Lost in the Backcountry

When I dropped Oak off for an adventure race on Saturday morning, deep in Taranaki farm country, I heard people talking about how many different rural roads led to the race start.  The race start was about an hour from home, on gravel road some of the time.

I didn't worry about looking at the map when I started to drive home.  I knew that I was generally headed in the right direction, and guessed that all roads would eventually lead to the main road.  Spotty coverage.

I rambled home, stopping to take pictures now and then, enjoying the quiet.  Surprised now that the gravel was lasting so long.   Passed 2 cars with farmer-looking men.  Another car parked by a stream - fisherman?  Where was everybody?  When would I get any internet coverage?

Over an hour later, I had NOT come out on any main road, but had reached a DEAD END!  I was SHOCKED!  It was someone's house!  

The END of the road

The homeowners were in their yard - man, woman and child - each dressed in a bee suit.  They said they would never want to live anywhere else.



There was no connecting road between my dead end and any other road!  The bee-suited family told me that I needed to drive 45-minutes back down the road to the next road that actually connected to any other road.  It was back to the little town of Eltham, and then another hour drive back home to New Plymouth.  

It took me about 2.5 hours of driving to get home, instead of 1 hour.   A major navigation error. Needless to say, I didn't stop and take as many pictures after reaching the dead end.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for teaching me to always keep my gas tank over 1/2 full-

I watched a farmer, his young son, and 7 sheepdogs
move their sheep through several paddocks.

white sheep on the hill

I'm thankful for a good audiobook, good weather, and awesome scenery.

New respect for Taranaki Backcountry