After the jetboat taster a couple of days back, we were back for more at the Whanganui River today. The air was cold and a mist hung over the river gorge, meaning that it was a bit nippy as we zoomed about 50km up the river in the jetboat. Where we were going? Nowhere, or to be precise the bridge to nowhere, built when the Kiwis were trying to convert the land to farms, and the bridge was completed just as the farmers were leaving. So since the 1930’s the bridge has been sitting there not being used, and without a road at either end – literally the bridge to nowhere.
With the farms long gone, the forest is returning to nature, mostly fern trees with their big umbrella leaves filling the steep hillside (not sure why anyone thought it would be a good idea to farm there!). Just as we returned to the boat the rain set in, not too bad on shore, but with the jetboat hurtling down the river each drop was like a needle to the face – good job we had raincoats!