. Speaking of which, its time to get going again. I hope to make it to Muriwai Beach by this evening. 8:42:07 AM    Comment []

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