From Mercer there is a short up and down track that runs parallel to the main road, providing a great view of the Waikato River and taking me to the Whangamarino Redoubt historical site.

From there it was a walk alongside SH1, but fortunately a wide verge, so no big deal. Escaped into a diversion via Meremere township, then back to the main road, before heading off for the river after a short while. Then on stop banks and other riverside paths for quite a few kms heading south. After the Pumphouse site a bit of a toss up between the quiet road and the parallel stop bank, all the way through to the bridge at Rangiriri.

Across the river there, and then on stop banks almost all the way to the Huntly Power Station – a bit like walking on a rail trail, as for most of the way the stop banks are some distance from the river, and wind their flat way through (very dry) paddocks, behind houses and away from the road.

See where Roland wrote this luxuriously lying in his tent with a million mosquitoes outside!

Rangiriri was the setting of some of the New Zealand wars battles in the Waikato between Maori and the Settlers.

Ngaruawahia is the home of the Turangawaewae Marae – the home of the Maori King movement,

Check out where Roland was when he wrote this.

More about the historic Rangiriri Hotel and its GIANT meals here (almost American sized!).