Hamilton to Whanganui

 

A new best route in New Zealand; State Highway 4.

A job interview in Whanganui. A school that I know quite well. Perhaps teaching a subject I'd like to teach. Initially I had planned to ride down the evening before and stay with a friend, but then I realised I'd miss my last tutorial for the university paper in Spanish that I am taking at distance. So I calculated that I could ride down the morning of the interview, arrive in time for the midday interview, have lunch, and then return to Hamilton. I did not even need to get up early, but while checking my emails before 7am, my little son Skyped me, and we had a conversation till it was time to go.

As I walked out the door, it felt cold, so I slipped on another layer and then put the motorbike jacket on again. “An early morning chill,' I said to myself, and headed off to Te Awamutu. It was a steady chill, at about 11°C, and there did not seem to be any improvement. I rode from Hamilton to Te Awamutu, to Otorohanga and then on to Te Kuiti along State Highway 3. I smiled to myself as I looked at the clock; instead of a department meeting, I was on the V-Strom. A little later, I smiled some more as I thought of the unfortunate person who would be teaching my first class of the day. To be fair, it was going to be easy; the students were scheduled for the library, so the relief teacher just had to encourage 21^st Century kids to pick up a book and read.

The weather did not improve, though the scenery did. I turned off State Highway 3 at about 12 kilometres after Te Kuiti at a place called “Eight Mile Junction.” Funny name that.

That was the start of State Highway 4, which instantly became a favourite road. Beautiful scenery, with all that is best in New Zealand; curves, forests, farmland, hills, valleys, rivers alongside the road and good straight stretches. There were small towns, but in New Zealand, small can be very little indeed. The rain increased, and the temperature dropped. This was not supposed to happen; as the sun rose, it should get warmer. The heated grips were warming my palms and the inside of my hands, but it was still cold.

So I decided to have a quick warming break in Taumaranui. McDonald's seemed the obvious choice; fast, guaranteed heating and cheap. I had some friendly remarks from another customer as I ordered and sat down. It was my second breakfast of the day, and once it was over, I put on the waterproof trousers and rode east and then south to Whanganui. I was now feeling warmer, though the Central Plateau was cold. Tongariro was covered in clouds, but the road was great and quiet. I sped past the village, or perhaps the tourist point on the map, of “National Park” and continued south. At this stage, I was a little worried that I would be late, so there were to be no more stops. Straight through Raetihi, and then the truly majestic part of SH4, where the road sweeps alongside the Mangawhero River, with hills on both sides, trees, valleys, sheep, beef cattle and dairy cows, the chance to sweep down a curve and cruise up the next hill, with changes of gear as the curves tightened and the road narrowed, and opportunities to accelerate past vehicles as the road opened out. The views were lovely. At one stage, I had to stop for road works caused by the combination of a river and a hillside; rocks falling from one to the other cause problems for tarmac.

Before I knew it, I was rolling into Whanganui and crossing the lovely Dublin Road Bridge. I was twenty minutes early for the interview, which gave me enough time to change into my suit.

Although the weather and the temperature did not improve on my way home, I still enjoyed the return. A great day.