The Ohinewairua Station is situated on the Taihape side of the Taihape Napier Road (aka Gentle Annie Road), Central North Island.  It is a huge playground that offers miles of beautiful valleys and mountains.

Don't be fooled by the name, the Gentle Annie Road is not that "gentle".  It may be closed from time to time in winter but for those who don't mind the narrow and winding road (and a unsealed stretch of 27km), the Gentle Annie is a great alternative route from Central North Island to Napier.  You will be well rewarded by what see.

Travelling upstream on day 1

First casualty of the day!

Warm up exercise  for a cool misty morn'

Result of failing to keep LEFT

Is Jeff going to make it?

This was part of a lake?

The navigator at the bluff

The driver at the bluff

The writings on the walls in the shearers' quarters made very interesting reading indeed (and certainly not suitably for publishing on the web)!  We woke up to a slight touch of ground frost (remember this was mid-summer) and clear blue sky with the view of a snow-capped Mt Ruapehu (tallest mountain in the North Island).  

As we headed up the bluffs, the views got even more awesome. The bluffs offer a 360 degree view of the hills and valleys that extend for miles.

The area is also an attraction for wealthy overseas tourists who are being flown into the forests by helicopters to hunt for their deer trophies.

Shearers' quarters, Ohinewairua Station

Heading towards the bluff

View of the giant playround from the bluff

At the bluff

Looks easy, right? 

Not if you know that trucks with auto transmission had to use an alternative route to avoid rolling!

Can't find the track?  Then make one!