Southbound via West Coast to Wellington

The Rewa Rewa Bridge, second take: this time in the morning sun. And Mount Taranaki was clearly visible. The idea was to see more of this beautiful volcano on my way south. I took the circular route, partly on the Surf Highway again, but this time closer to the slope rather than the coast. Sadly, the snow-powdered top part was completely in the clouds – again.

On my way south, I stopped in Whanganui, which has, as I learned, a rich but sad history in the conflicts between the early European settlers and the Māori in the 1800s. Battles were fought, a lot of people died on both sides, but who came out a winner is still debated. War memorials and cemeteries abound. One sports as an epitaph Horace’s line from the Odes: “Ducle et decorum est pro patria mori”. I truly doubt that all of those who fought in that war thought of their impending death in this way.

The sunny weather allowed a driving break at the beach of Paraparaumu and at the lookout of the Paekakariki Hill Road. And eventually I arrived in Wellington, where I’m staying until Wednesday morning.