A GREAT RIDE – A RIDE IN THE PARK

So it was that on a cool autumn day my wife and I headed to the centre of the North Island. We were conscious of an ex-tropical weather system that was bearing down on the region, threatening to thwart our plan. Our plan was to have an easy ride together on day one, riding the forested sections of the Mountains to Sea Trail in the Tongariro National Park, before a more challenging back-country trip into the Whanganui National Park the next day.

After arriving late in the day at the alpine village that is Ohakune, we promptly headed up to the Turoa ski field where we stood above a ceiling of cloud and watched the sun go down below the white shroud that was pierced only by the triangular silhouette of Mt Taranaki. The next morning we rode from our chalet to the start of the trail located beside the quaint railway station on the main trunk line. Turning our pedals and chugging our way out of town, it seemed to be a fitting way to start our