In NZ State Highways with a single digit – SH 1 for example – are the ones we all know like the back of our hands. Or at least you do if you are as old as me. But the ones with two digits are much more exciting.
Over the last couple of days Johan and I have driven from Auckland to New Plymouth, back up to Te Kuiti and across country to Rotorua on SH 30, and from there north to Tauranga on SH 36 before returning to Auckland. The first and last parts of the trip were on the usual heavily trafficked routes, but the bits in the middle were more fun.
When we decided that a two-day part-work trip to New Plymouth could be improved by a soak in RotoVagos on the way home, we did not quite anticipate how much driving this would involve. Our trip south on Sunday morning was under over-cast skies, with the evidence of recent heavy rain everywhere. Those little towns in the south-west of the Waikato and on down into Taranaki are intriguing in a rather unappealing manner. Unless you are a farmer or work in an agriculture industry, in which case they are probably as close to your heart as any territory can get.
Nowadays, unlike when I was a child, you can stop for comfort in warm and pleasant cafes, where the food is often very good. There you sit, sorting out the locals from the travellers, and thank goodness for local tourism that has kept these places alive and often thriving. Without them a long trip would be a misery, as indeed it can be anyway when they all close for the day at around 4 pm, leaving the only option for toilet stops the burgher chains in the bigger towns. And if you are on SH 30 or 36 you can forget about that entirely.
The trip to New Plymouth was uneventful, apart from the enormous tree root blocking the northbound lane at one point. The police car had screamed past us a few kilometres back, but when we caught up with it at the blockage was turning around clearly uncertain how to simultaneously warn both north and south bound traffic. John did his bit by flicking the headlights at on-coming traffic for the next 10 km or so until I told him to stop, please. We got there just before 4pm, checked in to our hotel, and set off for adventure. Needless to say there was none to be found. The shops had just closed, the weather was inclement, and so we did the obvious and headed for a bar.
Yes, there is good food and drink to be had in New Plymouth. No, we did not immediately find either. The first bar looked good, was almost empty at just before 5 pm, but lost our custom after we were asked to move twice before we had even ordered a drink. The next was a cosy and well patronised pub, and my rye based cocktail turned out to be ok after I used the knife on the table to stir it. The ingredients had been poured in one after the other, neither shaken nor stirred, and topped up with a ton of ice in a big glass. Initially there was no flavour at all, but I sorted it out. Later, Salt, the restaurant at the Millenium Hotel (no we did not stay there) was pleasantly adequate, since none of the good restaurants were open Sunday night.
The next day, with the guidance of local Lisa, we had a nice lunch in a brew bar – Shining Peak Brew Bar in Gill Street. That meant we did not set off for Rotorua until mid-afternoon on the shortest day of the year. The Google recommended route – to be honest the only real route – took us back to Te Kuiti then eastwards across country with the sun setting on the hills. What a beautiful and lonely road that is. Much to our surprise the main trunk rail follows it for quite some way, but other wise it is tiny hamlets, a couple of meat packers, some plantation forestry, and lots of moderately hilly farmland. We followed a single ute three quarters of the way to SH 1 on the other side of the world it seemed, but otherwise until we caught up with a cattle truck a bit before the main road we were all alone. In the dark, and by then in the rain. On a narrow country road with NOTHING in sight in unknown terrain.
It is quite surprising how nervous you can get at 6 pm on a winter night when you have nothing but the moving arrow on your SatNav system to tell you where you are! And when Johan regards all adverse driving conditions as a challenge to be overcome with skill, daring and speed. Like when he overtook the cattle truck because the SatNav told him the road ahead was straight (he could see nothing) and the truck driver was encouraging him to pass by slowing down.
Anyway, we made it to Rotorua, a very nice motel room with a private spa, and an excellent meal just up the road at Urbano where the waiter even volunteered to take Johan’s Absinthe Obscura business card for his boss. We figured this justified putting the meal on the LCM Ltd card for tax purposes. Don’t tell anyone.
The next day we decided to visit my cousin in Tauranga on the way home, and to take yet another back road. Again it was a charming route, and this time sunny and bright all the way, so no driving induced anxiety on my part. If you don’t know this route, it features a very deep and dramatic gorge that appears out of nowhere. On this occasion it was made more interesting by the abseilor fixing steel netting high up on the gorge cliff, which was definitely worth the slight delay it caused to traffic passing by. We emerged at Pyes Pa out the back of Tauranga, where the residential development has gone nuts. I know about it because of the work I do with Tauranga City, and I have flown over several times, but it was interesting to see it on the ground.
Tauranga was lovely in the sun, but I have figured out what I think is wrong with it. There is no (obvious) art or culture. In New Plymouth there are outstanding galleries and museums, historic buildings, and at night the Len Lye Wind Wand is a world class installation. It struck me that Tauranga, all new and sun-bathed, is lovely but lacking. Just my idea – no doubt plenty of people would be quick to correct me.
So that was that. Lunch with Deb and Chad looking out across the harbour to the Mount, and the usual boring trip home from there. Oh, except for the car upside down in the Karangahake Gorge where it had fallen onto the road from the adjoining access drive. More police cars, fire engine, ambulance etc.
Home now, but Thames tomorrow for lunch. Wonder what we will see?