Matakohe used to be the centre of the logging trade but the local Kauri Forest has long since headed for the Sawmill.We had a nice little hut for our overnight at Matakohe Holiday Park. The friendly site owner was planning to sell up and move to the West. We were just happy to have somewhere to stay after our drive. It was another long drive to the nearest 4 Square in Paparoa to buy dinner. I had difficulty finding anything we could cook but eventually settled on two roast dinners from their freezer to be microwaved back at the Hut.
There is a large Kauri Museum in Matakohe that was recommended to us but it was a steep entrance price for the time we had available so we passed on that and moved on - direction Auckland. Probably a mistake.
Anyway, another day of driving was ahead of us as we aimed to pass through Auckland and reach the town of Taumarunui. We stopped for coffee in Wellsford, north of Auckland, a town in the more affluent East. Our sat nav or, its user, malfunctioned, leading us astray. This allowed us to see quite a bit of the area. It's where they film the Brokenwood series. We half-expected to encounter Mrs. Marlow or some illegal activity, but alas, none was to be seen.
We got back on the Motorway, which operates as a toll road demanding online payment. We had remembered to pay on our northbound journey but completely forgot this time. It was only several days later that we remembered, risking a fine. Fortunately, Budget had already covered the northern toll, so we were unexpectedly in credit—what a relief!
Navigating through the bustling Auckland traffic was not too difficult and we were relieved to cross the City without significant delays. We enjoyed the drive over the Harbour Bridge. Our picnic lunch was at the exotic location of Bombay. Confusing detours near Hamilton caused us to lose our way for a time, but we eventually crossed the plains to Taumarunui. We might have stayed in Te Kuiti but some drunks in a Ute put a negative spin on the place dubbed the sheep shearing capital of New Zealand. The day and the drive was wasn't the highlight of our time in New Zealand; the other drivers were in a rush, and large Utes frequently loomed in our rearview mirror.
Note: Driving in NZ can be fun but if you want to drive fairly slowly to take in the scenery then you need to pull over regularly to let tailgaters through.
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| Auckland - going south |
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| Tamaranui |
We found a Motel in the centre of Tamaranui. It was once a prosperous community but, on first impressions, looked a bit sad today. We opted to eat at the RSA, normally they are pretty good. However, sadly this was a mistake. I think the staff just wanted to get home.
We were on our way smartly the next Morning heading for Ohakune in the Shadow of Mount Ruapehu.
Today's journey was a great deal more pleasant than the previous day. We stopped at Raurimu where there is a famous railway spiral. I went to the lookout but could not see the engineering marvel. I know it's there somewhere as I rode the train through here some years ago.
We stopped for our ritual morning coffee at National Park. The Lady in the coffee hut was friendly, she was excited as her boyfriend was coming back from Japan where he was a snowboard instructor. There is Skiing in the area but our impression was that it was pretty limited. Possibly financial problems and lack of snow? Covid took a heavy toll on NZ.
Ohakune, known as the Carrot Capital of New Zealand, served as our base for three nights. The
Rocky Mountain Chalets were very pleasant and comfortable. The community seemed very welcoming. On our first day, we took a pleasant shaded riverside walk led us away from the town and helped us settle in.
The bike trail traces the route used for transport before the Railway and decent roads were built. There is interesting old train infrastructure to explore and story boards explain how the line was built. A lot of the construction workers were shipped out from England, They must have found it a harsh environment. Today though, it was good fun. Massive viaducts cross deep gorges. At the end of the trail there was a coffee hut at a junk yard - perfect! I cycled back on the reverse route. It was a bit quicker this time with more descents and less photo stops so I ended up at Ohakune Railway Station with time for another coffee. Some of the folks I met on the ride were also on the platform so it was quite sociable. The railway line still connects Auckland and Wellington. I saw freight trains and a passenger train operates just three times per week in either direction. I made it back to TCB within my time slot and walked back to Rocky Mountain.
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