Manawatu Gorge, New Zealand / myLot

New Zealand

May 20, 2017 11:02pm CST

When our son lived in Napier we travelled through this gorge quite often. It's a long, winding and narrow road, but is the major link between the Manawatu region on one side of the lower North Island and the Hawke's Bay region on the east coast. At the moment the gorge is closed, because of two major slips. This road is prone to slips after lengthy rainy periods and in recent years these have been more regular. It takes several weeks to clear a major slip. There are two alternative routes over the ranges, both more hilly and more winding. However, when the Gorge is closed traffic still needs to go across to the other side. There is also a 10 km walking track through the gorge, up across the the top of the ranges. It's very hilly and challenging - I've done it. I came across this postcard and thought I'd share a little part of my world with you.

17 people like this

17 responses

ARM

@responsiveme (22926)

• India

21 May 17

Awesome view.But can guess that driving up is also challenging. By slips do you mean landslides?

4 people like this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

21 May 17

Yes, we call them slips here.

2 people like this

Angie

@andriaperry (117067)

• Anniston, Alabama

21 May 17

Thank you, its so pretty! I love seeing and learning about the world.

3 people like this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

21 May 17

I haven't written much about New Zealand for a while, so I decided it's about time I did. Like you, I enjoy reading about different parts of the world too.

2 people like this

Silvermist

@silvermist (19702)

• India

21 May 17

@valmnz That is really beautiful. You have walked through the 10 KM walking track and that is quite an achievement. If I were a bird I could have flown over the gorge.

2 people like this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

21 May 17

I did it with a school group.They walked so fast the ups and downs nearly killed me! It took about four hours.

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (341148)

• Rockingham, Australia

21 May 17

The road-making capabilities of people has to be admired when roads need to be made through such difficult terrain.

2 people like this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

21 May 17

I think this was first built in the 1880s or 1890s - just for horse and coach transport then.

1 person likes this

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (341148)

• Rockingham, Australia

21 May 17

@valmnz Imagine creating a road in those conditions in those times. Just as well they know about things like graders, road-rollers, etc.

1 person likes this

John Roberts

@JohnRoberts (109846)

• Los Angeles, California

21 May 17

That does look like a picaresque place to visit.

2 people like this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

21 May 17

I think the colours have been touched up a little for the postcard though.

1 person likes this

The Invisible Man

@TheInvisibleMan (17597)

•

21 May 17

Wow! Just... Wow!

2 people like this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

21 May 17

I guess I just take it for granted as I've grown up always knowing this road.

2 people like this

The Invisible Man

@TheInvisibleMan (17597)

•

21 May 17

@valmnz Seriously... What an amazing view!

2 people like this

Always smiling

@allknowing (137366)

• India

22 May 17

And that green thing covering those hills must be thyme as that is what the driver who took us through New Zealand had said it was.

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Always smiling

@allknowing (137366)

• India

22 May 17

@valmnz Well, that driver I thought knew what he was talking about

1 person likes this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

22 May 17

@allknowing I find that quite interesting. Maybe an isolated field planted like that in the South Island, but not something associated with New Zealand. The hill covering above is actually of quite big trees and the walkway goes along the ridges of the hill, through the forest cover.

1 person likes this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

22 May 17

Not at all, we don't really grow thyme to any extent in NZ. That is native shrubs and trees.

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Judy Story

@jstory07 (139537)

• Roseburg, Oregon

21 May 17

The view is really beautiful. What a beautiful place that you live in.

1 person likes this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

21 May 17

And yet we take it all for granted.

Anna

@LadyDuck (471823)

• Switzerland

21 May 17

This place looks beautiful. We have a lot the problem of landslides here in Switzerland. Yesterday they had to finally reopen the St. Gotthard pass for the summer, but the rain has caused a major landslide.

1 person likes this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

21 May 17

The rain can be quite a problem in these sort of road ways. It's definitely causing havoc in the gorge in recent years. And Anna, our river is not as blue as shown in the picture here.

1 person likes this

Anna

@LadyDuck (471823)

• Switzerland

22 May 17

@valmnz They have finally opened the pass this morning. I have seen the photos online, the walls of snow on the sides of the roads are at least 12 meters high. I do not like a lot to cross mountain passes, I always fear the worst.

1 person likes this

Jabo

@jaboUK (64354)

• United Kingdom

21 May 17

That looks lovely, somewhere I would have liked to walk when I was younger.

1 person likes this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

22 May 17

It is quite beautiful, though dark and damp when in the midst of all the trees.

1 person likes this

Fiacre Banks

@xFiacre (13103)

• Ireland

21 May 17

@valmnz the word Manawatu sounds to me like the kind of expression I might some out with upon coming enexpectedly across a beauteous marvel of nature.

1 person likes this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

21 May 17

It's pronounced Mar-nar-war-too, sort of. And the river isn't quite as blue as this.

1 person likes this

DianneN

@DianneN (247186)

• United States

21 May 17

I love your discussions about NZ. That view is stunning, and I can imagine how awful those slips would be.

1 person likes this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

21 May 17

It seems sad, but I don't think many of us appreciate the country we live in. Like human beings everywhere, it's the not so good things that capture our attention.

1 person likes this

Val

@valmnz (17097)

• New Zealand

21 May 17

@DianneN I love the mystery of the gorge and the Maori stories related to it. Maybe one day I'll share more

1 person likes this

DianneN

@DianneN (247186)

• United States

21 May 17

@valmnz I agree with you. There is good and bad, beauty and ugliness in all countries.