Waikiti Valley to Ohakuri Dam

 


Milking was underway when I left the farm to wind my way for 30km on backcountry roads hoping to reach Ohakuri Dam. 

Road cuttings let me read the volcanic history,


in layers of pumice, scoria and something very metallic about 60% up from the bottom of the photo.


Politics popped up in an ugly way - to invoke hijacking and murder as a way to change our prime minister and government is dreadful and I've seen nothing like it before.

So it's clearly only a superficially beautiful valley. 


One branch of Lake Ohakuri had the most scintillating algal bloom,



and some roads offered a bit of shade.


I knew I was making progress when I saw the volcanic plug near Atiamuri 

and it was wonderful to reach the dam. I'm under a shady tree to the right of the water spouting out of the turbine race. And I found cellphone coverage!


Just, no water except for a puddle. I'll go see what I can get out of it next.



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