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Published: February 15th 2006
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Lights Lights Lights
Night Before leaving New Plymouth we went to a magic light show in the park. Fantastic videos, lazers and loads of lights. Also we got to row a boat on this lake for free (after hours) as we looked woeful and lacking in money. Hello again folks. since the last blog (i've just updated myself to see what i thought i'd done) i've managed to wind my way along from the seaside english tranquility of new plymouth to the riverside english tranquility of Wanganui. To avoid any confusion over the next few paragraphs the river and the town are called "Wanganui", while the region, although pronounced in exactly the smae way inserts an 'h' and is hence spelt "Whanaganui" - they are all though one and the same really.
Anyway, first off the bad news is that unfortunately no climbing of the great Mount Taranaki ended up occuring, mainly because of suspect weather reports from well meaning people in the toursit info office, and the unavailablitiy of information as to the weather at the top of the mounatin - considering it's there biggest attraction, they do there very best to tell you very little about it. So once it was decided i wouldn't be doing any silly outdoor stuff we decided to head away to the next new place. Along the way and just as we were leaving the hostel in New Plymouth we were accosted by a friendly, but very german, german, who
Mount Taranaki
Her of Last Of The Samauri fame is in the background managed to squeeze into the car and hitched a ride through the towns of Inglewood, Stratford (named and based on it's English name-sake - complete with Globe Theater lookalike...and yes i know the Globe is in London - they clearly don't though!), and a cluster of likeable but pretty much forgetable beach towns along the way - by inability to recall any of there names at present illustrates this nicely. Eventually we arived in the town of Wanganui after 2 or so hours driving and headed to the only reccomneded place to stay in town the Tararua Backpackers - it promised pool hall (well room), house guitar, piano, video library, and spectacular views of Mt Rhuapehu and on a good day Taranaki. To be fair it delivered on all points and even headed us in the right direction of the best and cheapest Kebab shop in down - nearer to the real thing this time, but still served with too much of a smile to be in England. After eating we headed back to opur tent pitched in the back garden, enjoyed plesant conversation with the locals and i got to strum my guitar to some of the other guests
The Flying Fox
Quite a sedate flying fox but ace none the less - very good evening. The next morning after another twiddle on the full size guitar we headed back on the road with the intention of camping in the Whanganui national park for a few days.
An hours driving and a Cheese and Steak pie later and we found our goal - Freedom Camp - which basically means lots of grass, not lots of facilities but zero price, our favourite price. So we set up , had a suprisingly good meal of Spag Bol with real meat, played Beatles tunes and danced around like idiots with the bees and flowers till it was time to (try and) sleep. I say try because like the idiots we are we became convinced that the local stoat and possum populus were in fact mad axe murderers trying to do away with us in the night. In the end and after much cowering in the tent it turned into rather a good photo exercise. And chasing the blighters away actually became jolly good fun.
Next mroning, the plan was to climb the 'Skyline' of the surrounding area, but sadly having left the decision making to a Dane we ended up the wrong way,
The Flying Fox 2
Ridng across the river. You had to keep the centre of balance in the middle or you risked loosing stuff. stuck in the mud by the river and tramping back to the camp site bare foot through a large patch of thistles (one's still in my foot - boo). To be fair they were all joint decisions, so much for a league of nations. All this made us decide we needed a shower, and so we headed to the Flying Fox. Great name and great place to stay. The old boy who owns it brought a patch of land on the opposite side of the river to everything else in 1990, then in 1996 opened it to the public, realising visitors by boat were scarce he then put a flying fox (zip wire gondala cable car thingy) from the road side of the river to the campsite side. the result is that you get not only an excellent view of the river, a free flying fox ride and the chance to stare directly down over a gorge - you also get a spiffingly good campsite. Really cosy with a good guitar playing campfire. Fire making duties unfortunately escaped me this time and fell to two dutch cyclists (70km a day apparently - for 2 months) - but it was a
View Across The Gorge
Twas about 70 or 80 meters from start to finish sitting 15 above the river. all distances are ish.. good fire.
Anywho i'm back in Wanganui now after driving back from the Flying Fox this mroning and the plan is to be off to the beach now for a swim..or swum if you're from NZ.
Hope all is well - not many comments for a while, maybe you've got bored of us finally. nevermind - it will all be go again when i reunite with the claire i'm sure.
marc
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Cindy
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Photos?
What? No photos of the gorge via the flying fox? Hope the nettle's out!