You probably noticed that I missed a day again.  Yep.  Too tired last night to blog.  So, here are the last couple of days.  First note.  Great weather.  sunny and warm yesterday - in the upper sixties.  Then today, which was to be rainy, was threatening in the morning and then turned nice, breaking up in the afternoon.  Not quite as warm, but still nice.

So… yesterday.  We started the day on an art tour of Wanganui.  We were surprised that there were so many art options in a town of this size.  Our first stop was the Sarjeant Gallery.  This was a bit of a surprise.  They were in the process of moving and were packing up the non-display items.  So instead of just talking, we were given a rare behind-the-scenes view of the work effort and of the new off-display storage facilities.  This was very cool.  Unfortunately, because of these public works, we could not take photos.  Next stop was a private gallery/salesroom visit.  The owner, Sue Cook described the process of making art prints from etchings, and then involved several of us in processing a simple scene to produce a print.

A couple of more stops – the first at a shop with forgettable ceramic stuff, and finally another ceramic art studio, this time with some very interesting items.  But no room in the suit cases.  Thank goodness.

After lunch a group of us assembles at a glass blowing studio.  No we don't blow glass bottles.  We use the molten glass to form... wait for it... paper weights!  Joy goes first.  Turns out she's a natural.

Me, I'm not so good.  But I do make something that looks sort of like what I wanted to make.  Each of the group goes in turn.  There are three experts to help us, so it goes pretty quickly.  Tomorrow we pick up our "finished" products.

Today, Thursday.    We have to be up early to meet our vans and get to the destination early on.  The day dawns with dark clouds and looks ominous.  But looks are about it.  Yay!  What is on the docket today is a snaking trip up a highway that follows the Wanganui River to a point where we can take a jet boat further up river (no roads from our stop off point of Papirika).  The ride seems long, and twists and turns.  Not all that good for a couple of people who's stomachs rebel.  But they persevere.  Several stops along the way to see remnants of old pioneers in the area and Maori sites.

At last at the launch point.  We grab our backpacks, get fitted for life vests, and board our jet boat.

We reach the drop-off point for the trail to the "Bridge to Nowhere".  This bridge was built to serve people who were to farm the land above the river.  As it turns out, nearly all left the area after discovering that farming was nearly impossible as a way of life up there.  So the road was abandoned, and all that was left was the bridge itself.  The trail follows the old road bed.  A beautiful rain forest.  Dense growth, lots of lichen and moss, and plenty of fern trees and palms.  Sort of a Jurassic era forest.  Very damp, at least right now.  Lots of beautiful streams and waterfalls cascade down the very steep slopes.

Drops nearly straight down to the river

A bridge, but not the one to "nowhere"

Here, we're looking straight down in a carved channel

OK, so now we are at the bridge.  Concrete, no less, far above the river.  We stop for photos, have lunch, and hike back to the boat.  Round trip around 3 miles.  Great walk.  By the time we're at the boat, the sun is out.  Then it's a quicker trip down river (with the current), a flashy spin out front of the dock, and we land and get in our van for the trip back to town.

Along the way we stop at a place called Jerusalem, which was a small Catholic convent and church,  Only one sister remains, with volunteers to help keep up the buildings.  The old convent is now used for visitors.  Peaceful and quiet, with stunning views across a meadow to the hills on the other side of the river.

 

End of day.  End of blog entry.  I'm headed for snooze time.