28.11.2016: The Day of Bad Luck

Draft, completion to follow

Our great hope of being able to do the 'Alpine Crossing' hike today is destroyed at 7:10 am. A hostel employee informs us that it is too windy and there will be no transfer to the hike. We decide to visit the Taranaki Falls instead. But that doesn't work out either, as upon arrival a heavy mixture of snow and rain falls from the sky. The hike to the waterfalls would have taken an hour.

So we make our way to the town of Whanganui. The travel guide in the form of a book speaks to us and recommends driving along the Whanganui River directly from Pipiriki. Those who think, 'Hey, super cool!' will be disappointed. At the Information Centre in Raetihi, a nice Australian woman with a strong accent tells us that the road is closed due to a storm.

The road from Raetihi to Pipiriki is called 'Pipiriki Raetihi Road'. It is named after the many roosters that keep crowing 'Kikeriki' [Fake News].

We take another equally interesting alternative route (State Highway 4). At short intervals, the sign 'Washout' appears. Parts of the road have collapsed, probably due to excessive rain in recent times. That gives us courage. We drive past skeletons, car parts, and graves (No, sorry, my little brain [small, but mighty] played a trick on me here).

We are lucky that the road remains intact under our four-wheeled vehicle and we arrive safely in Whanganui.
In one of the first established cities in New Zealand, we explore the city center and the stadium in the best weather.

and later the bleak Castlepoint beach, where we witness a vehicle rescue operation in strong gale force winds. 

We immediately like Wellington. The combination of a big city, coastal location,

a beautiful harbor

and mountains creates a great atmosphere. We find a wonderful spot on the terrace of 'Karaka Cafe',

where we treat ourselves to a (two, three, four...) cold ones