Wednesday 13 April, Mt Raupehu to Mt Taranaki

It has been raining overnight but we awaken to a crisp, clear morning with a view of new snow on the peaks of Mt Raupehu. There really was a mountain hidden by the cloud after all!

As we are here for only one night, we pack before heading out for a morning on the mountain. Tony & Kathy have opted for a two stage chairlift up to 2000m and the Knoll Ridge café, New Zealand's highest café. A stop for the essential coffee, and then we try to find the start of the Skyline Track, described in the brochure as "the best short walk in Tongariro National Park." All we can see is lava and rubble, no signs, no formed track or even markers. So we give up on that and instead walk up above the café for half an hour and then return. The peak of the volcano is at ~2,750m which is 500m above the café, however the chairlift attendant is advising that colder weather is on the way and clearly does not want us to go too far.

We head back down on the chairlift an hour early, only to see a couple of familiar figures waiting outside Lornz's Bar & Café next to the base station. Everyone waves and takes photos of the two on the chairlift, or the two waiting below. Colin & Suz had just arrived for a coffee after spending time at the Chateau and the Dept. of Conservation (DOC) Visitor Centre. They had used their time wisely, watching some short DVD's on the area, and picking up a road condition report for our selected route to New Plymouth. The road over the range is in poor condition and we can expect a 5 hour drive. It is known as "The Forgotten Highway" and is very scenic, but we decide to take the southern route instead, that is longer in kilometres, but will only take us 3 1/2 hours.

Colin takes the first stint at the wheel and cops all the winding curves and washouts where half the road has disappeared into the river below. This being State Highway 4 to Wanganui, a major sealed highway. Who knows what the other road would have been like? Once we get to Wanganui on the west coast we stop at the "Yellow House Café" for some lunch. We have been lucky as the café is the TripAdvisor #3 restaurant in Wanganui and lunch is very good. By contrast, Tony's 2 hour drive north to New Plymouth is on good roads, some of which have straight bits! We pass Egmont National Park near the end of the drive and the passengers make strenuous efforts to take a good pic of Mount Taranaki. Only 2,518m high this dormant volcano does not have a snow-capped peak like Mt Ruapehu. But is does have the classic circular sloping form of your typical andesitic volcano (just a little bit of geology to keep you awake).

Our apartment at the Amber Court Motel is a short walk into the central shopping and restaurant district of New Plymouth. It is also across the road from a large Countdown (Woolworths) supermarket and Tony has an urge to get into the kitchen and create. So dinner is fettucine with an "everything in it" sauce.

Thursday 14 April, Chaos, Flying Machines, and Bangers & Mash

Today is a rest day for the Team, no driving and the weather is predicted to be perfect for the next couple of days. A leisurely start, predictably we walk into the town centre and head for the so called i-Site, otherwise known as the Visitor Centre. The building is very modern and forms part of the museum, and the central library. We have the staff to ourselves, and discover some great things to do in town, and all we need to know about the walks up Mt Taranaki. We also get a great tip for the best coffee in town at the Chaos Café. A quirky ambiance with a set of old imperial scales in the loos, seemingly in contradiction to the wide range of yummy things to eat in the café.

A major point of interest to most of the male patrons is a whimsical kinetic sculpture that hangs from the ceiling, and reminds Tony of the fantastical machines invented by Englishman Roland Emett. It is a combination of an airship, bicycle and biplane, with multiple moving paddles, wings, chains, gears and propellers. All completely impractical, but fascinating to watch.

The remainder of the day is spent chilling out, doing blogs, editing photos, reading etc. Colin is chef tonight and creates a great dish of lamb two ways, special sweet potato mash, tinned peas (a culinary delight we are told) and gravy.

Friday 15 April, Mount Taranaki Climb and New Plymouth Walk

The last time Tony & Kathy were in North Island they stopped at the Egmont National Park Visitor Centre with the intention of climbing up the volcano. Some 15 years ago we were younger, fitter but unfortunately also hungover (at least Tony was) and too late in the morning to even contemplate the climb which takes at least 8 hours. Why we were suffering from the demon drink is another story, but Tony at least, resolved to have another go should we find ourselves in the district again. So today is that day.

Tony & Kathy have the vehicle today and head south, first to Inglewood and then along the predictably winding road, up the lower slopes of Mt Taranaki to the Visitor Centre. The drive takes less than half an hour from town.

We take the Summit track as far as Tahurangi Lodge at 1492m RL. This is a well-made track that can be used by 4WD vehicles taking guest's luggage up to the lodge. It includes a steep concreted section just below the lodge which is informally called the Puffer Walk, with good reason! Once above the lodge though we are in God's country with bare rocks, scree, scoria and lava flows above, but the view is superb, Tu Meke! We see all the way back to Mt Ruapehu where we were 2 days ago, and north along the coast. We then traverse around the mountain to the west, gradually losing height. Just before we meet the Holly Hut Track we clamber down "Jacob's Ladder" that takes us down to an old-fashioned signpost showing the way back to the Visitor Centre. On Holly Hut we walk along a ridge, sometimes with little on either side. After a 4 hour tramp we are back at the café for lunch which is very welcome.

Meanwhile Colin & Suz have been busy walking around New Plymouth to check out the highlights including the museum and a great sea-front walk that takes you all the way to the Te Rewa Rewa foot and cycle bridge over the Waiwhakaiho River. They didn't get to the bridge, which is over an hour walk one way, but enjoyed the walk along the bay and returned to the apartment only 5 minutes before the mountain climbers.

Tonight we walk into New Plymouth on a fine Friday evening and take our chances on finding something good for dinner. We settle on Gengy's Mongolian BBQ Restaurant (as in Genghis Kahn) in Devon Street. An inspired selection with a unique style that invites you the customer to select the ingredients, then the sauces, and you finally give it all to the chefs for cooking on the biggest BBQ plate we have ever seen. Chalk board recipes provide some guidance if you want to go Thai, teriyaki or other Asian style. Very reasonably priced, good food and great fun.