Epic Day 7

 We are up at the crack of dawn this morning: all we know is there’s a helicopter coming to the Matamata airfield to pick us up.. WTF. We ride with manchild excitement back the wrong way to the airfield. We get to the airfield stash our bikes under some trees behind the long unused glider trailers and wait in anticipation. Was this a rouse? 

We chat to a couple of guys at the airfield and bang on 9 a chopper flys in… we load in, this is Chris’s first time in a chopper and apparently Nick the pilots first day flying… it’s ok I’ve offered my services as I’ve flown many Lego Helicopters. We fly to Tauranga airport to pick up our hosts a bottle of milk and bag of coffee. We fly up the coast looking for sharks and talking shit and land on a property way up the Coromandel coast. We check construction progress and sit down to have a coffee. What a way to rest the legs and butt. 

We load back into the chopper Chris gets shotgun, being very cautions to not let his long legs bump anything. Part way on the pilot turns to Chris asks him if he has “a gentle touch” (wow where is this going?) he then grabs Chris’s phone out of his hands and passes it to me. He then explains to Chris how to fly a helicopter and Chris gingerly gives it a go. Wow did anyone say epic… we fly back to Tauranga to drop our hosts off then back on to Matamata. Thanks so much what an experience. 

Man you never know who’s watching or who your talking too!!!

We gather our thoughts for a moment as the helicopter flys off we then dig our bikes out of the trees and saddle up again back to Matamata to load up with supplies and have a feed. Mmmmm burger and cider.

Today was going to be a bit of a rest day but we ended up riding about 80kms. Some busy roads in the sun to start but on to the timber trail which has been my most favourite trail so far. Past a huge swing bridge and down backroads, riding on dusk we stop to push some hills which is usually the only time we really talk as when we are pedaling we are on a mission. 

Camp tonight is down a long gravel road (which we have to ride up again) at Arohena landing this is a huge DOC campsite and we are the only ones here camped right next to the lake. What an Epic spot for an epic day….