With the idea of starting off in NZ at a proper decent pace, we've been cycling in the northern dales, with the idea of getting a bit fitter. After all, getting ready for the trip has been more, so far, about filling in forms and having dinner with people, so the sofa has been the most popular location during the two weeks since the end of work. We didn't choose the best couple of days - with heavy rain and strong winds. We did from Grinton to Hawes and back in heavy rain and strong winds. There were a few gaps of stunning sunshine, but mostly it was rain.The second day of trying out our legs was over Tan Hill - a better day with lots of sun late on. Tan Hill is a favourite. It has the obvious feature that once you've got to the top most of the way back is downhill (heading back to Grinton). The climb from near Keld is excellent - and at the top we saw a Theakston's Old Peculiar snow plow thingy (outside the wonderful pub that's right by the Pennine Way and at the junction of the various roads across the moor). Then on the way down, the wind behind us and space, space, space.... If you've got really good eyesight, you'll be able to see Guy heading downhill away from the camera, a tiny yellowish dot.
19th Nov 2010 - A LONG Way to Fly....
It is certainly exhausting travelling with bikes to New Zealand. It would be a bit tough without bikes but with them is that bit more difficult - especially in a world which regards a bike toolset as a potential terrorist threat. Ooooph! Anyway we are now in Wellinton Youth Hostel and about to sleep.... ah blissWe got our bike boxes from excess baggage co. at Heathrow. This was a great help because it made it perfectly viable to cycle from Oxford to Windsor the day before amd then just along to Heathrow on the day of the flight. Oxford to Windsor was fine until the fog came down and required blindingly bright lights - which we had.... The actual experience of taking a bike by air to NZ was not too easy. We only had 23kgs for the hold and that was just the bike boxes plus the bike, sleeping bag and mat. The tools were added to the hand luggage. Ah... a big error. I should have put my sleeping bag and mat in my hand luggage since various bag checks then proceeded to remove odds and ends that they didn't like from my toolset. My excellent multitool was the most serious loss - an ozzie official declared it unacceptable. Hope it went to a good home. I also managed to drop my passport in the plane nd only got it back due to a diligent air hostess. Curious that her male colleagues all missed it. So, half asleep and very groggy we cycled to Wellington YHA.
20th Nov 2010 - Wellington Suits...
Wellington is a great place - we've so far visited mack's brew pub, Katherine Mansfield's birthplace, Lady Norwood's Rose Garden and Te Papa, the national museum. Perhaps the most interesting exhibit was a cannon chucked overboar by Captain Cook when, while grounded on a local reef, he tried to float himself off. We also walked through the parliament area with the famous beehive building.The Rose Garden is pretty stunning - and part of a very extensive botanical garden. Even modestly sized NZ cities have impressive botanical gardens though this is one of the best and ranks alongside the one we eventually saw at Rotorua. New Zealand evidently has a thing about roses - wonderful displays of roses are a regular feature of private gardens as well as civic gardens. Mac's brewpub is pretty good - though Mac's is not a small independent brewery as you might easily think but part of a larger conglomerate - Lion-Nathan Foods with several thousand employees. But the brewpub is very nicely situated on the harbour and is a very comfy place to call in. Free wifi is available - which we found to be relatively rare in NZ generally.Katherine (originally Kathleen) Mansfield is a writer I hadn't actually read until Wellington. The childhood home in Wellington is very pleasant with modest but pretty gardens. The house illustrates the history of Wellington (and NZ) well - the lifestyle of middle class Wellington, the expansion of the city over the years. There are plenty of old photos. Katherine went, as so many kiwis, to Europe to further her career. The picture is of her house - a short walk out of the town centre.
21st Nov 2010 - Finding Our Way Out Of The Welly
The day dawned grey with heavy rain though it was stopping by the time we finally had shopped, eaten an extra breakfast and messed around with our bikes. On the way out of Wellington we more or less got lost around the back of the docks and it was thanks to a helpful local cyclist that we got put on the right road - basically the big dual carriageway that is highway 1 for the first bit. I think it was in all the rain and cloud of that morning that I remembered that Aotearoa (the Maori name for NZ) means 'the land of the long white cloud'. Hmmm, perhaps this wasn't going to be that sunny a summer ride after all. Getting out of Wellington by bike is not particularly easy. The best way, considering that you are going to have to slog through a lot of suburban sprawl and ribbon development, is to do what we did and get it over relatively quickly by using route 1 (a mixture of dual carriageway and motorway), dodging off onto a local road at Johnsonville which goes all the way to Porirua. Although route 1 is mostly motorway, it isn't for the crucial bit before Johnsonville. Then we went along to route 58 and took the Paekakariki Hill Road which is a lovely climb up to a coastal lookout with stunning views over the Tasman Sea. Sparkling water stretching out to the green of Tapiki Island's nature reserve. A good deal of this area is Wellington commuter territory - rather plush generally with a fair bit of traffic. We ended up at Paraparaumu Youth Hostel after a relatively short 40-ish miles. There are people trying to surf out at sea but frankly, today at least, it is all very like Mablethorpe even to the extent of having a few sandbanks evident out at sea. Plus the wind, southerly and blustery at times, is spoiling the waves. And the sea is about the same temperature as Mablethorpe in August. Pleasantly cool...Paraparaumu means something like scattered bits of kiln. The names round here have a certain odd touch - we're right by Waikanae - pron. why can I. If only there was a Waiami since then it could be populated entirely by philosophers. I guess why something rather than nothing is unlikely to exist as a Maori name but we live in hope..
22nd Nov 2010 - A Few More Miles...
Set out from Paraparaumu YHA at about 10am. Cool with some sun. The entire area is a real estate hotspot. There's endless plots and little developments for sale. Reminds me of cycling in the US when they were amidst their housing boom.... Although NZ has only say 40 million people they mostly live in bungalows with sprawling gardens and lawns so they probably occupy the same space as 30 million Brits would, accustomed as we are to flats and tiny gardens. Anyway, we set off lost in the midst of endless coastal suburbia and slowly found our way to the coastal road - the state highway 1. We reached Waikanae and spotting a public loo decided to relieve the effects of breakfasts massive tea consumption. We were rapidly joined by a couple of men, one of whom bore a striking resemblance to Quentin Crisp. Unexpected. Perhaps he's still alive and living in NZ!? He combined a cycle helmet with a sunhat, a complex and impressive combination and giving a right royal air to the wearer. They directed us towards the right road at the next junction. Quentin's friend did not look well so prerhaps that led them to a public loo near Waikanae.We sped on and on along the dreary route 1 - good views but heavy traffic. Undulating countryside. We washed up at Himatangi Beach where we paid $16 each to camp. NZ is not cheap for brits. The campsite is pleasant and decorated with Santa, in neon, doing various culturally appropriate things - so he's riding a dune buggy in one happy image. Needless to say; the beer here is lousy. At one point during the day I took a photo of some wayside flowers - it's timestamped as about our lunchtime so perhaps that's why I took it. Looking at it now I realise how beautiful a few flowers on a mossy bank can be.... Better than the coastal sprawl anyway. If you can tell me what they are please email botany AT wutheringbikes.org.uk and I'll update this blog (OK you can just email steve AT wutherin... etc, I just liked the idea of an entire botany dept beavering away).
23rd Nov 2010 - Whanganui...
Set off at about 10am from Himotanga Beach. To get away from the traffic we cycled an additional couple of kms beyond the junction withthe 1 and took a quiet backroad through rural farming country. Beautiful quiet undulating to flat countryside. Curious ridges every mile or so - perhaps they are the remains of river happy though. The on to Marton, a much prettier town with old colonial style fronts. Shopped in a supermarket and ate more food. Then along the road to whanganui. Stopped at the historic site called the Cameron blockhouse. Basically a block of defensive wood and rubble infill where the whole family could shelter from a Maori attack - Chief Taganaki I think. See picture. Interesting in that this illustrated a bit of history worth remembering - that northern Maori tribes would attack other Maoris further south who would align themselves with the white incomers and try to defend themselves. NZ history is not at all a simple matter of incoming whites fighting Maori tribes but of the incomers getting caught up in the intertribal battles that preexisted their arrival but that were made more bloody by the developing trade in rifles.Finally reached whanganui and was told the Youth Hostel, Braemar was full and, contrary to two guidebooks, nolonger does camping so went to the backpackers where we got a pleasant room for $27 each. Shopped, tried a rather overpriced pub, from which we retreated, and finally got back home. The sun was very hot today - felt like it was bleaching my short and one hand has a bit of redness. We're going to have to use more sun lotion...
24th Nov 2010 - Magritte and Hot Sun
A long day of cycling in the sun. Set off rather late because I needed sunglasses and there was a fascinating art gallery with some odd but impressive clay heads taken from pictures by Magritte and others. So Magritte's pic of someone with a bird flying passed his face (what's the picture's name...?) had been turned into an appropriately dream like 3d head. Oh, and there was a pleasant bakery - blueberry and custard thingies. Finally we hit the road and set off at speed. The snows of Mt Taganaki grew more and more evident as we travelled, standing high in the sky above the surrounding agricultural landscape. We had lunch around Waverley - lazing in the bit of green thst stretches alongside the road. The on to Patea, paralleling the road was a railway line. In the whole day we only heard one train go past.Don't think they're heavily used. Very undulating roads with some nice downhills and moderate ups. The wind was mostly either cross or cross-off, pushing us along a little. We found a New World Supermarket easily enough but floundered trying to find the King Edward's Park Campground which turned out to be within a few hundred yards of the supermarket we'd just shopped in. drank some Macs brewery Sassy Red Bitter and then showers and bed. The photo is of Mt Taranaki, or Mt Egmont as it can be called, at a distance across agricultural plains.
25th Nov 2010 - Mt Taranaki...
We were a bit slow getting out of town due to a visit to Hawera's water tower, from which a really great view of Mt Taranaki can be had. Then out on the surf highway, State Highway 45. But we soon turned off to avoid the traffic. Most of the roads so far have been busy. There's a good shoulder to cycle on with mostly a very good surface, but the endless trucks get you down so we wound our way around Mt Taranaki on little roads thata shot straight obver the undulating landscape and consequently had some fun switchbacks. The views of Mt Taranaki were endlessly interesting. It is a fairly classic volcanic pyramid - until you get close up and then you see how knobbly it is with various sub-peaks and, I guess, ancient lava flows. Eventually rejoined the 45 for the final run into New Plymouth, where I'm typing this and using their 50p for 15 mins internet.Are the kiwis like the brits? A bit but they seem more like americans to us. Evidence? They drive lots of pickup trucks, they have huge lawns, they drive everywhere, they use dollars. I rest my case, m'lud.I ought to be mentioning mileages... We did about 105km today. But the bike computer is on the blink so this is a very good guess instead.
26th Nov 2010 - To the Republic of Whangamomona
From New Plymouth to Whangomomona, about 55 miles, with about 14 miles or so off road. We didn't set out that early since Guy needed a new inner tube. This was preceded by a cake from the New World supermarket. Then out along the road to Inglewood. Headwind all the way to Egmont village, basically a southerly made gusty by Mt Taranaki. Couldn't find a food shop in Inglewood so ate up most of what we had left from New Plymouth. Then headed out on the Ratara road, passed through various villages and then we reached the gravel section just after Pangenui. Itproved mostly impossible to cycle on the gravel so for the best part of the next 20 kms we walked. Steve flagged down a car at a point where the road divided, and the GPS was useful. Through Matau and on eventually to the 'lost highway', mostly accompanied by the stares of impressed and amazed beef cattle, plus the occasional barking dog - large but chained up or contained. The dog dazer was not required. We were briefly pursued by a piglet - not sure whether it was friendly or not but we believed the folk tail that they chew bike tyres so we didn't befriend it. Finally reached the main road and cycled up over the beautiful Whangomomona saddle (col) to reach Whangamomona. Pitched up in the local simple campsite / motorvan site in the dark. Along to the delightful old Whangamomona Hotel. Where we drank Tui IPA (ok, but Taylor's Landlord is better in that area) and Monteith's Black, which is pretty good. Ate their toasties because we've run out of food. Think we'll be back for breakfast. ...
27th Nov 2010 - Taramunui via the backroads
This video is a lower resolution flash version of the original - which can be seen, if you have an html5 browser such as chrome or a recent firefox or opera, just here...
And indeed we were back for breakfast. This turmed out to be a very tasty 3 egg omlette with chips. We think the eggs were very likely free range since we saw various hens scratching around. So we were late, mid day indeed, getting started. After which we did more of the lost highway but in very hot conditions. Early on a 360 video was done and note that it includes the snowy top of Mt Tongariro though you could easily think it was just a cloud. Keep your eyes on the horizon and look for an unusually low white cloud, which is actually snow. At 19kms or so the road became a track through the Tauranga Gorge. Mostly cycleable on our narrow tyres. That lasted about 12kms, and then another 60kms approx through to Taramunui. A train line criss crossed the road - but we never saw a train. In fact we've heard a very few trains but never seen one and they are evidently something of a rarity. Went to a holiday Park campsite - $14.5 each - after shopping at the four square supermarket. DB Export - a beer from 1958 was our choice today. Decent beer but not quite sure why it won awards. Some stunning views of the volcanic cones of the Tongariro National Park. But a very hot day and we ran short of food and water during the day since there was no food or water (river water was available but I only swam in that) for about 60 miles... 60 miles was out total mileage.
28th Nov 2010 - A First Encounter with Boiling Mud
From Taumarunui to Turangi - pretty much exactly 40 miles. Got going ok at about 10.15am and set off speedily. My map didn't show that there is a fair old col, or saddle, between Taumarunui and Turangi - after a few kms our speed slowed considerably and we sweated our way uphill in blazing heat with, in my case, a steady drip of sweat into my eyes from my 'does not drip into the eyes' sun lotion. It culminates in some fine views at the Waituhi Lookout. You can see Mt Ngauruhoe from the high parts of the road - used as Mt Doom in the Lord of the Rings film. That is the one with snow on. Wonderful downhill, followed by a few kms until we came to Tokaanu Hot Springs. At Tokaanu Hot Spring it was $6 each to lie in hot water... This is very pleasant after being soaked in sweat on the hills in high temperatures (we showered before we got in - otherwise the pool would have been a slick of sun lotion, sweat and the various insects that collect on the passing cyclist. We also did a little walk that takes you past opalescent boiling water, hot bubbling mud and brightly coloured algae growing on high temperature sludge. Impressive. Finally to Turangi where we hauled up at the Riverstone Backpackers, $30 each for a bed in a dorm, which is ok and all the more so since it's a green and friendly place with a small garden and, urgently needed, a washing machine.
29th Nov 2010 - More Hot Springs
From Turangi to Golden Springs Motel and Holiday Park, Golden Springs, about 62 miles or 100 kms. A great day's cycling with some great speed travelling alongside Lake Taupo which Steve swam in early on in the day. Lake Taupo is the remains of a huge volcanic eruption in about 184AD and was noted by the Chinese and the Romans. The Lake is huge with delightful cool clear water - ideal for cooling off and often right by the road. Only one climb between Turangi and Taupo Town and that's fairly big but it did give some excellent views and a speedy downhill. It was on the that we saw our first cycle tourers - two men cycling along with about a mile in between them. Taupo is full of housing developments alongside the lake and we didn't hang about - just got food at the large Countdown store. Couple of nice bookshops though. Then we took the 'broadlands' road through rolling wide countryside - and mostly downhill. Very speedy. Passed a Geo-thermal power station at Ohaaki - see the article on wikipedia - and we cycled past it (the usual sulphurous smell) since we needed to get from the Broadlands Road onto the bigger road along the valley so we were the right side of the river to get to the campground. And so we eventually hauled up at the Golden Springs Motel and Holiday Park. They are serious about the golden springs and we took a dip in a natural open air hot spring at a temperature of about 40 centigrade. We have pitched right under a tree fern and with a hot stream running passed the tent, so we'll fall asleep to the sound....Philosophical questions for today - why are backpackers identified by their luggage style but cyclists by their means of transport? How has the motor car changed the backpacker style - loads of backpackers are travelling by hired rent a wrecks? Is it significant that the only magazines visible in the supermarket, other than fluffy celeb stuff, were Men's Health (the endless and lucrative, for others, quest for a flat stomach) and NZ 4WD? Is NZ a set ot top tourists sites which when ticked off can allow the tourist to have completed that section in the Travelling the World test? Or is it the bloke on the heavy bike cycling to the shops to get his basics? Or is it a disconcerting mix of UK, USA and kiwi... disconcerting because sometimes it seems a bit too much like globalised american culture - ahhh, Lake Taupo had more power boats than yachts, a dead give away for US rather than UK culture...
30th Nov 2010 - a bit of old style New Zealand...
From Golden Springs to Rotorua, about 34 miles while we tried to avoid the busy main roads. Golden Springs is an excellent campsite. We met two ducks who indicated that bread would be acceptable. We did have a little spare bread so quacked happily and pecked at Guy's belongings, especially the washing he was drying. Lovely creatures. Then to the Wai O Tapu Thermal Wonderland where we were too late for Lady Knox's Geyser (soap assisted we hear) but, Steve being always willing to lose his sense of time, and getting on with it, by staring amazed at the wonders of nature, Steve paid his $32 to be wowed by Lakes of boiling water in various iridescent and unlikely colours, and sulphurous fumes, boiling mud and craters. A far bit of New Zealand is built on volocanoes in various states. OK at the moment but... Then by backroads to near Rotorua where we eventually hauled up at 6.30pm at the cozy cottage camspsite - $18 each. The YHA affiliated place said, rather oddly, that they had no camping spaces.... seems unlikely but there you go. The campsite itself is a zone of thermal activity - the ground under the tent is warm and it is pretty hot inside. Don't think a sleeping bag is needed. Mud is boiling gently with loud plops a few yards away. A strange and very nervy bird with stunning blue markings is hopping about making loud unearthly calls. Not sure how good a night's sleep we are going to get.
With the idea of starting off in NZ at a proper decent pace, we've been cycling in the northern dales, with the idea of getting a bit fitter. After all, getting ready for the trip has been more, so far, about filling in forms and having dinner with people, so the sofa has been the most popular location during the two weeks since the end of work. We didn't choose the best couple of days - with heavy rain and strong winds. We did from Grinton to Hawes and back in heavy rain and strong winds. There were a few gaps of stunning sunshine, but mostly it was rain.The second day of trying out our legs was over Tan Hill - a better day with lots of sun late on. Tan Hill is a favourite. It has the obvious feature that once you've got to the top most of the way back is downhill (heading back to Grinton). The climb from near Keld is excellent - and at the top we saw a Theakston's Old Peculiar snow plow thingy (outside the wonderful pub that's right by the Pennine Way and at the junction of the various roads across the moor). Then on the way down, the wind behind us and space, space, space.... If you've got really good eyesight, you'll be able to see Guy heading downhill away from the camera, a tiny yellowish dot.
Wellington is a great place - we've so far visited mack's brew pub, Katherine Mansfield's birthplace, Lady Norwood's Rose Garden and Te Papa, the national museum. Perhaps the most interesting exhibit was a cannon chucked overboar by Captain Cook when, while grounded on a local reef, he tried to float himself off. We also walked through the parliament area with the famous beehive building.The Rose Garden is pretty stunning - and part of a very extensive botanical garden. Even modestly sized NZ cities have impressive botanical gardens though this is one of the best and ranks alongside the one we eventually saw at Rotorua. New Zealand evidently has a thing about roses - wonderful displays of roses are a regular feature of private gardens as well as civic gardens. Mac's brewpub is pretty good - though Mac's is not a small independent brewery as you might easily think but part of a larger conglomerate - Lion-Nathan Foods with several thousand employees. But the brewpub is very nicely situated on the harbour and is a very comfy place to call in. Free wifi is available - which we found to be relatively rare in NZ generally.Katherine (originally Kathleen) Mansfield is a writer I hadn't actually read until Wellington. The childhood home in Wellington is very pleasant with modest but pretty gardens. The house illustrates the history of Wellington (and NZ) well - the lifestyle of middle class Wellington, the expansion of the city over the years. There are plenty of old photos. Katherine went, as so many kiwis, to Europe to further her career. The picture is of her house - a short walk out of the town centre.
The day dawned grey with heavy rain though it was stopping by the time we finally had shopped, eaten an extra breakfast and messed around with our bikes. On the way out of Wellington we more or less got lost around the back of the docks and it was thanks to a helpful local cyclist that we got put on the right road - basically the big dual carriageway that is highway 1 for the first bit. I think it was in all the rain and cloud of that morning that I remembered that Aotearoa (the Maori name for NZ) means 'the land of the long white cloud'. Hmmm, perhaps this wasn't going to be that sunny a summer ride after all. Getting out of Wellington by bike is not particularly easy. The best way, considering that you are going to have to slog through a lot of suburban sprawl and ribbon development, is to do what we did and get it over relatively quickly by using route 1 (a mixture of dual carriageway and motorway), dodging off onto a local road at Johnsonville which goes all the way to Porirua. Although route 1 is mostly motorway, it isn't for the crucial bit before Johnsonville. Then we went along to route 58 and took the Paekakariki Hill Road which is a lovely climb up to a coastal lookout with stunning views over the Tasman Sea. Sparkling water stretching out to the green of Tapiki Island's nature reserve. A good deal of this area is Wellington commuter territory - rather plush generally with a fair bit of traffic. 
We ended up at Paraparaumu Youth Hostel after a relatively short 40-ish miles. There are people trying to surf out at sea but frankly, today at least, it is all very like Mablethorpe even to the extent of having a few sandbanks evident out at sea. Plus the wind, southerly and blustery at times, is spoiling the waves. And the sea is about the same temperature as Mablethorpe in August. Pleasantly cool...Paraparaumu means something like scattered bits of kiln. The names round here have a certain odd touch - we're right by Waikanae - pron. why can I. If only there was a Waiami since then it could be populated entirely by philosophers. I guess why something rather than nothing is unlikely to exist as a Maori name but we live in hope..
Set out from Paraparaumu YHA at about 10am. Cool with some sun. The entire area is a real estate hotspot. There's endless plots and little developments for sale. Reminds me of cycling in the US when they were amidst their housing boom.... Although NZ has only say 40 million people they mostly live in bungalows with sprawling gardens and lawns so they probably occupy the same space as 30 million Brits would, accustomed as we are to flats and tiny gardens. Anyway, we set off lost in the midst of endless coastal suburbia and slowly found our way to the coastal road - the state highway 1. We reached Waikanae and spotting a public loo decided to relieve the effects of breakfasts massive tea consumption. We were rapidly joined by a couple of men, one of whom bore a striking resemblance to Quentin Crisp. Unexpected. Perhaps he's still alive and living in NZ!? He combined a cycle helmet with a sunhat, a complex and impressive combination and giving a right royal air to the wearer. They directed us towards the right road at the next junction. Quentin's friend did not look well so prerhaps that led them to a public loo near Waikanae.We sped on and on along the dreary route 1 - good views but heavy traffic. Undulating countryside. We washed up at Himatangi Beach where we paid $16 each to camp. NZ is not cheap for brits. The campsite is pleasant and decorated with Santa, in neon, doing various culturally appropriate things - so he's riding a dune buggy in one happy image. Needless to say; the beer here is lousy. At one point during the day I took a photo of some wayside flowers - it's timestamped as about our lunchtime so perhaps that's why I took it. Looking at it now I realise how beautiful a few flowers on a mossy bank can be.... Better than the coastal sprawl anyway. If you can tell me what they are please email botany AT wutheringbikes.org.uk and I'll update this blog (OK you can just email steve AT wutherin... etc, I just liked the idea of an entire botany dept beavering away).
Set off at about 10am from Himotanga Beach. To get away from the traffic we cycled an additional couple of kms beyond the junction withthe 1 and took a quiet backroad through rural farming country. Beautiful quiet undulating to flat countryside. Curious ridges every mile or so - perhaps they are the remains of river happy though. The on to Marton, a much prettier town with old colonial style fronts. Shopped in a supermarket and ate more food. Then along the road to whanganui. Stopped at the historic site called the Cameron blockhouse. Basically a block of defensive wood and rubble infill where the whole family could shelter from a Maori attack - Chief Taganaki I think. See picture. Interesting in that this illustrated a bit of history worth remembering - that northern Maori tribes would attack other Maoris further south who would align themselves with the white incomers and try to defend themselves. NZ history is not at all a simple matter of incoming whites fighting Maori tribes but of the incomers getting caught up in the intertribal battles that preexisted their arrival but that were made more bloody by the developing trade in rifles.Finally reached whanganui and was told the Youth Hostel, Braemar was full and, contrary to two guidebooks, nolonger does camping so went to the backpackers where we got a pleasant room for $27 each. Shopped, tried a rather overpriced pub, from which we retreated, and finally got back home. The sun was very hot today - felt like it was bleaching my short and one hand has a bit of redness. We're going to have to use more sun lotion...
A long day of cycling in the sun. Set off rather late because I needed sunglasses and there was a fascinating art gallery with some odd but impressive clay heads taken from pictures by Magritte and others. So Magritte's pic of someone with a bird flying passed his face (what's the picture's name...?) had been turned into an appropriately dream like 3d head. Oh, and there was a pleasant bakery - blueberry and custard thingies. Finally we hit the road and set off at speed. The snows of Mt Taganaki grew more and more evident as we travelled, standing high in the sky above the surrounding agricultural landscape. We had lunch around Waverley - lazing in the bit of green thst stretches alongside the road. The on to Patea, paralleling the road was a railway line. In the whole day we only heard one train go past.Don't think they're heavily used. Very undulating roads with some nice downhills and moderate ups. The wind was mostly either cross or cross-off, pushing us along a little. We found a New World Supermarket easily enough but floundered trying to find the King Edward's Park Campground which turned out to be within a few hundred yards of the supermarket we'd just shopped in. drank some Macs brewery Sassy Red Bitter and then showers and bed. The photo is of Mt Taranaki, or Mt Egmont as it can be called, at a distance across agricultural plains.
We were a bit slow getting out of town due to a visit to Hawera's water tower, from which a really great view of Mt Taranaki can be had. Then out on the surf highway, State Highway 45. But we soon turned off to avoid the traffic. Most of the roads so far have been busy. There's a good shoulder to cycle on with mostly a very good surface, but the endless trucks get you down so we wound our way around Mt Taranaki on little roads thata shot straight obver the undulating landscape and consequently had some fun switchbacks. The views of Mt Taranaki were endlessly interesting. It is a fairly classic volcanic pyramid - until you get close up and then you see how knobbly it is with various sub-peaks and, I guess, ancient lava flows. Eventually rejoined the 45 for the final run into New Plymouth, where I'm typing this and using their 50p for 15 mins internet.Are the kiwis like the brits? A bit but they seem more like americans to us. Evidence? They drive lots of pickup trucks, they have huge lawns, they drive everywhere, they use dollars. I rest my case, m'lud.I ought to be mentioning mileages... We did about 105km today. But the bike computer is on the blink so this is a very good guess instead.
From New Plymouth to Whangomomona, about 55 miles, with about 14 miles or so off road. We didn't set out that early since Guy needed a new inner tube. This was preceded by a cake from the New World supermarket. Then out along the road to Inglewood. Headwind all the way to Egmont village, basically a southerly made gusty by Mt Taranaki. Couldn't find a food shop in Inglewood so ate up most of what we had left from New Plymouth. Then headed out on the Ratara road, passed through various villages and then we reached the gravel section just after Pangenui. Itproved mostly impossible to cycle on the gravel so for the best part of the next 20 kms we walked. Steve flagged down a car at a point where the road divided, and the GPS was useful. Through Matau and on eventually to the 'lost highway', mostly accompanied by the stares of impressed and amazed beef cattle, plus the occasional barking dog - large but chained up or contained. The dog dazer was not required. We were briefly pursued by a piglet - not sure whether it was friendly or not but we believed the folk tail that they chew bike tyres so we didn't befriend it. Finally reached the main road and cycled up over the beautiful Whangomomona saddle (col) to reach Whangamomona. Pitched up in the local simple campsite / motorvan site in the dark. Along to the delightful old Whangamomona Hotel. Where we drank Tui IPA (ok, but Taylor's Landlord is better in that area) and Monteith's Black, which is pretty good. Ate their toasties because we've run out of food. Think we'll be back for breakfast. ...
At 19kms or so the road became a track through the Tauranga Gorge. Mostly cycleable on our narrow tyres. That lasted about 12kms, and then another 60kms approx through to Taramunui. A train line criss crossed the road - but we never saw a train. In fact we've heard a very few trains but never seen one and they are evidently something of a rarity. Went to a holiday Park campsite - $14.5 each - after shopping at the four square supermarket. DB Export - a beer from 1958 was our choice today. Decent beer but not quite sure why it won awards. Some stunning views of the volcanic cones of the Tongariro National Park. But a very hot day and we ran short of food and water during the day since there was no food or water (river water was available but I only swam in that) for about 60 miles... 60 miles was out total mileage.
From Taumarunui to Turangi - pretty much exactly 40 miles. Got going ok at about 10.15am and set off speedily. My map didn't show that there is a fair old col, or saddle, between Taumarunui and Turangi - after a few kms our speed slowed considerably and we sweated our way uphill in blazing heat with, in my case, a steady drip of sweat into my eyes from my 'does not drip into the eyes' sun lotion. It culminates in some fine views at the Waituhi Lookout. You can see Mt Ngauruhoe from the high parts of the road - used as Mt Doom in the Lord of the Rings film. That is the one with snow on. Wonderful downhill, followed by a few kms until we came to Tokaanu Hot Springs.
At Tokaanu Hot Spring it was $6 each to lie in hot water... This is very pleasant after being soaked in sweat on the hills in high temperatures (we showered before we got in - otherwise the pool would have been a slick of sun lotion, sweat and the various insects that collect on the passing cyclist. We also did a little walk that takes you past opalescent boiling water, hot bubbling mud and brightly coloured algae growing on high temperature sludge. Impressive. Finally to Turangi where we hauled up at the Riverstone Backpackers, $30 each for a bed in a dorm, which is ok and all the more so since it's a green and friendly place with a small garden and, urgently needed, a washing machine.
From Turangi to Golden Springs Motel and Holiday Park, Golden Springs, about 62 miles or 100 kms. A great day's cycling with some great speed travelling alongside Lake Taupo which Steve swam in early on in the day. Lake Taupo is the remains of a huge volcanic eruption in about 184AD and was noted by the Chinese and the Romans. The Lake is huge with delightful cool clear water - ideal for cooling off and often right by the road. Only one climb between Turangi and Taupo Town and that's fairly big but it did give some excellent views and a speedy downhill. It was on the that we saw our first cycle tourers - two men cycling along with about a mile in between them. Taupo is full of housing developments alongside the lake and we didn't hang about - just got food at the large Countdown store. Couple of nice bookshops though. Then we took the 'broadlands' road through rolling wide countryside - and mostly downhill. Very speedy. Passed a Geo-thermal power station at Ohaaki - see the article on 
From Golden Springs to Rotorua, about 34 miles while we tried to avoid the busy main roads. Golden Springs is an excellent campsite. We met two ducks who indicated that bread would be acceptable. We did have a little spare bread so quacked happily and pecked at Guy's belongings, especially the washing he was drying. Lovely creatures. Then to the Wai O Tapu Thermal Wonderland where we were too late for Lady Knox's Geyser (soap assisted we hear) but, Steve being always willing to lose his sense of time, and getting on with it, by staring amazed at the wonders of nature, Steve paid his $32 to be wowed by Lakes of boiling water in various iridescent and unlikely colours, and sulphurous fumes, boiling mud and craters. A far bit of New Zealand is built on volocanoes in various states. OK at the moment but... Then by backroads to near Rotorua where we eventually hauled up at 6.30pm at the cozy cottage camspsite - $18 each. The YHA affiliated place said, rather oddly, that they had no camping spaces.... seems unlikely but there you go. The campsite itself is a zone of thermal activity - the ground under the tent is warm and it is pretty hot inside. Don't think a sleeping bag is needed. Mud is boiling gently with loud plops a few yards away. A strange and very nervy bird with stunning blue markings is hopping about making loud unearthly calls. Not sure how good a night's sleep we are going to get.