It has been a bloody hot day east of the dividing range in the North Island today. I started the day in Gisborne, then drove south to Hawke's Bay, then turned off SH2 at Waipukurau and headed down Route 52 from there to Masterton — to avoid the traffic, and the revenue-gathers (cops).
I travelled via Porangahau, Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, Wimbledon and Pongaroa through the backblocks of Central Hawke's Bay, Tararua District and Masterton District.
I got home to both digital and mercury thermometers showing 31°C inside my place (in spite of leaving security-stay-equipped windows open over the weekend while I was away), with the official temperature on the television news shown as 30°C. After a few hours of all the fans running inside my place, the inside temperature still 30°C and it's also still bloody warm outside.
Here are a couple of views from the Wharerata summit on SH2 looking through the heat haze towards Poverty Bay and Gisborne....
And this photo was taken while driving at speed over the SH2 bridge across the Mohaka Viaduct, showing the 318-feet/97-metre high Mohaka Viaduct....
During the 20½ years I lived in Gisborne from March 1976 until October 1996, I reckon I must have driven trains across that bridge a few thousand times.
