A very pleasant days cycling that started, after a brief 6 km visit to Omokoroa harbour, unpleasantly by a bike ride along State Highway 2 for about 21 kms to Katikati, a place that is noted for its murals (I'll try to upload some examples) where we had an early lunch. The murals are pretty good but I don't think I saw anything that was quite as good as the murals that we saw on the NW coast of America. Still, they gave a delightful depth to the history of the area that's rapidly disappearing under the weight of new development. For this coastal area is evidently a real estate hot spot where the Californian lifestyle can be enjoyed to the full - indeed pickup trucks are ubiquitous.... and it does require oil supplies permitting. Then sped on to Waihi Beach where the surf was good - ideal for the intermediate surfer so Steve was a little subdued (someone was paddling out as we stared at the surf)....On the other hand we did see plenty of evidence that they do dump raw sewage in the sea - an outfall straight into the Pacific. They evidently need Surfers Against Sewage here too. But the need to maximise profit on development may count against them.We then headed north for Opoutere where there's a Youth Hostel. There's a pleasant road through Golden Valley that we used to avoid the main road. Then along the coastal highway for about 20 kms to Whangamata where we found a New World store to stock up. Then on along through low wooded hills to the Youth Hostel at OpoutereI booked in and, having noticed various signs about bikers getting a low carbon discount asked for the said discount. The member of staff looked utterly puzzled even though she had two notices in her own hostel advertising this discount! I took her to the notice which after a bit of sighing she agreed appeared to offer us a discount. Then she said she needed to phone head office to check. Obviously (to us but not to her!).the head office would be closed at 7.40pm. So I haven't paid and everything is delayed until after 9am tomorrow. This low carbon traveller scheme seems to be, like so much eco stuff, hardly used. The reaction is not good - as if you are pulling a fast one so there's evidently a bit of a gap in staff training. Plus they don't seem to have heard of it. But then again we all know that what really counts in most of New Zealand, beautiful and friendly as it is, is not being eco but the property developer's profit margin.We walked to the huge Pacific - still nice waves - on a beach settling into darkness.....
A very pleasant days cycling that started, after a brief 6 km visit to Omokoroa harbour, unpleasantly by a bike ride along State Highway 2 for about 21 kms to Katikati, a place that is noted for its murals (I'll try to upload some examples) where we had an early lunch. The murals are pretty good but I don't think I saw anything that was quite as good as the murals that we saw on the NW coast of America. Still, they gave a delightful depth to the history of the area that's rapidly disappearing under the weight of new development. For this coastal area is evidently a real estate hot spot where the Californian lifestyle can be enjoyed to the full - indeed pickup trucks are ubiquitous.... and it does require oil supplies permitting. Then sped on to Waihi Beach where the surf was good - ideal for the intermediate surfer so Steve was a little subdued (someone was paddling out as we stared at the surf)....On the other hand we did see plenty of evidence that they do dump raw sewage in the sea - an outfall straight into the Pacific. They evidently need Surfers Against Sewage here too. But the need to maximise profit on development may count against them.
We then headed north for Opoutere where there's a Youth Hostel. There's a pleasant road through Golden Valley that we used to avoid the main road. Then along the coastal highway for about 20 kms to Whangamata where we found a New World store to stock up. Then on along through low wooded hills to the Youth Hostel at OpoutereI booked in and, having noticed various signs about bikers getting a low carbon discount asked for the said discount. The member of staff looked utterly puzzled even though she had two notices in her own hostel advertising this discount! I took her to the notice which after a bit of sighing she agreed appeared to offer us a discount. Then she said she needed to phone head office to check. Obviously (to us but not to her!).the head office would be closed at 7.40pm. So I haven't paid and everything is delayed until after 9am tomorrow. This low carbon traveller scheme seems to be, like so much eco stuff, hardly used. The reaction is not good - as if you are pulling a fast one so there's evidently a bit of a gap in staff training. Plus they don't seem to have heard of it. But then again we all know that what really counts in most of New Zealand, beautiful and friendly as it is, is not being eco but the property developer's profit margin.We walked to the huge Pacific - still nice waves - on a beach settling into darkness.....