The Rimutaka Hill, Wellington - Martinborough

Thursday, 18th December is definitely get Ian day, or rather get Ian’s adrenalin day. First as described in another Post we have the 25 minute ride in a 12 seater, light as a feather Cesna 208, flown up and over very pointy hills by a pilot who has barely started to shave and who is still in short trousers and after that then there is the Rimutaka Hill.

Everything is organised to fool you, or at least those who have a strong dislike of anything high. Take the name. What can be more benign than “hill”. Note, not pass, not mountain, not even steep hill, just “hill“. Further, the roads leading to the ”hill” are wide and inviting, meant for touring and then suddenly and almost without warning they turn into monstrous, snaking, curving, wrongly cambered devils only out there to throw you off into the deep cavernous void on the left.
I was driving. Normally when we drive on this type of road it is better for all concerned, Marion, me and all other drivers, if Marion drives, but sometimes I get caught out as I did today and at least I have to continue until there is a safe spot to change drivers. Today, I was further caught out because I had been assured many time by South Islanders that once out of South Island everything is much easier, no adventure stuff, no adrenalin events just pipe and slippers stuff.

They lied!

We did not pass anything like this in South Island. True the road down from Queenstown to Cromwell has the gorge on the left but for me it was not like the “hill”. They have the Millford road but that is nothing compared to the”hill” either.

Because of this South Island spin plus the name “hill”, I just assumed this would be a short sharp hill and it would all be over soon. So, we continued up the hill with me cutting all the blind right hand corners making Marion, rightly, worried that we might just meet one of those immense truck and trailer jobs barrelling down. Now we have two people worried, me for something the rest of the world thinks is great fun and the other Marion, for very good and sensible reasons.

Just before I was about to pass out from white knuckle fatigue, I found a spot to change drivers. At least one of us now felt happier and did they but know it so should have all other drivers on the “hill” at that time. Mind you it still wasn’t good. The void was on the left so now sitting in the passenger seat I was even nearer to the void as they drive, sensibly, here in New Zealand, on the left. I spent the rest of the “hill’ both up and down, yes you guessed it, it was just as bad descending as ascending, leaning heavily to my right so Marion was forced to drive with me in her way.

Well I pen this Post sipping a fresh Sauvignon Blanc in our very nice hotel, The Martinborough Hotel, clearly my fears were completely unfounded.