The month of balmy, mild Indian Summer we were enjoying has gone. Chased away by a brisk Northerly and cold rain. The leaves have fallen and the air is chilly and damp. Torrential rain and high winds are forcast ssooooo, Rosie and The Operator decide to pack up and head out on a road trip! As you do!
We are not heading too far away, but are staying in our neck of the woods, State Highway 45, rebranded of late as the Surf Highway. The long way around the bulge of the map that is Taranaki.
The name coastal highway is abit deceptive, the road does not hug the coast but meanders more inland through the beautiful, rolling lush farmland that is synonymous with the region. Glimpses of sea and white surf caps can be seen between flax bushes, cabbage trees and paddock, a beach is never more than a couple of kms down any road that turns toward the sea.
Our first stop after leaving Hawera is in the small town of Manaia, self proclaimed Bread Capital of New Zealand, and quite rightly so! Yarrows The Bakers is the largest and only family run bakery in NZ and is the biggest employer in the town. Lonely Planet has slated Manaia as have the ‘hokiest’ town emblem in the whole of the country…..come on, that is one finely baked loaf!
We drove around the central roundabout in the middle of the town which houses a gorgeous band rotunda surrounded by roses and beautiful flowers, Rosie is a fan of these old time rotundas and is looking for forward to the Friday Night Band Revival….one day. The Operator was heading to the Manaia Domain, under black skies we walked across the well manicured Golf Club fairway and there shrouded in the bushes with a medieval style turret poking out the top was the Manaia Redoubt. Built in he 1880s the tower today is an exact replica of a wooden one that was called The Watchtower of the Plains. It was erected back in the day to watch for Maori dissidents, primarily from Parihaka pa, 30 odd kms away, wanting to usurp the crown and retake their land which was confiscated in the Maori land wars of the1860s. It is a short walk and hidden gem for local history. Thank goodness for the beautifully manicured lawns of the golf club, the skies opened up but The Operator deftly welded the umbrella while Rosie scuttled for the confines of the camper.
Kaupokonui Beach is an overlooked escape, an oasis of peace and tranquillity only about 3km from the main road, a 10 min drive from Manaia
From the top of the road you get a stunning view of the area, then, drive down the curving hill and the campground is nestled in a sheltered shoulder with a great lookout over the Kaupokonui River to the river mouth and over the sand dunes. The camp is small, tidy and neat, picnic tables under the Norfolk pine trees along side the river are welcoming and attractive. A playground for the kids and loos for the general public make this a great place to stop and enjoy. Try it, buy some Fish and Chips from the Fish Inn in Manaia and enjoy a balmy evening. The river is safe to swim in and a bridge takes you across to the sand dunes, a short walk will take you to the river mouth and the surf beach, next time we will be staying the night!
The winding road takes you through small abandoned boarded up communities, once dynamic and alive through their small dairy factories which were the hub and focal point of the communities. Since their closures and small farm holdings being sold and turned into mega farms the rural communities have diminished with progress.
A beautiful testament to the farmers and the communities of the day is the Pihama cemetery. It is beautifully landscaped and pristine, the story of the area told in the generations of the deceased, each stone lovingly cared for behind its stone wall. One such story is the tale of The Lizzie Bell as told below.
The Operator so reckons the Captain had a few too many rums and tried to blame the sinking on faulty navigation equipment…..just look at that boat though, it is splendid, and to think her and her likes were plying our rugged coast…small wonder every beach has a tragedy to tell and skeletons line our coastline.
Mangahume Road is just before you get to Opunake. It is the start of the Surf Highways iconic surf breaks, these breaks are legendary and are well kept secrets to the uninitiated. The beaches may look rocky and windswept but the breaks on a good day are spectacular. This road has a gate, feel free to open it and drive down the sealed ‘track’, it is a legal road and official access way to the beach.
Past the shed there is a lumpy parking area, you need to walk to the beach, climb over the style in the paddock and follow the river bank….it isnt hard or a very long walk.
Rosie and the Operator did decline because of the ominous skies, and after all this is the view from the parking lot and, Rosie and The Operator are not surfers……It was time for a coffee in Opunake anyways.
Opunake has a population of 3000ish, it is a great wee town and a summer holiday hotspot. The shopping area is a typical small town set up, everything clustered in the main street, nice, convenient and cute.
The town is festooned with colourful and lively murals depicting the life and history of the town. It adds a burst of brightness on a gloomy winters day and certainly puts a smile on your face. The Operator parked the camper on the edge of town and we wandered the shops….200metres up the street and 200 metres back.
The array and quality of shops is really surprising, there are great gift shops, vintage clothing and second-hand shops. The sports shop is amazing, it sells lawnmowers, chainsaws, tennis rackets and everything fishy, plus it has a huge photo board of all the big local catches. Rosies favourite shop in Opunake is the gift shop….it is an over stocked, cluttered dusty treasure trove….it has all the latest trinkets 25% less than High Street Parnell. Everyone is friendly and has time for a chat and the town has everything you may need.
Rosie and The Operator are regulars at the Sugar Juice Café and drive to Opunake often for their mouth watering and sustaining cooked breakfasts and like wise the delicious cabinet food and great coffee! There homemade chicken pies with a side of tomato salsa is Rosies favourite and the plum shortcake with cream is divine! I have not come across a cafe that trumps this place yet. Sugar Juice is also open for dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Sometimes the service is not the quickest, but on a Saturday morning sitting in the courtyard with the warm sun on your back….who’s complaining.
After a re fuel it would be rude not to stay at least one night at The Opunake Beach Holiday Park, it is one of the best in Taranaki had has the most gorgeous, picturesque outlook. Let Rosie and The Operator introduce it to you, coming up next on the tour of Surf Highway 45.
Rosie is a Middle Aged Kiwi who is about to embark on a twelve month adventure of a lifetime, travelling The World with her trusty, loyal sidekick The Operator. In search of adventure, culture, new taste experiences and world wide 'happy hours', Rosie's journals chronicle their travels and experiences.
Rosie had a lightbulb moment. Within that flash of clarity came the realisation that time was spinning out of control and passing her by. So, armed with the confidence, means, ability and a new found passion for life, Rosie and her trusty, loyal sidekick The Operator have devised THE PLAN.
ROSIE – Continually travels The World for the next 12 months.
THE OPERATOR – Works his 28 day roster and meets Rosie somewhere in The World to explore the area together for his 28 days off. Repeat x6.
ROSIE – Will then stay in one spot of the country they have been exploring for 28 days of local immersion whilst The Operator returns to work.
THE OPERATOR – Certainly has the shorter end of the stick xxx
Join me as I journal my middle aged musings on our day to day travels, culture, food and the quest for the ultimate world wide happy hour.
