Day 18 Whanganui to Hunterville

8:30, we are on our bikes on a lovely cycleway beside the river and it is another perfect day. The river is mirror like - disguising the chocolate brown colour and making it a lot more attractive. Stop for photos, a young runner takes some for us and we chat before proceeding.

At the Durie hill elevator we meet a couple who have just spent a week coming down the river on canoes, they say they saw us ride past yesterday. We chat for a long time before entering. There is a 50m tunnel then an old elevator - still the original equipment and requiring an operator - It has been running for 100 years! The operator tells us it was built as part of the public transport system. I think my parents took us here when we were children, we have missed doing the same with our family - I did not remember this existed. Maybe one day.

Durie hill elevator entrance tunnel

When we exit we have a fantastic view and here is a lookout where the view will be even better.

There are people up here already, friendly and talkative. Sau Keng decides to come up too. She always gets lots of complements in situations like this, even more so today with our cycling exploits to talk about.

When we eventually come down, the lift operator offers to take photos for us. Thanks, yes. Finally we start riding but spot toilets and stop to use them. The canoeing couple are here and we talk some more.

10:00. We are finally on our way - a late start but a very good morning. I had thought the elevator took us to the top of a hill, it actually lifts us out of the valley the Whanganui river has cut. Now the elevator makes sense, connecting the 'highlands' here with the 'lowlands' by the river.

15 kilometers on, the highlands end where the Whagaehu river has cut its valley, also wide and deep.

"We'll go down there and up the other side for sure" I predict - and I'm right. A couple more kilometers and down we go - Whee! Across the Whagaehu valley we start to follow a stream up its valley, gently climbing as we ride through the farmland. The roads are ours - almost all the time - the countryside green and looking a picture. There is a bit of breeze helping us along. So nice. A steeper climb at the head of the valley takes us to the next watershed and down we go again.

The pattern repeats several times, steep descents and long gentle climbs with a bite at the end, until we have just 3 kilometers to go. There is always one more climb and this time we get the steep side - but Hunterville is over the hill and we are home for the night :-)

Hunterville main road, there are sheep here as well as the sheepdog around the corner on SH1

Home is the Hunters Cafe and Motel, a 'no frills' establishment and one of the cheaper places we have stayed, but it's clean and comfortable, dinner and breakfast are available and the staff are good. We will be comfortable here.

Statistics

Distance: 64.7 km

Climbed: 909m

Time: 4:19