The highway to heaven. Travelling to Dubrovnik

The Croatian Government have built an impressive dual carriageway highway from Zagreb, to Zader on the coast and then down the Coast to Ploce very near Dubrovnik. Construction for the last link to Dubrovnik is almost complete. This highway is a toll road, however provides excellent driving that does not wind and meander around on the valley floors, through villages and around hill sides. We joined the motorway at Sibenik, about 9 kms from Krka and drove 130 kms to Ploce for a cost of 66 kuna, the equivalent of $13 NZ. The highway has a speed restriction of 130 kms with tunnels set at 100 kms. I appreciate that highways of this magnitude cost money, however I am more than happy to pay for the privilege, the motoring was pleasant driving allowing you to cover a reasonable distance in good time. The next segment of the journey from Ploce to Dubrovnik  of 60 km took 2 hrs, winding through the villages on the valley floor, slightly more scenic than the highway but a lot more stressful. Small villages  through which the narrow  road winds, houses built against built the road edge. Yes it's picturesque however with villages about 2 kms apart, you soon tire of another scenic village.

Has New Zealand the capacity for such highways?

In places the land was very unforgiving. Very rocky, with stones fences dividing the land and hillsides into small paddocks and holdings. A few goats and  a handful of sheep nomadically graze on what passes as grass at this time of the year. A few token olive trees dot the scene. Life is definitely harsh, and a token contrast to Slovenia. In one or two places especially around the Ploce region are fertile valley, a bustling number of small wine groves, abundant fruit trees, vegetable and agricultural horticulture. Ploce itself is a town built on a river and the river has been channelled  with a series of channels  and dykes to provide water  through out the valley for the agriculture.

As we left the motorway and wound down into the valley we stopped at a roadside fruitstall, manned for a family of 4 children, all playing Monopoly. And even in Croatian  I recognised some of the place names.

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