Present day Struan Farm encompasses part of the old original State Highway. Maurie did a land swap with the government roading department, giving them part of his farm for the new State Highway route in exchange for land on the Old Road.
The "Old Road" now forms part of a walkway starting near the Bull Paddock up from the pond to an area overlooking the Mangaotaki River that also looks out to a wire suspension bridge now owned by our neighbors (this area was once part of Struan Farm).
John has promised to fill me in on the history of the bridge and explain the activities that took place down there. There are the remnants of a concrete pen where sheep were dipped.
The Old Road itself is an easy short (return) walk along macrocarpa and pine trees on one side and fern laden banks and native bush on the other. Native fan tail, tui, and wood pigeon can be heard and seen. The road also forms part of a longer river loop track for more intrepid walkers and anyone wanting to fish, swim or kayak in the river. The old seal can be partially seen, it's a bit of local and Struan Farm history.
John and Carrick remember that when the new road was blasted through they'd go out to hunt for fossils, imprints of shells and leaves embedded in the limestone unearthed by the excavation.
We've got the correspondence between Maurie and the government on the land swap on file in case any questions were ever to arise!
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