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waiouru
 In New Zealand
the most striking near-desert experience you can have is on the
road to Waiouru.
State Highway One winds through a bleak windswept tussock plain
called the Rangipo Desert. This is a unique alpine semi-desert,
with the forbidding appearance of a wild desolate wasteland. To
the east it merges with the densely forested foothills of the
Kaimanawa Ranges. To the west there is no horizon, as the
landscape and sky are overwhelmed by the monumental outline of
Mt. Ruapehu. Dark canyons and shadowy scree slopes tumble from
the snow-capped peaks and merge with the indistinct landforms of
the plain.
The majestic grandeur of Ruapehu is a powerfully moving sight
especially on a clear day. It is well worth a photo stop to
capture the changing moods of the mountain. Sometimes the peace
and solitude is disturbed by armoured vehicles on manoeuvres near
the ‘Desert Road’. Waiouru is home to the New Zealand
Army’s largest military base. The training area parallels
the highway for 35 km and extends from Ruapehu’s snowline to
the Rangitikei River 30 km to the east.
Waiouru at 815 metres above sea level has ice-cold winters and
stifling hot summers. The township consists of a small cluster of
hotels, tearooms and service stations along the highway. There is
one imposing concrete structure that catches the eye. At first
sight this striking edifice, with rampant tanks guarding its
entrance, lacks aesthetic appeal. Perhaps its fort-like
appearance is appropriate for what really is an outstanding
museum.
The Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum features excellent
static displays of New Zealand’s military heritage. It tells
the history of New Zealand Army campaigns in all theatres of war,
up to our present day role in overseas peacekeeping missions. The
realistic displays include ‘Tears of Greenstone’, a
dramatic memorial wall, which is the largest greenstone structure
in the Southern Hemisphere.
The wild, desolate places of the central Volcanic Plateau have a
mystique and magic of their own. This shaky portion of the
‘Pacific Ring of Fire’ offers up some memorable
landscapes.
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