Leaving Parikino, I headed for the town of Raetihi which is close to the Tongariro National Park. That morning the rain had been heavy and while it was starting to ease it had left the nearby rivers high and fast flowing. I had been following the path of the Mangawhero River and I stopped near a bridge now to view it as it made its way through the valley.
Later on, I read that the name Mangawhero comes from the Maori word manga meaning “stream” and whero meaning “red”. Looking at the photos I had taken earlier in the day, that seemed to make sense.
In early January I went on a road trip through the North Island. My plan was to leave Wellington and head through Upper Hutt, Paraparaumu, Levin and Bulls before arriving in Whanganui. From there, I was going to drive to New Plymouth and over the next few days travel to Te Kuiti, Rotorua, Taupō, Palmerston North and finally arrive back in Wellington.
At that time a small weather event in a tropical cyclone called Hale was moving down along the east coast of North Island. With heavy wind and rain warnings being issued across the North Island, I initially thought by driving directly towards it, with a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude I could get some dramatic weather shots. However, when people were encouraged to pack three days worth of supplies in case they needed to evacuate, it was then that I decided that it might not be the best time to drive through the North Island. So, after making the decision to cut my trip short, when I left Whanganui I detoured up through Parikino and Raetihi which is where I came across this wonderful green valley as storm clouds passed in the distance.
… from a Small City. My daily musings from Ōtepoti to get you inspired. Read the blog, view the photos, embrace the creativity.
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The Mangawhero River – Buy 
