Sunday 19th January - Further South still from Onaero to Hawera

Well we have actually been in New Zealand two weeks today. To celebrate we had a break from cycling and drove the car around the huge volcanoe of Mount Egmont (2510 metres high). Our route was from just north of New Plymouth via route 45 to Hawera. This volcano is still active, I have read, and the land around it has funny dome shaped humps in the grasslands surrounding it many miles. We visited two light houses, one of which ( Cape Ergmont Lighthouse) denoted the most westerly point of North Island. Just three or four more days now and we will have completed our journey from North to South of North Island via this most westerly point.

It has been a whistle stop tour aided by the car carrying all our luggage and With us taking our turn moving the support car along our route. So not a purists cycle tour so far. That will all change in Wellington however when we attach the panniers and go off for real. We have managed with Loretta's help to see so much of the North Island in such a short time.

New Plymouth Art at Work

Cape  Ergmont 

Inside the lighthouse

Views of Mt Ergmont (below)