Siena Motor Lodge Wanganui

... quite heavily by the time I arrived, and was also misty to the point that the mountain that could be seen from several miles away the previous day wasn't visible at all from anywhere or any distance today. I parked my car near to Dawson Falls, and went for a speedy walk in the rain for a quick look. Having taken a few photos, I headed back to the car with alacrity to drive on to Wanganui, which is almost half way from New Plymouth to Wellington.

After the walk around Dorethy falls we drove on and had a nice drive along the coast, we booked into a campsite on Kai Iwi Beach, in Mowhanau, it was a lovely setting and some awesome views of the coastline, a really chilled out place to stay the night, we got talking to a bloke who has spent fifteen years doing up old buses, his current one was soooooo stylish!!!!! but we love Mitsy, our van!!!!

Tuesday 15th January We only had one day to spend in Wanganui, and I wouldn't blame you at all if you stopped reading at this point, as the main purpose of this entry is to keep my map pins showing my route, and add photos. We had a walk around the town ...

... and best loved walks in New Zealand. <br><br>I rolled over and went back to sleep for a precious 15 extra minutes while Katie showered etc, as like most blokes I need less time to get ready! <br><br>Katie eventually came back to the cabin and said "you missed an amazing sunrise ...

... that there were no false pretenses- there's no escaping yourself and who you are, no wearing of masks when you are trying to live and survive in the wilderness....it's so genuine, pure, and raw. I have experience pure ecstasy, a joy that reaches you in every hidden crevass, where you didn't know light could shine. I finally get it- all of the cliche sayings that people tell you- "it'll happen when you least expect it" and "you just KNOW when ...

... Park Village and then on to Whakapapa on Mt Ruapehu, then up to the ski fields car park at the top of the road. The views would have been spectacular had there not been low cloud shrouding the mountains. It was pretty cold and windy but we decided to march on anyway. We took a short walk up to a ridge on Ruapehu that looks out over Mt Doom (much easier than spelling Ngauruhoe ...

... steel moulds in order to make kayak backrests and tomorrow afternoon should be able to go down to the factory and pick it up. I have now paddled the Rangitikei river three times and not died once, although I have had plenty of practise rolling in whitewater and my helmet has a nice new dent, as does my shoulder. Cats are evil, especially when they wake you up in the ...

... the lovely Arles Bed &amp; Breakfast in an 1890's house with a nice flower garden. We enjoy our afternoon tea on our private veranda overlooking the Wanganui River in the distance. Wanganui is a pretty town with hundreds of hanging flower baskets lining the main street of downtown. The weather is turning sunny and warmer now!

... involved the girl having to jump off the rock into the boat, which was quite a jump. We all had to get in to the back of the boat. Then oops! An almost exact replay of the washing machine except we all went in and what was worse was the next rapid was right behind us! I managed to make it to the other boat but watched as two of my colleagues drifted to impending doom. Luckily they were saved by the cameraman. All in ...

... on the left hand side Mt Doom (for Lord of the Rings fans) aka Mt Ruapheu. But all we could see was thick fog. Thick thick fog. What a gutter. I said to Lee to stop if it got to bad but as we came out the other side the weather cleared a bit and we made Taupo early afternoon, still piddling it down with rain. We had a drive about to find a backpackers, had a look in the central backpackers but came straight back out because the room had bare floorboards, not in a fancy penthouse way, in ...