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Fifty minutes drive north of Wellington, the Kapiti Coast is well known for its exceptional
cheese and unique flora and fauna. Many of NZ’s most endangered birds reside on
this coastline which leads north to Wanganui, a historic riverboat town. It once
formed part of a thriving tourist route between Auckland and Wellington, and today
this bygone era is recreated aboard NZ’s only coal-fired paddle steamer, the PS
Waimarie. Further north the symmetrical volcanic cone of Mt Taranaki can be seen
clearly on the horizon. Taranaki’s bulbous coastline is tucked firmly around twothirds
of this zen-like mountain, providing NZ’s most consistent surf conditions. Access
is provided courtesy of SH45, the Surf Highway, which follows around the coast from
Hawera to New Plymouth.
day two: wanganui to hawera with a side trip up the whanganui river road
Key
- Destinations
- Apex Locations
“Donna wake up,” Bob whispers urgently at some ridiculous hour of the morning. He
awoke at 4 am and, not wishing to disturb me (until now) read a book about the River
Road. But it seems he can wait no longer, we must go to Jerusalem – without delay!
And so it is that we follow the emerald Whanganui River up a route that is more
like a driveway, so friendly are its inhabitants. Near Koriniti we stop and chat
to a group of pig hunters who heave a glossy black boar up the riverbank. “It’s
a big’n,” says Tex, who invites us to share in the pig which will be cooked on a
spit, in true Whanganui River style.
Sadly we decline and leave tooting the horn. Bob comments on how welcoming everyone
is. As we continue our drive Bob entertains me with an account of his early morning
read including the Maori legend of the forming of the Whanganui River. Mt Taranaki
lost a fierce battle with Mt Tongariro over the fair maiden Pihanga (a smaller mountain
in the central plateau) and fled to Taranaki, carving the Whanganui River and filling
it with his tears. Later, when Europeans set up farms, transport was required to
get their produce into town so in 1891 the paddle steamer Wairere began a regular
service.
When we arrive in Jerusalem, St Joseph’s Church casts a mirrored image of its steeple
upon the river. A Roman Catholic Mission was established here in 1854 and the late
James K Baxter, an influential NZ poet, formed a community here in the 1960s and
wrote the Jerusalem Sonnets. His grave is at St Joseph’s where Sisters Sue, Laboure
and Anna Maria, the guardians of this church and its grounds warmly welcome us.
Sister Sue makes us tea and then leads us to Baxter’s grave.
To read the full story
please click the link to download the full
wellington to new plymouth scenic drive, courtesy of apex car rentals
new zealand... the kiwi way
to read more extracts from our driving holiday's guidebook please click on any of
the following links:
north island scenic drives
south island scenic drives
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