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Published: February 18th 2008
(I am going to write about this and try to upload the other things I have written earlier and saved to my memory stick at a later date - bear with me!!)
Yesterday I set off from the eco inn for the forgotten highway to Taupo. It is an incredible drive - one of the earliest tracks that the early settlers built. In fact the brilliant engineer who built most of it is buried part way along the road - he died of peritonitis at the early age of 35, his wife died some thing like 40 years later and had her ashes scattered on his grave. Its a lovely story - apart from the early dying of course!!
The drive is through areas of 'humpy' scenery rather like the dales in Derbyshire, which go on for hundred of Km, together with valleys which are so lush with vegetation. Amazing and beautiful! There are few small towns - and I mean small, and homesteads which are scattered along the track and off on side roads. But my goodness it is isolated - I read in a local rag that the families tend to shop twice a year - so no running out of sugar or tea then!! (What happens if a mouse gets into the stores??!!)
Back to serious matters - the road has four saddlebacks and at the first one I just had to stop because there were three Ford Anglias parked there, with the drivers enjoying the view. In my usual shy way I made a comment about the cars and we chatted on for quite some time. Orders for staying at Whangamamani were given (I think that's how it is spelt - my book is in the car!) and luckily that was my plan, so I agreed to meet them all for a drink later. On the way I stopped off at an arboretum which had a lovely walk around the plantings, and heard an incredibly loud shout - through a hand louspeaker, it was the police! Of course I immediately assumed I had parked the car in the wrong place, but no - they were chasing someone on the road - very noisy it was - sirens and shouting all over the place. When I got back to the car - it was as if nothing had happened - so perhaps this peace is sometimes an illusion!
On to the village for the night, where you go to the hotel first to buy your passport. The village declared itself to be an independent town about 10 years ago, designed their own passports and sometimes has a chappie with a shot gun at the border control to ensure that you pay the dues!! They were great fun, insisting I should stay and produce lots of children so that the village would grow and prosper - I don't think so somehow!! The campsite was on the old school playing field and about 500 yds from the pub, so all fitted in well. I met the group after dinner and we were talking about all sorts of things then were joined by a maori gentleman who was in the pub when I arrived. He was incredible - 80 years old and had mined for about 30 years or more. Knew the nationalities of the men who were encouraged to join the miners throughout hte years - Welsh men from Llanelli and Aberfan had come over and lots of other nationalities too. He could tell us which town they were from!! He could even speak some German and French, as well as fluent English. One of the Anglia men was a teacher and asked him if he was one of the Maori elders, he is too young as yet he said!! But he is passing on all the stories to his grandchildren, so the history and maori knowledge might continue. It was a good night!! The camp site was peaceful too until the bloomin cockeral decided to wake me at 3am - not a good gesture! Ear plugs were in the car, so I crept out to get them, swore at him and went back to sleep.
I finished the drive and am now staying at a place I can't spell, so will do that tomorrow before I go on a train ride. Now to find the camp site.
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John Bown
non-member comment
Exciting or what?
Hi Lizzie P Wow you are certainly packing a lot in! People sound interesting and particularly would have liked to meet the Maori! John Wright the NZ cricketer who played for for us some time ago said that Derbyshire was so like NZ that he could settle here. Good to hear from you. Very cold here just now so you won't be missing that!! Love John