OPINION Madeleine Crutchley takes a trip down State Highway 4 and finds pretty alpine towns with lots to do in the sunshine. As spring and summer appear just over the horizon, the shores of Aotearoa or the sands of Australia begin to beckon. Though the beach whistles with familiar relaxing tones, you might be persuaded to go further inland.
There are a string of spots down SH4, past the mountainous peaks of Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngāuruhoe that beckon visitors to tramp, mountain bike and soak in the cooling mountain waters. More now as the development of the Mountains To Sea Trail continues (Te Ara Mangawhero and Te Hangāruru are two sections currently in construction), eco-tourism in the region will expand to welcome both novice and expert mountain bikers. For a couple of beginner mountain bikers, with limited experience but a lot of enthusiasm, we found so much to love in an alpine landscape we previously hadn’t imagined could be for us.
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