Inland Travel Part One

Today was a day out to take photos. We travelled North, to Taihape, then inland North-easterly,  to Kuripapango, on the Taihape-Napier road. There were patches of frost on the road,  The last time we  drove on this road was in 2002, with our Japanese host daughter Mayumi. The houses are spread a long way apart, and for her, this was something she had not seen before, and much of the road was gravel.I have had some fun trying different settings with my camera, and the telephoto lens was put to good use.Here is some farmland, the wind was bitterly cold, and below a large patch  of snow from a few days ago was still at the bottom of the paddock. The sheep were quite unconcerned as I walked through long grass to the fence.






A little further along, the Rangitikei River was far below. A huge valley, with barren hills, not much grass at all here, and the sky was dull .



We drove on, and in the Kaweka Forest Park is a large area, with camping spots and a track to the same river that runs under the bridge. Clean, clear, almost  blue in colour. Freezing cold!!!

There were snow showers at the top of the range, and still very cold with a wind chill that forced me to don another hat, under a double layer coat that had its own hood,  and tramping boots for extra warmth.The sheep seem to manage very well, thankfully lambing is not for some time.

Mt Ruapehu looked as though it had shining cake icing, the snow glistened,  in the weak late afternoon sun.  Nearer to home, snow dusted the top of the Ruahine Range, this is where Hugh takes his quad for exciting day trips.



Tomorrow Part Two will continue with more from today,  the Rangitikei River Bridge No 75 has a great story to tell.

Quotation of the day,from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Over all the mountain tops is peace”

Cheers from Jean