We still hadn ’ t really begun the northward portion of our long run to the Cape that day , so time pressure forced our hand . The choice was gravel or bust . Gravel then . On little Vespa wheels . 400 metres up the road it turned to seal over a bridge . Aha ! We were in luck . Nope . Metres later , the seal ended ; and stayed metal all the way . It ’ s probably a truism to say , but gravel roads often take you to the best , and most interesting parts of the country , and this proved no exception . The surface turned out to be quite rideable ; scraped clean by the twice-daily run of the School Bus . The views were delicious , with the land glowing green , lush and verdant . Sheep and cattle grazed in perfect little valleys , and quaint weathered cottages tucked into the folds of the hills , while flowers and trees bloomed in gullies and up the winding terraced hillsides . Bucolic , and lovely . All too soon we hit the junction , and headed to Broadwood , but weirdly we were now going towards the village – east , the wrong way . Confused , I dragged out the phone map
and checked our location . Sure enough . We ’ d come out past the township , so once again back we went . These were new roads for all of us , and we now enjoyed a swift , sealed run 45km round in a half circle , on the Awaroa road to Kaitaia . The abandoned old houses , sheds , farm machinery and cars intrigued Wayne , who likened it to rural Italy . Gassed up , we stopped and enjoyed a cup of tea , with both chaps opting for Plum Pudding for brunch . Musicians ! weird .
CAPE REINGA Main street Kaitaia in 2020 is a different proposition than it used to be . I remembered my first visit , many years back in 1983 , road-touring a show , when the few shops had had shuttered fronts . Forbidding then , it was bustling and cheerful now - as we headed out for the long run up the island to the object of our journey : the lighthouse at Cape Reinga . I ’ ve had the good fortune to round the Cape by sea a couple of times ; once when filming
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