Tag Archives: Balance

Day Trips for the Uninspired: Bridge Café, Timeless Horse Treks and Woodville Ferry Reserve, Tararua District, Manawatu Region

May 21, 2018 Zerobites Dog Training Leave a comment

I thought seeing as the Bridge Café, Timeless Horse Treks and Woodville Ferry Reserve are located in the Balance area of the Tararua District and very near to the town of Woodville, I would include them, all in one post.

Since I wrote the original post back in March 2015, the Manawatu Gorge, has been closed due to slips but alternate routes, are in place. Also the Bridge Café has been sold (April 2018) and is no longer open to the public at this time. The new owners have mentioned they will open to the public again in the future.

Visiting any or all three of these places, would make a great day trip out and if you live around Palmerston North, it will take you approximately 30 minutes to get there.

The Bridge Café is situated in a great location, on the Gorge Road, Balance, it is peaceful and quiet, with very picturesque views and garden. They serve a variety of both hot & cold, food & drinks. They are also wheelchair and dog friendly. The scenery, wildlife and walks nearby, are worth the trip alone.

Timeless Horse Treks:

On winters day, Gina & I booked to go on a trek for an hour.

The weather was pretty crappy that day but it managed to stay fine for an hour or so. Gina had ridden before but it was the first time for me, so I thought to myself, I am up for the challenge, what’s the worse that can happen.

Nothing happened, we had a great time, except when I came to get off my horse, I had a bit of trouble there but that was easily rectified by moving along to the back porch of the café. So I didn’t have as far to get down.

Gina and I, highly recommend Timeless Horse Treks

Now across the Balance bridge lies the Ferry Reserve, it has undergone a facelift, there’s picnic tables and new paths have been laid. Freedom campers are welcome there, the Manawatu River runs alongside and under the road bridge. It is a wide open space with a small fenced off wetland area.

Gina and I decided to go walking there one night, thought I had better take the torch and cameras, just in case. Well when we arrived it was nearly dark, it was however a clear night so we could sort of see, where we were going.

We wandered around and I thought we had better use the torch as we were on the river bed, so a great idea came to mind, why not take photos, which we did but the torch attracted a tad to many insects.

Anyone looking down from the bridge was probably wondering, what the heck were two people doing, lurking around in the Ferry Reserve with a torch, at nearly 10pm at night.

Bridge Café at Balance

View fron the Bridge Cafe garden

View from the Bridge Cafe garden

Kereru (NZ Pigeon)

View from the Bridge Cafe garden

Sparrow

Fantail

View from the Balance Bridge

Sunset: View from the Balance Bridge

Ferry Reserve

All the above, photos, (click to enlarge) have been taken at various times, from in and around the Bridge Café, Balance Bridge & Ferry Reserve. If you would like to order a print, please contact me.

Day Trips for the Uninspired: Sunset Trips

December 28, 2016 Zerobites Dog Training Leave a comment

The sand, water, wind, sunlight & clouds are true alchmists of nature. They always put on a good show, never the same, always changing.

Daylight saving makes it easier to go and visit places to watch and photograph the sunset and yes, in some cases by the time we get home, its nearly midnight. Sometimes, you don’t have to travel too far, local is good but sometimes it pays to travel further a field.

If we are heading out the time may vary depending on where we are planning to go. Its no different than going on a day trip. Sometimes we take our food with us, depending on where we are going, other times we stop off somewhere and grab a bite to eat. The gear apart from my camera, I always take with me, year round is listed in Safety Tips for Your Trip.

I love the beach as does Gina, the crashing waves, the open spaces, the sand beneath your feet. I find being out and travelling around, keeps my cup full, just being on the road and going somewhere, makes me smile.

If you are interested in visiting any of these destinations, please click on the following links, Destination Wairarapa, CastleCliff Beach, Woodville, Balance, Otaki Beach, Porangahau Beach, Herbertville, Hokio Beach, Foxton Beach, Himatangi Beach

The photos below are copyright and belong to Elayne Hand, Brightchic Photography.

If you would like to purchase a print, feel free to contact me.

View of the Tararua Wind Farm, Woodville view

Day Trips for the Uninspired:The Mighty Manawatu River Floods, views from the Balance Bridge and Woodville Ferry Reserve June 20th & 21st 2015

June 21, 2015 Zerobites Dog Training Leave a comment

I know this isn’t strictly a day trip (more like an afternoon trip) but I thought I would write a bit about it all the same, as the floods were a sight to see and a timely reminder, of natures might.

As the rain was pouring down, on the afternoon of 20th June 2015, I put on my wet gear, grabbed my cameras, headed into Woodville and got a coffee from the Windfarm Bakery & Cafe .

Then I drove out of Woodville towards Balance, crossed the Balance bridge and parked the ute near the playground. The rain was pouring down so I finished my coffee and ventured out.

As I was standing on the bridge I was surprised how many people stopped to take photos and have a look at the river, I had some interesting conversations with quite a few people that day.

There was a lot of power in the river that day, I watched as part of the Ferry Reserve and trees lining the river started disappear under the flowing water. They had to close the Manawatu Gorge due to slips, it was a quite a long time before it was opened again.

After a while, I went home because the rain was getting worse but the next day, 21st June 2015 I went out again. See the photos below.

The Manawatu River caused a lot of damage due to flooding around the Manawatu region, as seen in the video below.

20th June 2015 View from the Balance Bridge, looking back towards Woodville. Only the tree tops were visible.

20th June 2015, view of the Manawatu River from the Balance Bridge.

20th June 2015 River flowing under the Balance Bridge.

20th June 2015 Looking down into the river from the bridge

20th June 2015 View from the Balance Bridge of the Ferry Reserve

21st June 2015, flooded paddocks on the way to Balance.

21st June, part of the Woodville Ferry Reserve under water. View from the Balance Bridge.

21st June 2015. View of the Manawatu River from the gateway of the Woodville Ferry Reserve.

21st June 2015 Manawatu running high under the road bridge into the Manawatu Gorge.

photo taken Nov 2014. Road Bridge into the Manawatu Gorge. The river at normal level.

Day Trips for the Uninspired: Walk from the Bridge Café around the Totara Loop Track and back again. Balance, Tararua District, Manawatu Region

February 26, 2015 Zerobites Dog Training Leave a comment

Gina and I decided to go local this week, it was a nice sunny day but not too hot. We drove down to the Bridge Café, which is situated on the Gorge Road in Balance. The Café has wheelchair access so whether you want to sit inside or out, you will be comfortable.

We had our coffee fix, then set out, we walked from the Café via a slight detour to investigate the cycle track, we walked up the track for about 15 minutes then turned around and came back down. Be aware that this track, is a cycle track not a walking track.

We then walked down the road to the start of the Totara Loop Track, which is located at the Woodville end of the Manawatu Gorge Walk, the entrance to the walk is via the car park at Balance.

The Totara loop track is what I consider and easy walk as it is flat most of the way around. We stopped to see the Giant Totara Tree. Gina and I both thought the seating and raised boardwalk is a great idea.

We sat for a while, its very peaceful there, then we walked back to the café car park and drove home.