Rimutaka Hills - Following the Yellow Brick Road

Driving the Wine Trail to Martinborough takes you through the winding Rimutaka Hills.  I am not an experience driver in mountain ranges, particularly with heavy commercial trucks passing me left and right and tail gating me.  This is the only road in the upper hut to travel to Martinborough.  I looked for alternate routes and there are not any.  I had the pleasure of traveling over the Rimutaka Hills twice.  It gave me courage and you have no where to go except to follow the 'yellow brick road.' 

"The yellow brick road,
a journey into the unknown.
Courage, brains, and a heart.

All we need to do is tap the ruby slippers
to reveal who we truly are. "

Pakuratahi Forest

 

 

The Upper Hut was scenic with the wine trail, Kaitoke National Park and Rimutaka Hills.  The Pakuratahi Forest covers the western side of the Rimutaka ranges north of Upper Hutt and includes lands in the Kaitoke basin as well as the main Pakuratahi catchment. The road into the forest was very rough and had many pot holes.  It was not maintained and the forest had been burned in several areas. On the opposite side of the forest was a valley of rolling hills and pastures. Most parts of the forest are isolated, exposed to wind and rain and without cellphone coverage.  The road was too damaged for our car to continue so we could not venture very far into the camp ground and hiking areas.