Pilgramage to Jerusalem

We are staying at a farm - this redoubt built in the 1860's is on the property

Jerusalem from the road

The convent

 

The church at Jerusalem

The altar

 

Inside the church

Looking down at the river near Jerusalem

Snow-capped Tongariro

 

Today we went to Jerusalem - also Athens and London!  (Atene and Ranana).  We drove from Whanganui - clear blue sky and views to Mt Egmont/Taranaki into the river mists of the Whanganui River Road.  It is a narrow winding road to Jerusalem but is now sealed all the way.  After a while the mists burned off and we passed the few little settlements, actually they were all maraes.  Jerusalem itself is only the church and convent of the old Catholic mission, no other buildings.  The view of the church reflected in the river was beautiful.  It was about a 2 hour drive - getting more and more remote!  We decided to continue on to the end of the road at Pipiriki (13km) where we turned for Raetihi and at one stage we came out of the bush to the surprise views of Tongariro and Ngarahoe.  We returned to Whanganui on SH4 but it was still a windy, empty road.

We're staying at a farm just outside Whanganui.  There's a redoubt that was built by the settler here when the land wars were on.  It's 2 layers of Totara with clay in between to make the walls bullet proof.  There are little glass spy holes all around the walls.  luckily the conflict didn't come here.  It's very peaceful - we are in a paddock with a horse and some sheep.  The lady has chooks, ducks, calves, dogs....  Nice weather too :-)