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We picked up a hire car for the next few days to get us around more difficult areas. Drove out of the city without too much problem and headed down Highway 1 through farmland. to Hamilton. Couldn't find anything in our books to encourage us to stop, nor when we passed through so continued on to Waitomo to view the caves.
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Arrived at the caves at exactly midday just as a guided group was leaving and so tagged on the back. In front of us was a Japanese group and behind us was another group of Japanese so we thought we at better stick closely with out guide. We were first led through various caverns to view the limestone formations and then down to a stream which we floated along in a boat in the dark looking up at the glow worms on the roof. It was a pleasant enough experience though a little expensive compared with other visits.
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Also at Waitomo was a Caves Museum, this was much better at a fraction of the price with informative displays on the natural history of caves and cave formation providing an enjoyable hour.
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Continued our journey along SH3 and past the Moki Forest with interesting landscapes and on to New Plymouth and our hostel.
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With the weather looking a bit grin and not being able to see Taranaki we decided to spend the morning by the coast. Checked out the DOC office and then drove down to the Wind Wand, a structure by the shore from where we started a coastal walk northwards. The local authority has been and continues to create a walkway for general visitors to use.
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At the north end of the walk we turned around and headed south, passed our starting point and on down to near the southern extent of the walk where we sat and ate our lunch.
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Taranaki
from Pioneer Village
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For the afternoon we drove out to Stratford and visited the Pioneer Museum, a collection of about 50 building ranging from a hospital to a church, railway station and homes that have been moved to the site to create a pioneer village. Each building was also furnished with artefacts from the time along with tools of various trades. A pleasant couple or hours were spent wandering around, almost on our own. The clouds that had been shrouding Taranaki gradually lifted on the eastern side so that we were able to see the top. Completed the afternoon with a drive along the SH43, the Lost Highway, as far as Whangamomona through interesting farmland, forest, rolling countryside with limestone bluffs, crags and volcanic cones. Up over high passes and down into revines. Hardly met any other vehicles.
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As the weather was reasonably promising and as Taranaki had emerged from clouds in the late afternoon the previous day we decided to drive up to The DOC Office at North Egmont and think about a climb. However, we were advised that the summit was impassable without crampons and that if we did go up there we would be blown back home. Decided instead to do a circular route, first walking up through bush on the Holly Track, with the sun trying unsuccessfully to emerge, before coming out above the tree line and taking a path to the right contouring round on the track to Veronica Hut. Well before reaching Veronica Hut we turned off right and followed a ridge down hill on the Kokowai Track returning to bush as it started to drizzle which, before we reached the bottom, had turned to rain. Ate our sandwiches standing and then crossed a swing bridge to climb once more back through forest up to the DOC centre.
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In the shelter of the Visitors Centre we stripped off our wet weather gear and went inside to warm up on a large bowl of hot soup and bread. As we sat there the rain turned even heavier so we waited for a break to return to the car and back to the hostel.
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Took the SH45 the 'Surfers Highway' round the coast of Taranaki with a strong wind blowing and waves being whipped up off the sea.
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Stopped at the Dairy Shop at Hawera for refreshments, but weren't very impressed with their presentation.
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Next stop was Wanganui where we called into the DOC Office for tourist and walks information before sitting for a picnic lunch beside the Whanganui River.
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Continued on down the SH1 to Wellington through more and more small towns catering for visitors.
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After breakfast drove in to Wellington to return the hire car and then a bit of shopping
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Took the Cable Car up to Kelburn to get good views over Wellington and visit an interesting little museum on the history of the cable car.
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Walked back into town through the Botanical Gardens and past the Parliament buildings.
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After lunch we met up with Larry and Anne who took us to a pretty and interesting Karoni Reserve for birds and plants just on the outskirts of Wellington. The site was an old reservoir that had been fenced off and eradicated as far as possible from possums, stoats etc.
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