I Saw Death -- Mt. Taranaki to Rotorua

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22/10/06 Taranaki to Rotorua

I ventured out onto the long road from Taranaki to Rotorua. I won’t even attempt to describe what I saw during my drive. You need to experience it yourself. I will leave you with some mouthwatering photos for your enjoyment.

Driving long distances leaves too much time for the mind to wander and the voice to go hoarse from singing every song played on the radio.

Read about my close encounter on the saddle road.

From Taupo to Rotorua I stopped for an hour or so hoping to see the night sky. It was one of the blackest nights I’ve ever seen. Once the lights were out I could not see my hand held an inch away from my face. I had the window rolled down for a while but was completely spooked by the idea that I could not see what was making the noise out in the trees, so back up the window went. The clouds never cleared so I got back on the road to Rotorua.

I pulled into Rotorua after midnight. All the hotels that I stopped at were fully booked up for the holiday weekend and none could suggest a place with any vacancies. I grew tired of looking so I parked the car near the tourist information office and slept in the back seat of the car.

I am afraid that these blogs are becoming a little long winded and too full of photos. I’ll work on streamlining future blogs for readability purposes.

Happy Daylight Savings Time Change

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Photos

Note To Self Don’t Drive on a Forgotten Highway.
I did the full length of this highway that dropped down to a gravel one lane road out in as Stephanie puts it “Bum F*#@ Nowhere New Zealand”.

I Saw Death
I Saw Death
I came within a few feet of death near this location. I was taking one of those blind hair pin outside turns and came upon a truck traveling at rapid speed nearly out of control and in my lane coming from the other direction. Typically at each of these hair pin corners on the saddle ridge there would be a small gravel parking strip. I dove (steered) for this area hoping to avoid a collision. The ABS system did not like the rapid application of the breaks on gravel and the peddle dropped to the floor and the break pads made a horrendous click, click, click noise. I was now heading for the edge of the cliff with no breaks. I was already attempting to pull the wheel back towards the road with some success. Once the breaks failed I went for the handbrake and rapidly engaged and disengaged over and over again ( 3 or 4 times?) hoping to slow my speed and better grip the road. While this all seemed to take an eternity it was a matter of just two or three seconds. The right front wheels finally gripped asphalt and pulled the rest of the car up off the rapidly banking dirt/grass edge. I had to pull over and calm my nerves after that experience. The other driver didn’t even stop. I was in an area of country that had I gone over the edge and somehow survived I don’t think anyone would have seen me or the car for weeks.

Comments

[Jeanette]

I am so glad you are safe
Beautiful scenery. I have to admit I did not like hearing about your close call but those things do happen and you were on your toes...good for you. So glad you are alive to tell us another story (blog).

[ben]

ahhhhhhhhh
the light

[Uncle Cliff]

Keep Wright
You'll be an expert at that crazed wrong side of the road driving when ye come home from down under....must be from being on the top of their heads all the time that makes 'em drive like that...round a bouts must be fun, heh? now you've gone and done it....too blamen bloody pictures uploaded and you've blown their server limit....no photos show here anymore..... or that daft English lefty driven has drove my computer web browser crazy now

[Uncle Cliff]

You Must Sleep Well
Counting Sheep....Not more sheep pictures! Staring at sheep does cause head on accidents with sheep trucks