Day 9: Ohakune to Wanganui

"We think you are very brave!", call out the picnicking couple at the side of HW4, as I toil past. This is the hardest day's cycling I have ever done. I have deviated from the guide book, so I do not have a route elevation profile. As the altitude falls about 700metres from Ohakune to the coast, I had thought it would also be a picnic for me too- how wrong!

The route follows the river Mangawhero, but it does so by traversing about 20 precipitous river gorges on the way. The whole day consists of a series of two minute, 40+ mph freewheels, followed by half hour energy sapping climbs.

As I pause at one river gorge bridge, I am thinking how close I can get to the edge, (with a barrier between me and the drop, of course!), how far down it is and how little traffic there is. A strange thought occurs: one could fairly discreetly take a wee off the side of this bridge! It would be rather juvenile, but fun, and you would be finished before the first drops hit the river. Well, all I'm saying is that's the thought that popped into my head.

Despite the knees aching, I have to say that the scenery is, well, no other word: gorgeous! Much as I had imagined New Zealand landscapes. But it is a relief to finally finish fighting the headwind on the last few miles into the attractive setting of Wanganui, where I again "share" a dorm room with no other guests.

I leave you with some of the scenery:

Distance today: 100 Km, cumulative 1046 Km

written by

John and Claud on January 28, 2007 from Wanganui, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Cape Reinga to Bluff

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Hi, thanks for this Blog .. i am planning to do a very similar route to you in november!
Can i ask how much preperation you put into this trip?
Also someone has told me that they would advise skipping the first leg from Cape Reinga and starting from Auckland .. what would you say to this?
Well done, great accomplishment!

written by Ryan Driver on August 7, 2009

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