A scenic drive to surpass most

Ruapehu Bulletin, 21 December 1993, Page 2 (Supplement)

A scenic drive to surpass most

One of the most beautiful mountain drives in the country is the Ohakune Mountain Road. Established in the early

1900's as the Ohakune Track, the road was renamed Blyth Track, in honour of one of the enthusiasts who spent many years

working on it. The Ohakune Mountain Road was officially opened in 1963 after years of back-breaking work by a determined corps

of local people to develop access to the snowfields. Much of the early work was done by hand or using farm machinery, but now it is a sealed scenic highway from bottom to top Full of reminders of logging days, the forest is crisscrossed with ancient tram tracks and overgrown tram sleepers. Changing levels of altitude creates a wide aray of plant life. At the start of the road is mixed podocarp/ broadleaf ruled by rimu and matai, understoreyed by kamahi and miro hugging the road. Higher up lowland podocarp give way to tunnels of higher-altitude silver and red beech. Further up mountain cedar invade, finally taking over in stunted and gnarled form. The beech and Cedar finally give way at Makotuku Flat to alpine shrubs such as the olearia with its thick glossy leaves, suited to the windswept shrublands of high rainfall and long winters. Occasional silver patches of woolly mountain daisy are seen in contrast to the red tussock. At the ski field even the hardy mountain herbs are subdued. In sheltered places are complex communities of mat plants and mosses. Next to the chairlift is an area of yellow mountain buttercups, pale gentians and ourisias. □ Points of interest Mangawhero Camp ground, 1. 5km up the mountain road is favoured as a picnic spot. Carrying on up the road, just past McLean' s

Clearing is the Rimu Hill picnic area. Rimu Hill, climbing to an altitude of 800m, is marked by a large stand of rimu trees. Higher up the road above the bush

line stands Massey Lodge, the only Club lodge on the southwestern side of the mountain. Follow the road to its end and there is the base area of Turoa Ski Re-

sort, 17km from the Ohakune Ranger Station and 1 620m above sea level, for fantastic views over the Waimarino and to Mt Egmont/Taranaki.