Road Trip, Auckland to New Plymouth

We were recently invited by friends Evan and Ruth to take a trip with them down to New Plymouth, NZ. They had both grown up between here and there and promised to show us the sights. 

The weather cooperated, and the sights proved amazing.  I'll show them to you over the course of three or four posts.  I'm showing them to you out of the actual order we did them, just because.  

The areas we passed through were very hilly. I can't quite call the landscape mountainous, but the hills are impressive.  They're steep-sided and run between 300 and 900 feet high. All limestone that was laid down under shallow seas ages ago, and then lifted to their present position over the eons.  

Travel through such country takes time. The roads run only in the narrow valleys between the hills and  wind back and forth interminably.  The average driving speeds are in the 30 to 40 mph range. So you don't get anywhere quickly.  

Today I'm showing you a tunnel that was cut through one such hill that was blocking access to the sea for a number of sheep ranchers.  

Back in their day, it was even harder to travel through the hills. Instead, sailing ships moved up and down the coasts, picking up wool from the ranchers who would haul their wool down to the beach and wait for the ship. These particular farmers would have had to haul their wool in wagons a long way, so they got together and dug a tunnel instead.  

Here it is.  It's at a place called Wai Ku Au.    

Here's the beach where the ship would load up.  As I stood here, I imagined all the work it would have taken to haul the wool through the cave, load it onto rowboats, and carry it out to the ship in deep water.  

Notice the black, volcanic sand.  It's high in titanomagnetite, a magnetic iron-titanium oxide. 

Here is a shot of the entrance from the beach.  

I have always loved caves and tunnels, so this adventure was especially fun for me.  I hope you enjoyed seeing it.    -djf