Cust

The small rural settlement of Cust has a powerhouse of a past. It was once the site of the 16th-century village of Kapukariki inhabited by the Waitaha people. Today there is a smattering of shops and cafés, an attractive domain, some quaint cottages and the historic hotel bordering Inland Scenic Route 72 – but with a decent blink you may miss the centre of the township. If you're traveling on a misty day you may also miss the panoramic view.

But under a clear sky, the vista from Cust across billiard table-flat farmland to Mount Thomas, Mt Richardson and Mt Oxford beyond is a knockout.

Originally known as Moeraki Downs and then Middleton-on-the-Cust, Cust is named after Sir Edward Cust, a member of the Canterbury Association.

The Cust Hotel (1863) was a famous halfway house for the bullock wagoners carting timber across the district. Today, the pub and its garden bar still buzzes and its historic features blend with the new.

It seems incongruous but the peaceful rural environs of Cust were once the venue for the roaring excitement of New Zealand's first motorcycle grand prix. In 1963, its final year in Cust, approximately 25,000 visitors swarmed into the village. Today the population of Cust sits at approximately 450.

It's a perfect spot to break a journey, breathe in the history and the huge views.