While I have travelled fairly extensively through the North Island it is very rare that I do a trip that has no purpose other than to see the country. However after many comments from my wife we decided to head away for a week and drive to New Plymouth.

As we decided to travel by unusual routes we started by taking the most direct route out of Upper Hutt which is via the Akatawara Valley. This road is very windy and not one for the faint hardy. At the top we discovered this site.

The en route to New Plymouth you pass through many small towns and wide areas of cultivated lands.

At Patea we tuned off and drove down along the river and parked opposite the ruins of the freezing works. The works closed a long time ago and are slowly collapsing. We were surprized though at the state of what must have been wharfs on the opposite side of the river.

As you move further up the country there are lots of examples of where businesses have closed and the structures left behind.

The only thing that I did want to shoot in New Plymouth was the Te Rewa Rewa bridge. The bridge is part of the coastal walkway and it both a functional structure and a piece of art. We waiting until we had golden light to shoot it. The biggest challenge with something like this is to ensure that you take something different.