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I have friends in the Far North of the
North Island of New Zealand who have a dairy farm just south of the Waipoua Forest, the one which shelters the mighty kauri tree known as Tane Mahuta, Lord of the Forest.
Waihi, where I live and work as a journalist, is a mining town and there is always tension between the environmentalists and the mining fraternity. Mostly it simmers below the surface and you can pretend it isn't there, but the tension does take its toll. Waihi lies 150 kilometres south-east of Auckland, at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula.
It is an unusual town. The influx of mining staff, often well educated and from overseas, brings new ideas into the community. Unlike its neighbouring towns, Waihi is vibrant and not at all like a service town to the farming community.
When town life begins to wane and I need a pick-me-up, three or four days spent on the farm is always good medicine and brings my equilibrium back to where it should be.
To make the journey from Waihi takes some careful planning to make it as stress free as possible. The first requirement is of course a vehicle I enjoy driving.
That's easy, my
'83, two door, 360 GLT is always fun to drive and comfortable as well.
I have done the trip on a '90 VW trike, a single seater with a straight 1200cc 1960 motor.
That's fun too in summer, and as long as the journey is as important as the destination. Often, when I just need to get there, the trike is not the way to go.
The time I get through Auckland is crucial. No point sitting in a queue travelling in second gear in rush-hour traffic. So by leaving Waihi no later than 1.30pm I can avoid all that stress and bypass New Zealand's largest city with no hassles.
The first part of my journey is through one of the most spectacular gorges in the North Island, the Karangahake Gorge. It follows the Ohinemuri River and in part the road is hewn out of the foot of the cliff, which towers over the road. The river is strewn with boulders and there's lots of white water about.
It's an easy drive as long as you watch your speed. Once, when my brain was away with the fairies, I took a left-hand bend too fast and ended up doing a 180ş in the Gorge when I
didn't mean to do so at all. Just as well there was no oncoming traffic! Yes, that was in the 360 GLT and I
hadn't owned her long and was still learning about its (and my) limitations.
First town I go through is Paeroa, which has the highway as the main street and five pedestrian crossings to watch out for. As you approach it from Waihi, make a point of obeying the speed limit. It changes from 100 to 50 km quickly and a patrol car often sits near the big L&P bottle with the revenue-collecting camera on board. Not nice being caught there.
The road is good and fast to Ngatea, a few sweepers and good straights, but like Paeroa, well patrolled by the boys in blue (the police).
Soon after Ngatea I hit the SH27-SH2 intersection, the Maramarua Golf Course is on my left. I give way and turn right towards Auckland. There's talk of changing the intersection so that the SH2 traffic has right-of-way, but it looks as if this change is not happening in a hurry.
I leave the Hauraki Plains behind and start climbing with easy sweepers and pass through a number of small rural settlements, all pretty and with varying services on offer. One has a service station, another tea-rooms, yet another fresh coffee.
I'm not tempted as I have a long way to go yet.
The new overpass at the junction of SH1 and SH2 has taken all the stress out of what was once a diabolical right turn to get on the expressway.
It's a doddle now, compared to what it was.
I merge in with the traffic coming from further south and keep a sharp eye on slow trucks up ahead. Weıre on the Bombay Hill, I'm in fourth gear and want to stay in it. The
360's got plenty of grunt and flies up, leaving a lot of newer Japanese cars behind. I look at the speedo. Heck, I'm only doing 90, whatıs wrong with them?
The expressway changes to motorway and now its just a matter of sitting behind the car in front and going with the flow. Spaghetti Junction slows the traffic down at all times of day but at 3pm its fairly marginal. The coathanger (Auckland harbour bridge) comes into view, I pick my lane and traverse the Waitamata Harbour as if I was a bird. Once
I'm on the North Shore I just stay in the right-hand lane and move as quickly as the vehicle in front of me. Itıs boring, this motorway stuff, but it is much faster than trying to use regular streets.
The recent extensions mean that you drive hassle-free to almost Orewa. That's the first stop Iım tempted to make, but to find a nice resting spot or cafe it would mean making a right-hand turn and travelling in the opposite direction I want to go in, Not on, so I keep going. The way out of Orewa gives a marvellous view back over its beach. Better for a good look when I am a passenger or on the way back home and stop off at the lay-by.
I pass Hatfields Beach where the late Robert Muldoon - a prime Minister of NZ - had a holiday bach and then Waiwera is next. It used to be Orewaıs poor cousin in the 1960s. I don't think it even qualifies as a distant relative now. Still a really nice little place but it is totally by-passed and the 360 climbs the hills and rounds the sweepers on this part of State Highway 1 going North. The Puhoi River snakes over the landscape from right to left, and for there too is a turn-off if you want a quick look. Not I.
I'm on a mission.
Just before reaching Warkworth I go over a bridge which spans a large gully near Pohuehue. The pongas below and the feeling of sitting above pristine Kiwi bush always sends a rush of blood to my head. It's probably only secondary growth scrub, perhaps the pongas are acting as a nursery for new kauris, rimus and totoras, those mighty trees which once covered all of Northland and were cut down for logging in the late 19th and early 20th century. I begin to feel good.
By now I'm really ready for a comfort stop and a shot of strong caffeine, but it means getting off the highway and thatıs not on. I've been on the road for about three hours. I promise myself I will stop at the 24 hour cafe in Wellsford, the one next to McDonalds.
It's only another 20 or so km further on, and if I am lucky I can park right outside it.
Amazingly the 360 is just humming along. I marvel at the engineering feat which allows a journey such as this to be accomplished, not only in comfort but also with complete trust in the technology. All those metal bits moving in and out, sparks making power from the petrol... I donıt understand it all, but I do trust my Volvo.
The cafe is always open, not at all poncy, just good old honest cafe-style food and good strong coffee. No tablecloths on the formica tables either. The toilets are adequate and always clean. That's a bonus.
Feeling refreshed I look forward to the turn-off at the Brynderwyns onto SH 12. The settlements of Te Hana, Topuni and Kaiwaka flash past. By now it all looks very Northland-ish: an air of neglect, time moving more slowly; it's doing my soul good.
The turn-off signifies two thirds of the journey done. Half-way was Orewa. This highway has both sweepers and later on long, long straights. Iım told
it's well patrolled too.
Maungaturoto, Paparoa, then the turn-off for Matakohe where there's a great Kauri Museum. Tinopai is down that way too, on the shores of the Kaipara Harbour. Tinopai means
"the very best" in Maori.
I don't turn off as I'm heading for Dargaville. Ruawai is the next biggish settlement. They grow kumara there of course. The pub there is straight out of the 1960s. It hasnıt changed except they do allow women in the public bar now.
After lots of straight road there are a few bends, one of which is at 35km and then the Tokutoku Pub swings into view. Never been in there. Really must stop one of these days.
More straights and the Northern Wairoa River is on my left. It is brown and very wide. Not at all like the rivers around Hauraki.
Dargaville is a very large cow-town. That's probably the best description for it. It has a large supermarket and lots of little shops, a brilliant hairdressing salon, plus a Super Liquor and another liquor store. Does all that farming drive them to drink? Several hotels too, of course. What NZ community exists without a few local
'watering holes' ?
I follow the signs for Kaikohe, knowing I will reach my destination long before that town comes into view. Only 50km to go. I'm beginning to look forward to a good scotch at the kitchen table, and conversations about summer rain (or lack of it) and pasture growth. They are milking 220 cows on 400 acres of undulating farmland and it has been a good season, with high prices for milk solids. It is a beautiful piece of land. If you climb the highest hill on the farm and look to the west, you can see the Tasman Sea.
By now the sun is low in the sky and sunstrike is at the ready. I have a cap with a long peak which I shove on my head as I drive. The peak shields my eyes. The road now tends to be more twisty and I keep a sharp eye on the bends as they don't always have a recommended speed sign on them. The worst of these is the Kaihu Hill, just up from the Kaihu Pub. No signs whatsoever but some of the corners command a lot of respect.
On my left I now get peeks of the ocean. The Tasman. In the night on the farm, if the wind comes from the west, you can hear the rollers breaking on the shore several miles away. I love it when I can hear that and they lull me to sleep.There are lots of native birds there too. Even kiwis.
I've gone through several settlements and lots of dairy farming country. The turn-off to Trounson Park on the right is worth taking. It's a beautiful park with camping facilities. Just a walk through the park to admire the kauri trees is free.
Another sign says Donnelly's Crossing. The primary school closed recently there and it is now not the best place to live. Years ago when the railway still went up here it was a thriving community.
I pass Aranga School. Am now getting close to where I'm going. Only a few more kms and the Waipoua Forest begins. It's been a long journey but
I've had plenty of time to think, and the driving has begun to unwind me. Can just about taste that whiskey and
(Yes, there is the driveway!)
I'll be going home refreshed by the change of pace that this rural lifestyle affords in a few days time and ready for more action in Waihi.
My trusty 360 GLT has done it again - brought me to where I want to go without the slightest hassle - all in a day's work for this remarkable and unassuming little jewel of Swedish engineering.
Ollie
Richardson
Waihi
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