Two detours on the way to Gisborne today, and both planned I hasten to add. Before heading north on SH2, we did a quick trip to the mouth of the Wairoa River. Not a swimming beach, but good to be on the coast again. Then on to SH2 for a bit before the second detour, … More Day 6: Wairoa to Gisborne and Tatapouri

Taking you on the ride along SH 38 to Lake Waikaremoana.

Today was a day trip to Lake Waikaremoana, about 60 kms from Wairoa, one hour along SH 38, with sealed road for the first half and shingle for the rest. We stopped along the way at Tuai on Lake Whakamarino, location of the Tuai power station. The road passes through farmed flats and hill country, … More Day 5: Lake Waikaremoana

Here we are in a motel in Wairoa watching the Chase, front door and back door open, and the temperature in the very high twenties, if not higher. And very pleasant it is too. The day started with a planned detour (as opposed to an unplanned-loop-back-to-Masterton-where-we-had-started-from-the-day-before) to Clifton, as close as we could get to … More Day 4: Hastings to Clifton to Wairoa

Stunning landscapes and seascapes abound. Went down to the beach this morning to see Cape Turnagain. Then we drove as far as we could along a no exit road through Pipi Bank Station but when it turned into a track a bit too corrugated for our car, we headed back to Herbertville and along another … More Day 3: Herbertville to Hastings

So here’s some more photos from day two, just because.

This morning, after packing up, it was a walk along the beach, up the steps to the Castlepoint lighthouse, on to the lookout, and back along the rocks. Castlepoint is beautiful, with its grey sand beach and rocky headland. It’s a place we hope to come back to. Then it was back on the road. … More Day 2: Castlepoint – Mt Bruce – Herbertville

A random selection of more photos from day one, because I like them.  Some were taken from the moving car window (it is a road trip, after all), others at one or other of our frequent stops along the way.

Great first day on our NI road trip, albeit a long one. Didn’t take long until the first stop – coffee at Gasoline Alley Services in Ngaio. And a second stop not long after in Upper Hutt at the Warehouse, to buy jandals for me – well we are going to be using camping ground … More Day 1: Wellington to Cape Palliser to Castlepoint

With a bit of luck, here’s a blog up and running for our forthcoming road trip. More to come … still have to sort out photos. . . this scene setter photo is in fact of the South Island from the SI Road Trip we did a couple or so years back. I’m working on … More Setting up again: North Island road trip