THE FORGOTTEN WORLD HIGHWAY.
Stage One - Stratford to Whangamomona - 63km.
We turned our back to Mt Taranaki and headed east.
Full tanks of fuel and fresh water , stocked up with fruit and veggies , freezer full and the grog drawer reasonably stocked we were on the way.
What a different scene - lots of green. After the dry , brown paddocks we have travelled through for the last few months the lush green pastures were an incredible contrast.
The hills got steeper and the slopes down to the valley floors looked like a blanket had been cast over them with fold after fold creating a very rough terrain.
There was 3 saddles to cross .
First the Stathmore , next the Pohokura and then the Whangamomona.
We were blessed with a fine clear day and from the top of the Strathmore could see Mt Taranaki to the west , Tongariro, Ruapehu and Ngaurahoe to the east , and great vistas of the "folded" hills.
It is truely a large, very rugged district.
So far we have been driving through farmland , rough and unforgiving as it is.
Now the road is getting narrower and all the bridges are oneway.
We burst out into another area of farmland squeezed inbetween the ridgelines.
This looks like a two lane road but looks are deceptive.
A milk tanker coming towards us took up one and a half lanes and he was being careful.
We stopped on the grass verge until he was past. Was there another option?
Abruptly we were there - Whangamomona was around the corner.
