Temple in the Tararuas

It’s always interesting driving around roads not travelled before, and we came to the entrance of the mighty Tararua Ranges.  This is where good keen blokes leave their cars, shoulder a heavy pack and maybe a rifle,  and start climbing the tracks of the Tararua Ranges.  Perhaps they want to do a spot of hunting, and bag a deer or a wild pig.  Or maybe they just want to test their bush skills and climb up to a hut for the night.  Whatever they do, it will be challenging in these mountains.

Entrance to the Tararuas

A drive across the old bridge was quite enough adventure for us.  Especially as Robin then told me that we could well be over the weight limit!  Oh dear – we still had to turn around and drive back over it again.  The foot bridge off to the side wasn’t an option at all, as I noticed all the floor boards were missing, with just the metal struts in place.

\

Driving slowly over the bridge

  

Just around the corner from the two bridges, we came across a wooden  temple of some sort nestled up against the hill.  At least, we presume it is a temple, or maybe a church, as there was a white painted cross in the grounds.  With no sign at the gate to say what the building is, we are not quite sure what it is.  Certainly not what we expected to find in the middle of nowhere.

  Temple or church, perhaps?

Heading back towards suburbia, we stopped at the beginning of the Queen Street East Pathway.  The pathway was designed to link the town to the Kohitere Foothills and  the Waiopehu Bush Reserve.     The project was a partnership between the local Council, Levin Rotary, Transpower Community Care Fund and Endeavour Trust.  The pathway was planned to provide a safe and pleasant track for walkers, joggers and cyclists.  And it is certainly popular and well used, we saw runners and walkers galore going by.

Queen Street East Pathway

We have been living up this way for just over a year now, but it just goes to show that there is still plenty to discover once you get off the main roads.