Midway to Middle-Earth

Once packed up and checked out of the hotel, decided to explore more of the Wellington CBD, but first a coffee stop! We found a coffee roaster & cafe called The Hangar. It is nice enough place, but a bit over priced and too loud for a conversation 🔊🙉. An order of $6 toast was only a single slice 😱!! Normally for that price you can get a whole loaf from a bakery or at least a delicious scone 😥! We carried on to the waterfront, then back to the hotel to get the car and motor northwards.

Decided on the scenic route leaving the CBD via the Aro Valley and Takarau Gorge. This is a gorgeous country loop road with many sections so narrow it was pretty much a single track, but entertainingly painted with a centre dashed line 🤣. We had to completely pull over twice for very wide load transport trucks. Once back on the highway, we continued Northwards paralleling the west coast. Then we turned inland to the rolling hills and intermittent forests, brush, and grasslands.

By late afternoon we rolled into Ohakune for the night. As the sun was still shining brilliantly, decided the nearby forest loop trail would be a good way to stretch the legs and enjoy the warmth. This small town is busy in the winter with ski tourism, but very quiet now that it is the tail end of summer. A pint on the patio at the trail head in the sun 🍻☀️

Back at the hotel we found the pub full with a seniors and their vintage car collection. We enjoyed a couple points of beer while waiting for dinner to arrive. J chose the delectable fish and chips, while A had his beet patty burger.Read more