1. Harbour, Kawhia.

We left Hamilton on Christmas’ Day and cycled in sun
and against the wind to Raglan on the west coast and
the next day over gravel back country roads to Kawhia.
Always good to visit again: a sleepy town at a beautiful
harbour, with many extensions in between hills.
The Tainui, the predominant Maori tribe in this area,
landed here in their ancestral canoe that is buried on the
grounds of the local marae, Maori for meeting place.









2. Limestone country.

We cycled over countless hills and gravel roads in this
lime- and mudstone area, further along the west coast
and inland to Taumarunui, our base for a 4-day canoe trip
on the Whanganui river.















3. Whanganui river.

Rain delayed our start on the river for one day due to
high water levels. The river has a large catchment area
and the gorge fills up pretty fast! We went off together
with a Canadian family in open canoes through rapids
and whirlpools, the current so fast that normal paddle
times were cut in half. We spent the nights in our new
tent on nice campsites.



















4. Tree stump carving.

This carving on one of the campsites reminds
people of the rich Maori history of this area.
Early Maoris settled and cultivated land along
the river from around 1350. European influence
arrived with missionaries in the 1840s, followed by
settlers and a regular boat service that stimulated
trade and early days tourism.



















5. Bridge to Nowhere.

After WWI land along the river above Pipiriki,
endpoint of our journey, was granted to returning
soldiers. They cleared some of the rugged area, but
most gave up after a long and hard struggle to make
a living. This bridge, today only reachable by foot,
was built as part of a road from Raetihi, on the
Central Plateau, to the river and is a silent memorial
for those failed efforts.

Let's go: