Day 20: Rolling hills, poplars and beehives

We have driven 70 miles down SH4 from Whakapapa to Wanganui, having to pull over only three times, showing how little traffic there is here once you get away from centres of population.  We had maybe half a dozen cars behind us all the way.  The busier state highways have frequent passing lanes so we have only had the odd irate driver, one today who had only just come up behind us and wasn't happy that Tony did not pull over in the layby on the opposite side of the road!

SH4 afforded us landscapes of a different kind again as we passed through the districts of Ruapehu and Wanganui.  Mile upon mile of rolling hills as far as the eye could see, with clusters of trees but not heavily wooded.  They looked like giant grassed dunes and may be either sand or chalk based soil.  This was definitely sheep country and we must have passed by thousands.  There were also lots of beehives, could this be Manuka country too?

The nature of the soil results in landslips and occasionally we could see where it would not be too long before there were more.  Another feature of this landscape is the rows of poplar type trees which add beauty and give a feel of Tuscany in some parts.

We paused in Wanganui to give Tony a break from driving and to get some lunch.  Unfortunately we allowed stomachs to rule over heads and spotted the Rutland Arms, a pub/cafe en route to the I-Site.  We should have waited as the I-Site was one of those with an integral cafe and the Rutland Arms savouries were mediocre.  Still NZD18 for a sausage roll, savoury tart, mochaccino and a tea compares favourably with back home (roughly £9 on present exchange rates).

We passed some time in the I-Site accessing their free wi-fi, then drove further south to our commercial campsite for the night.  We recommend Foxton Beach Holiday Park (NZD38 for 2 adults for one night approx. £19 for a powered site).  It might fill up later being the weekend but at present we are alone on the campervan field and we are overlooking the estuary, which we are shortly going to explore on one of their recommended nature walks.  In the distance we can see the mountains of Tararua Range through the windscreen.

The site did not fill up so we had the facilities to ourselves!  The walk along the beach was lovely and relaxing.  There were several fishermen out catching their dinner and we chatted to a couple who had just landed a fair sized fish, a Kahawai.

We treated ourselves to ice creams on the way back to Oscar the Van before making dinner and eating it with the door open and the sun setting over the shower block, hopefully the sunrise over the estuary will be more photogenic!