Set off at about 10am from Himotanga Beach. To get away from the traffic we cycled an additional couple of kms beyond the junction withthe 1 and took a quiet backroad through rural farming country. Beautiful quiet undulating to flat countryside. Curious ridges every mile or so - perhaps they are the remains of river happy though. The on to Marton, a much prettier town with old colonial style fronts. Shopped in a supermarket and ate more food. Then along the road to whanganui. Stopped at the historic site called the Cameron blockhouse. Basically a block of defensive wood and rubble infill where the whole family could shelter from a Maori attack - Chief Taganaki I think. See picture. Interesting in that this illustrated a bit of history worth remembering - that northern Maori tribes would attack other Maoris further south who would align themselves with the white incomers and try to defend themselves. NZ history is not at all a simple matter of incoming whites fighting Maori tribes but of the incomers getting caught up in the intertribal battles that preexisted their arrival but that were made more bloody by the developing trade in rifles.Finally reached whanganui and was told the Youth Hostel, Braemar was full and, contrary to two guidebooks, nolonger does camping so went to the backpackers where we got a pleasant room for $27 each. Shopped, tried a rather overpriced pub, from which we retreated, and finally got back home. The sun was very hot today - felt like it was bleaching my short and one hand has a bit of redness. We're going to have to use more sun lotion...
Set off at about 10am from Himotanga Beach. To get away from the traffic we cycled an additional couple of kms beyond the junction withthe 1 and took a quiet backroad through rural farming country. Beautiful quiet undulating to flat countryside. Curious ridges every mile or so - perhaps they are the remains of river happy though. The on to Marton, a much prettier town with old colonial style fronts. Shopped in a supermarket and ate more food. Then along the road to whanganui. Stopped at the historic site called the Cameron blockhouse. Basically a block of defensive wood and rubble infill where the whole family could shelter from a Maori attack - Chief Taganaki I think. See picture. Interesting in that this illustrated a bit of history worth remembering - that northern Maori tribes would attack other Maoris further south who would align themselves with the white incomers and try to defend themselves. NZ history is not at all a simple matter of incoming whites fighting Maori tribes but of the incomers getting caught up in the intertribal battles that preexisted their arrival but that were made more bloody by the developing trade in rifles.Finally reached whanganui and was told the Youth Hostel, Braemar was full and, contrary to two guidebooks, nolonger does camping so went to the backpackers where we got a pleasant room for $27 each. Shopped, tried a rather overpriced pub, from which we retreated, and finally got back home. The sun was very hot today - felt like it was bleaching my short and one hand has a bit of redness. We're going to have to use more sun lotion...