PAEROA TO WANGANUI.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4656, 1 February 1924, Page 3

PAEROA TO WANGANUI.

A BICYCLE TOUR. ENJOYABLE HOLIDAY JAUNT. The following account of a holiday bicycle tour from Paeroa to Wan- • ganui is given by Mr Alf. Jenkinson, who, with his brother .William, made the journey at Christmas time On Saturday. December 22, my bro.her and I left Paeroa with our bikes about mid-day and journeyed to Te Aroha by train. Leaving there about 2 o’clock on our machines, we en- ■ countered a steady head wind but geod weather all the afternoon. The ? roads were rather rough, and when A about 13 miles from Hamilton wo made our first camp. It being our first day cut, and rid|ng against a strong wind, we felt the ride vei y much. After a good night’s rest we started - early next morning, and over fairly good roads to Hamilton. After spending a little time there we proceeded on through Ohaupo, Te Awamutu, where we were treated with afternoon tea at a friend’s place, and it was about 7 p.m. when we arrived at Otorohanga and made camp for the night. All day we had been on splendid roads, but rather undulating, and although we had travelled over 52 miles that day we were still quite fresh when we had finished riding. Next day we passed through Te Kuiti and commenced the long ride of 110 miles from Te Kuiti to New Plymouth. The road, though quite gond and well metalled, was very hilly for some 10 miles past Te Kuiti, but from there on it was quite level.. At about 2 p.m. rain commenced to fall, and continued for ( most of the afternoon, but this did ‘not stop us from pitching our tent—which was on’y two rubber ground ( sheets sewn together—at Pio Pio. The following day was Christmas Day, and we had hoped it would be fine, as we had learned' that we had some unmetalled roads to go over. It was fine when we started out, but rain had fallen during the night. We encountered, and vbry heavy at times, just alfer leaving Pio Pio, and about eight miles farther on passed through very hilly country, with rough roads in places where they had been newly metalled At Mahoenui, about 1.30 0.m., we came to the unmetalled p*»rri on of the road, which extended for six miles, and had a very muddy experience. This portion of road was like a nightmare, riding being utterly impossible. It took us over an hour to go a mile—the mud collecting in between the mud-guards and th? wheels and preventing the wheels from going round, and it had to be removed about every ten yards to allow progress to be made. Rain was fall-ing-all the time, and we could notice the road getting worse. At 3 o’clock .we reached a good, dry camping place - under thick pine trees, and decided to go no further that day and make camp. The bikes, being loaded up " with camping gear, etc., and weighing between 901 b and 1001 b, now and again became firmly bogged in the mud, and had to be simply lifted but. This was an experience quite new to

us both. Boxing Day, however, proved to be beautifully fine, but the road had dried very little, if any. After considering for a time whether to push on or to wait until the road d*ied a bit we decided tb brave the elements and push on, travelling over the new .Awakino Valley road, for we -were'informed that it was a “king” to the old Taumatamaire Hill road. We somehow, scrambled over.the remainder of the muddy road (about five miles), and it took us the best part.of the morning. We then came to the metalled road, and some beautjful scenery and gorges. The road, after passing through a tunnel, runs alongside the Awakino River for about 10 miles through, dense bush and deep gorges and some of the best scenery we. have ever viewed. On this road in the early afternoon we had the pleasure of meeting some motor tourists fiom Paeroa. Just after passing Awakino township we had the first sight of the ocean on the west coast, and also Mt. Egmont at the same time. The mountain was very clear on that day. The deep blue sea, with the white foam on the breakers rolling in on the shore, and the mountain ? with its snowy top, made a most beautiful picture. After viewing all this beautiful scenery we did not have such a grudge against the muddy road which we had so recently travelled over. Passing through Mokau and crossing the Mokau River in a ferry punt, we proceeded bn for-about three miles and found an excellent camping ground on the sea shore. That night we had a glorious view of the sunset across the open sea, with Mt. Egmont off to the left, with all colours reflected on it, especially on the snowy top, from the sinking sun. The roads we passed over early the next day (Thursday) were of clay formation, unmetalled, but quite dry. After travelling past more beautiful i.cenery around Tongaporutn we continued for about eight miles and came to Mt. Messenger, the road ' winding up for two and a half miles ' and down the other side for two miles.: At the top the „road begins to wind through very beautiful dence native bu >h as thick as is possible to get it. Wo had lunch on the top, with wild pigeons flying round: and all down the other side the road continued to wind through the bush, with deep gullies on the edge of the road that would make many dizzy to look over. We came to excellent roads, and about three miles from Waitara, where we camped that night on the beach, we struck the first toll-gate, where we had tp pay 6d. Next morning we were rather disappointed at it being a wet day, but, nevertheless, we started out, and about half a mile out we came to the first, of the asphalt roads, which cont>nued for the whole 10 miles into s' New Plymouth. We spent two days ini New Plymouth, and started out on Sunday (a perfect day) at 11 a.m., deciding to go over the coast road, round Cape Eg-

; mont, to Hawera. About twelve miles -from New Plymouth we came to our

second toll-gate, which wanted another 6d. The gatekeeper and his wife, after learning that we were from Paeroa, toid us that they were old Paerpaites and made us very welcome with atfernoon tea, which, was very much appreciated. That night we camped one and a half miles pff the road on Cape Egmont, with the lighthouse just a little way from us. Since leavng New Plymouth we had been on excellent roads, mostly asphait, and passed through very pretiy country with the blue sea on one. side and Mt. Egmont on the other, and with farms in between. ‘.Ve were on the fine asphalt roads all the next day, passing through Opunake, Manaia, and other small towns, and arrived in Hawera at 1 p.m. on the Monday, New Year’s Eve. We were in Hawera until the afternoon of New Year’s Day, when we proceeded on our tour over more asphalt roads for 20 miles to Patea.

The next day was to be our last day on the road, and we travelled 40 miles over more good, very hilly, but mostly asphalt roads to Wanganui, where we arrived about 3 P.m. As there was a difference of five days in the length of our holidays our plans, which were to continue on from Wanganui through Palmerston North to Napier and Gisborne, had to bo altered, and we had to be content with getting ds far as Wanganui on our bikes. We were there for one day, and as one of us had to be back to work on the following Saturday we travelled to Frankton from Wanganui by train, arriving at 4.50 a.m. After 'having an early breakfast we left Frankton for Paeroa at 5.30 An** on Friday on our bikes and travelled over the same road as we went away on, but under much worse conditions, in rain most of the way and with a strong head wind. We arrived at Paeroa about 2 P.m.

' The total distance on the tour that we covered riding our, bikes was 380 miles, and without a puncture in either bike, or anything going wrong with them. We both enjoyed our holiday tour immensely, especially the camping at night. Of the 13 nights we were away we were only in a real bed twice, when being with friends in New Plymouth. All the other nights we were camping.