Progress report: Good to see all the reinforcing for the foundations on the town side is now in waiting for the concrete. In the savage winds that battered the Tongariro last week, the reinforcing might be needed.

Now locals will understand why so many trees were removed to make way for the trucks.  Several truckloads of pumice have been dumped to form the ramp so that bikers and wheelchairs can cruise onto the bridge, instead of requiring lifting up the steps.

The team were interested in any feedback.  I don’t think they believed me when I suggested that the last update posted on 20 June had probably over 15,000 views.  When we returned I checked their latest count – 17,771 views and 66 interactions (likes, messages, shares, etc.)! That got the “thumbs up” above.

This confirms the interested viewers are not from Turangi but are from all over NZ and even West Island.

The Tongariro has such a great well-earned reputation and regular loyal tourists need to keep up with any new developments.  i.e. When TRM posted the reopening of the nearby Anglers’ Table cafe and tackleshop on Taupahi Road recently, it attracted over 60,000 views.

Steve is now an international celebrity film star!  (Ask him for his autograph…)

What an absolutely beautiful day on the Tongariro River Trail.  We even spied some anglers.  They seem to have dcveloped into an endangered species recently.  On our last bridge lap we counted more blue ducks than anglers.  There were five in this duck family, bathing quite relaxed below the swing bridge.  Mum, Dad, Huey, Dewey and Louie.   As they are officially recognised by DOC as an endangered species then fly fishermen must qualify as a rare breed too. Only Tongariro River anglers could qualify for Government environmental protection grants too.

As usual there were more tourist bikers, than anglers or walkers.  A warm fuzzies photo below of a family from Taumarunui biking the trail – they start them younger these days.The kids were loving it.  A real adventure trail compared to town footpaths.