Stratford, Taranaki 20:11:12

To Taranaki 20 Nov
Fairly straightforward drive south towards Hamilton, with a stop at a service station, and then at Ngauruwallia for bank and a short break. And a phone call to Roslyn and Kevin to let them know we'd be 'about an hour late'! Then we made the decision to try the scenic route. Very scenic, verywinding, very mountainous, wave on wave of hills, and a section of unsealed gravel road in the middle. The road is called the Forgotten World Highway - for good reason? We stopped near Morgan's Grave - a reminder of the harshness of the terrain and the toughness of the settlers. We eventually arrived in Stratford about 3 hours late, but were still fed and watered royally, chicken, salad and hot chips in vast quantity. The evening flew by, as we were entertained by tales of people underestimating that road - cyclists, walkers as well as motorists. A minute amount of time on genealogy, which had brought us together in the first place.
When we emerged from the highway Mount Taranaki (Egmont) greeted us in its full glory. It is often shrouded or capped in cloud. We stayed overnight in the Amity Court Motel, with an amenable and helpful youngster in charge. The morning brought us another fine view of the mountain, then we set off after calling briefly on Roslyn for the photo we forgot to take the previous evening.

We've been hugely impressed by the hospitality and friendliness of New Zealanders.