A scenic secret — Ruapehu's highway

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 485, 11 May 1993, Page 6 (Supplement)

A scenic secret — Ruapehu's highway

"Oh, ye'll take the high road and 1*11 take the scenic road" is npt quite the words of the song, but they would apply to Ruapehu District's state highways, being promoted as the scenic alternative.

State Highways 4 and 49 offer a great alternative to travellers through the central North Island, and for lots of good reasons. The route is quicker from Hamilton to Waiouru than State Highway One (11km shorter), and offers great scenery. If you are headed south you can pick up the route at the round-about at the north end of Te Rapa in Hamilton and follow SH3 to Eight Mile Junction south of Te Kuiti. State Highway Four starts here and takes you to Taumarunui, National Park, Raetihi and on to Wanganui, from where you can travel to Wellington. Turning off before Raetihi and you pick up SH 49, to Ohakune and on to Waiouru. Here you pick up State Highway One, missing out the treacherous Desert Road.

The Ruapehu Scenic Highway, as it is dubbed by the Ruapehu District Council, almost always remains open when the

Desert Road is closed through bad weather, and even if closed by snow, has always reopened much sooner.

The road is in good condition, the scenery is spectacular and traffic is much lighter than the more popular SH1.