Back in Town

We arrived back from Wanganui last night and managed to last for about 2 minutes before turning the computer on; not bad. Anyway, here's some pics from our wee road trip.

Kirsten's car is not really made for five adults. (Like whose is?) We made the most of it anyway. This is early in the journey on Friday evening.

We stopped at Raukawa Falls along the way. The river is a bit high. And dirty.

We stopped in Bulls at The WORST Subway Ever (tm) where the service was crap and the bread was stale. Good thing we had Fruit Bursts to tide us over till morning.

The next day we travelled to Waitomo, just missing being there the same time as a Kiwi Experience bus. (Ah, the memories!)

Here's a (poorly focussed) shot from inside the Aranui caves. Photography is forbidden in the glow worm caves unfortunately. When you are inside the cave they call the Cathedral, they always do this spiel about how the acoustics are great and how Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has sung in there, and would anyone like to sing a song? I've been twice before and always been too chicken, but this time, Lauren and I got brave and sang the beginning of Pie Jesu. We were ok, I guess. The acoustics were actually not that good though - it's nice to have a *little* echo, but the limestone absorbs absolutely *everything*. Anyway, we got a little round of applause from the tourists in our group.

On Sunday we drove over 65km of metalled road (via Athens, London, and Jerusalem!) to arrive at Pipiriki, where we rode a jetboat to the Bridge to Nowhere.

We took loads of Obligatory Self Portraits (OSPs)

And Obligatory Tourist Shots (OTSs)

This is a swingbridge on the way to the Bridge to Nowhere.

The infamous Bridge to Nowhere. The land up here was gifted to returned WWI soldiers. Unfortunately the land proved unsuitable for farming once the forest was cleared and most of the families had left by the time the bridge was completed in the 1940s.

We stopped in Taihape on the way home for Iced Chocolate and coffees and things. Yum!

This sign is just out of Maungaweka. It cracks me up every time. "Peach Teats, calves love 'em!"

We were SO over the back seat by this stage, but still managed a weak smile. I certainly enjoyed getting home and leaping into a warm shower then bed. Many thanks to Rich for organising us and being the Dad. And to Kirsten for supplying the car and being the Mum.

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The Naenae Triathlon is less than a week away! I have to do one more trial of the whole course and one more bike ride before I feel fully prepared. Think of me on Sunday morning!