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….

Day 6 Hauraki Rail Trail

 Today was the Hauraki rail trail we set off along the gravel trail which was hopefully going to let us bank soon Kms. We are a bit behind the schedule but maybe the schedule is behind us. This trip is also supposed to be a holiday. 

Mum and Dad were going to park at Kopu bridge and ride back to find us to test their new E Bikes, so we found them along the way. Unfortunately this trail is a bit bland but it is well marked and pretty well formed the farmers/land owners/ trail organisation have done well to make a pretty free flowing trail through many different properties. 

This is low lying land but the state of the many rivers and drains is pretty poor along with the stench of farming is currently stopping this trail reaching its full potential IMO, the businesses along the way are all so welcoming and I’m sure as time goes it will only get better and better hopefully they will plant it out to improve it and block some of the winds that the trails are exposed too. There heaps of people riding the trail and it is such a great way to get more income into all these rural towns it’s easy too so get out and do some of it. I also had a moth join me this morning for a couple of kms, that was nice.

Mum and Dad met us again at Te Aroha and we had a break, loaded up with slices had a Chamois stop then got back on the trail along the road to Matamata, today was mostly about Kms so we spun our legs but had a stop about an hour out from Opal Hotsprings and Campground to rest our arses. 

As I lay on the ground getting walked over by ants Ray and George a couple of other riders who we have been jostling for position with rode up. (These guys are machines they have a few years on us but leave us in their dust) We are having a chat and he says “helicopters coming tomorrow to pick us up and take us for coffee you want to come” - sorry what…. Uummm yeah.

Day 5 to Miranda Hot pools

 Thanks to Mum we jammed as much slices as we could into our bags and got ready, leaving a few more hopefully not needed items behind. Tim Beresford joined us for the ride and it was great to have someone new to talk to even if he was leisurely riding along on his e bike. Along the Onehunga motorway to the airport missing a few not needed roads around Mangere Mountain and into the airport for a chocolate slice stop in front of the planes. Certainly not a great time for plane watching there aren’t many flying. Tim left us here and we carried on riding through Manukau and up and through Totara park already this was a much more enjoyable pace not rushing for a boat. We passed a TA rider that had had an accident and we certainly hope he’s alright. It was a good reminder that sometimes it can be a simple thing that catches you out, despite riding gravel roads and main highways with trucks whizzing past a simple bump on a footpath might just catch you.

We left Auckland much like we entered riding up hills and through rolling farm land back onto the roads where you can smell a dead opossum 50m before you see it any no two carcasses are the same. A few more chamois stops, passing the old castle and fighting some more headwinds we rolled into Miranda campground with hot pools!! Wow how good did that feel to let my tight legs simmer. 

It’s nearly time to sleep on my 1 inch thick mattress and  too hot sleeping bag, I think I’ve got all the bugs out of here. Fortunately I brought Chris and I think they are all in his tent…

Pouto to Mum and Dads

 A two minute ride took us down to the beach to wait for the Kaipara cruise boat to land on the beach at 830, we removed bags off the bikes then passed them from the boarding ramp up on top of the boat, thankfully there was only 15 of us on this ferry the last one organised for this TA. The trip was a lot longer than expected but was good and how often do you have the need to ferry across Kaipara I sat up top until I drifted off down stairs to a bacon salad croissant.. fantastic.. Chris was even ready to get one and give me the bacon but the lady made him a vege one. 

Traffic was far busier on this side of the Kaipara as we rode our way into Auckland past Riverhead Forrest (which had the first hill I beat Chris up on) through Massey and down the cycle way to Auckland pretty uneventful but got up the top of Mt Eden and took photo 4 on the list of 30. The ride was a short one about 62kms and it felt good.

Our ride then took us to Mum and dads where we quickly loaded up and had a bbq with friends where

we stacked up on chocolate slices and then back home to bed in real beds. I think Chris was considering staying there…

Day 3 to Pouto

 So Day 3… we agreed that we would get ready by 8 at Waipoua Forest camp to make our 630pm ferry but of course I was fart arseing around and we didn’t leave until 840, we rode up the hill whilst I collected the items Chris was losing off his bike, Chris was being told the road was closed and we couldn’t get out… bugger, fortunately some forestry guys told us about the back entrance up an old forestry road the locals are using. So off we went slogging up this forestry road fortunately it took us to the top of the hill we were going to have to ride to anyways. Deffinately a good morning wake up!!! Managed to get some reception at the top hence why no posts from Waipoua Forest the night before. From here we rode down to Donnelly’s crossing and got some grapes off two guys fixing a digger. Gravel roads and a punishing head wind but we kept plugging away and found a couple of good downhill sections.

We got to S12 and rode along missing our turnoff for more gravel roads by 100m so turned around and got back on track more punishing gravel farming roads and stopped at the Poplar chamois stop to reapply. Few hills to ride which I may have pushed just to stretch some other muscles. Riding along this gravel road and a teenage guy on a bike pulls up “can I ride with you” he says pretty random but ok all good I assumed he’d just been on exercise ride. Turns out there was another dude riding with Chris they were the “Northland Trail angels” and had watermelon and cold water for the riders. Jesse the guy who rode next to me had done 14kms that day back and forth, we stopped and had a chat and they were tracking alll riders online and had been doing so since 2016. The watermelon was excellent and I needed some more water so thanks so much to these 3. 

We rode from there into Dargaville and had a great feed at the whole foods shop and then got back on the road 66kms to Pouto Point into the wind up and down flat and long. This was a slog but if never been along there so it was interesting to see. This road kept on giving and we ended up finishing in the dark again expecting to see the camp around every next corner. It finally appeared the “Pouto Marine Hall” great old Villa/Hall we camped out front and Chris cooked Couscous beetroot and beans then off to bed.

Elevation gains

 So here goes day 3 and 4. What a mission!!! Day 3 We left Ahipara and I’m now struggling to remember what happened the pain is hiding my memories a lot of elevation gain happened 2200mm some awesome trails first main stop was Broadwood where I refuelled with a Len’s Pie (4 pies out of 5 for a plastic wrapped pie) and smashed a bottle of blue Powerade, a drink usually saved for the day after a big night out on the lash. Getting a bit of cramp in my legs so using electrolytes in my water a lot. There was an awesome downhill run into Kohukohu where we stopped for a coffee, but I swear the trail wasn’t mostly downhill like the book says. We realised the Rawene ferry was due so just jumped on our bikes and raced the 4kms to get there and it was free due to covid. Saved $2.

We got off the ferry and viola Jacqueline (Kates step Mum) was standing there, it was such a surprise and put a smile on the dial after a hard day. Thanks for coming out!!! Unfortunately we could only quickly catch up then get back on the saddle, straight to our next Chamois stop. If you haven’t asked I know you’ve been thinking it, how do you sit on a saddle for that long…. Chamois Cream applied regularly and padded shorts. Discretion is being thrown out the window and it’s more important to apply cream then standing on the side of the road with your butt blowing in the wind. So if you do see a cyclist pants down applying cream don’t ring the cops just accept that the cream is doing all kinds of important things.

From there we spun the legs to Opononi and then the climb up to Waipoua Forrest which was relentless. Fortunately Northland seems to shut down at about 6 and the roads were pretty quiet. We road through the Forrest which was awesome trees lining both sides, dusky light and native Forest smells the only noise was some birds and our freewheel hub clicking. 

Tane Mahuta was closed so we got a photo outside the entrance and couldn’t see him but as we fanged it down hill we passed other massive Kauri’s. I loved this part!! 

We got to Waipoua campground about 830 and had a much needed break. I wrote more than I though so will do day 4 in the next post.

What a beach!!

 Wow today was a tough day, the first 15 kms were up and down on sealed roads and flying down the roads at speed put a smile on the dial, we were excited. The beach started well but it was tough there was a cross wind which was more like a head wind, and the sand saps a lot of energy. Zigging to find the harder sand feels good but doesn’t really do that much. The beach is amazing and stretches on for ever which also adds to its challenge, we got into Ahipara Holiday camp at 830 set up camp and had a shower which was fantastic, this camp ground is a cool place. But right now there isn’t a muscle in my body which isn’t telling me it exists!!!