Taihape was the next stop on our North Island road trip and mandated a break at the Brown Sugar Cafe. This has been our routine stop for years and brings back fond memories of trips with small children and grandparents. It is a great place to break a journey with tea, coffee and a snack and their standards have been well maintained over the years.

Taihape, like other small towns, has seen ups and downs over the years. The 1960s were a heyday as a railway and transport hub with the main trunk line and State Highway 1 passing through and servicing the surrounding farming community. Railway electrification and a downturn in farming in the 1980s were a difficult time but the town is now bouncing back with increasing tourism. It is an interesting mix of businesses supporting the local farming community and others more targeted to passing travellers and tourists and definitely has a more upbeat feel than it did the last time we stopped.

On a sadder note, this past week has seen the passing of icon John Clarke who made his place in New Zealand history by creating Fred Dagg, the iconic Kiwi bloke farmer from Taihape. John was a keen bird photographer and passed away while hiking and photographing in Australia. There are worse ways to go.

Photos all with my lovely little Fuji X100s.