The Bridge to Nowhere

 The bridge known as 'the bridge to nowhere' is far up the Whanganui River. It was built in 1935 for a road that was never constructed - to open up access for the settlers who were farming there. We drove from Whanganui up the River Road to Pipiriki, where we had a tour by jet boat.

At Pipiriki...

our driver/guide. Thomas, picks us up.

The river trip takes about an hour.

Then there's a 50 min walk through bush to the bridge.

There's Malcolm on the bridge - there was no-one else ther when we arrived.

And there's me. :-)

Malcolm took this photo from a view point higher up...

That's him, the white dot in the higher dip in the trees.

Then it was another river trip - not in canoes, haha!

Driving back we stopped at Jerusalem, a Catholic nunnery founded in the early 1800s.

The church interior included a Maori Madonna, carving and panels.

We also checked out a restored flour mill.

The road to Whanganui

Leaving our camp site Mt Taranaki loomed over the countryside, though it looks small in the photo!

We stopped at Patea to look at the waka sculpture and visit the museum...

this waka is very old, with markings common in Polynesia.

At Whanganui we freedom camped by the river...

...with this view :-)

The town is great to explore - nice archetecture, interesting laneways, sculptures, murals...

Malcolm checks out the peace memorial, made from ceramic handprints.