Never let a tap go by when you have stopped overnight – we topped up with water at Featherston before heading on to Ngawi and it was a good decision. Because close by the tap was a bright red vintage water valve. The plaque stated “High pressure water supply, opened 1906”. And the interesting thing was that one of the Commissioners on the Town Board was a Mr W Benton. Surely one of Robin’s family members, as a branch of the family settled in the Wairarapa.
There’s a family connection to this
The road to Ngawi was a 75km trip taking us past the tiny village of Pirinoa. Travelling down the hill we caught a glimpse of the coast.
Coastal view
The most hair-raising part of the trip was travelling along a portion of road which has been falling into the sea over the last few years, taking several houses with it.
This one’s a goner
Soft crumbly hills get worn away with the weather
Ngawi is a fishing village and with no sheltered harbour and has some of the fiercest weather in the country. The boats, a mixture of large and small, are hauled up onto the rocky beach by a collection of bulldozers. We spotted a fishing boat returning to shore as we drove into Ngawi, going flat out through the shallows to launch itself onto the trailer in the shallows. It must take skillful driving indeed to prefect such a landing in all sorts of weather. The bulldozers are in constant use grading a track on the ever changing shingle beach.
Bulldozers and fishing boats at Ngawi
Cray Boats being hauled ashore by Bulldozer
There are a couple of parking areas right on the beach front, great value for a gold coin donation. There are no fresh water taps, as far as we could see, but toilets are available, rubbish bins too, always handy, plus a coffee cart which also sells ice creams and hot chips.
Our sea side view
Geoff and Eileen, Bill and Val, Romany Rambler and Gypsy Rover
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