Back on the road 60 km
Well after a longer then planed break from bike touring I'm back on the road heading north up to the cape - why north to the cape - well it's time to start my end to end ride.after at less 2? try's over the last few years - last year (2012) trip ending in Taupo with bike and some Heath issues that took time to find some work arounds - by the time I got the bike ready it was time for the Taupo bike ride - A ride I D.N.F at dur to picking up some ash? In my eyes on lap2? - a year latter I did finish this fun ride ( the 8 lap 1280 km lake Taupo ride ) in a time of around 123 hours
Early this year (2013) I planed to do this ride - only to get to a few days before the start before having some crazy Heath issues that meant I had to put the start of the ride until after the Taupo ride- my Heath issues have not so much gone away or been fixed as so much I have found better ways to deal with then like staying away places with to much happing (as much as one can there's days ) as I seen to no longer cope very well - walking is still very hit and miss (some days are better then others ) most of the time I'm doing ok on the bike - not fast but I'm still riding
After doing the last of my re packing of my panner bags to a) fit evey thing on the bike and b) get the wight balles right - a round 4 -5 kg in each bag it's time to say good bye to my friends who I spent the last few days with - they are the ones same friends that looked after me when I had to put my trip on hold and was to sick to travel early in the year
having to say good bye to so many great people after being able to spend only a short time together is one of the few down side of my lifestyle living on the road by bike
Some times the harders part of a trip is just going out of the drive way
Knowing I have some hill climbing to do on a gravel road I shift down to a low gear and start the first hill of the day - at the top I pause for a min or so before starting on the down hill. There's wash bord? From the big trucks that use the road so I take it slowly - near the end of the hill the bike trailer try's to side off the road so I stop to get the bike back where I want it as having the trailer slid off the road tends to cause the bike to side over if I don't stop it fast
Back on the tar seal I cross over a set of train tracks that seem to not get much use then turn right on to S.H.1 - the road is some what busy but I'm used to busy roads - most of the drivers are ok though there is a few that could of drove better ( mosty people on holiday ?)
As I'm riding between some rolling hills I hear a big bang. Looking down to make sure my bike tires are still holding air -yep they still ok so it's not me for a nice change - looking behind me I spot a truck with a suff tire coming up fast behind me as he was coming to a stop on the side of the road - not there was much of a shoulder to stop in
After a few more rolling hills it's time for a nice long down hill where I get up to around 60 km/h heading down the hill then a few more rolling hills before I get into the town of Kawkawa - a town that has a railway line runing down the middle of the road (S.H.1) just as I'm getting into town I spot some one with a camera looking down the street - yep I get to the train place a few mins before the train is about to leave - it's a old steam train that runs along the tracks of one of nzs first railways for a round maybe 5 km - they are working on restoring the full rail line out to the coast though a tunnel (look up bay of Islands railway nz on the web for more info on the train ) from looking on line I see part of one of the nz cycle trails runs on part of the old rail line - might do that part of the trail as I head south on the way back down nz
Leaving town on S.H.1 (I'm leving the bay of Islands for the ride south ) I pass by a few small towns and a larger one before the road heads up a step and some what long hill - I do have a bit of a smile at the large slow down signs part of the way up the hill as I'm only doing around 5-6 km/h past then ( I might be slow but i still get to the top : ) a few km latter it's time to look at the map as I have a turn off S.H.1 on to S.H.10 coming up - onice I turn off S.H.1 it's a lot less busy - at less until where the road from the bay of Islands turns on to it - the road cross's over a small river at waimate north ? Next to the bridge is the remands of a water power flour mill (I think it may be one any way?) so I stop to have a good look and get some photos of it
Then it's back on the road heading for the town kerikeri turning off S.H.10 onto kerikeri rd to head into town ( the town is some what sped out between the highway and the sea )
As I get into town I deside to call the place where I stayed at the last time I was up this way - pagoda lodge ( http://pagoda.co.nz/ ) after chatting for a bit - they remember me from last time : ) I do a bit of shopping before seeing if I could remember the way to the lodge ( with out having to look up the map : ) taking it slowly so I don't get misplaced (ie lost : ) I find my way to the place ok and set up camp for the night
Day at pagoda lodge
After a late night - I got lost in a good book : ) I decide to play it by ear - deciding if I'm still in bed by 9 am I will stay the day at the lodge -what I end up doing as it's raining most of the day
Around 4:30pm I head into town by bike in the rain ( what's a little rain : ) to do some food shopping before heading back to the lodge to read some more books and type this up on the iPad
