Some where to taihape

Some where to taihape

After packing up camp it's time to get back on the road - as I'm riding along I noticed that the chain some times drops off the end of the cassette when I'm in low gear...  After the 3th time I start going over the bike to see whats going on - after finding the most likely cause - a bent derailleur hanger (the part of the bike frame that the rear derailleur is attached to and a bit of thought I pull out a few tools including a adjustable spanner I carefully bend it straight - good thing the bike is has a  steel frame /derailleur hanger - can't do this with a aluminum or carbon fiber frame - most of then have a replaced part-only thing is that you have to have it with you   And there's over 400+ designs for them between the different bikes and some can be very hard to find -

after get it straight I put the rear derailleur back on before getting back on the main road - a few km latter stoping for a photo of the bike by the summit sign of the desert road -at 1074m  I think it's one of the highest main roads in the north Island - up until the crown road (down the south Island) was tarseal a few years ago I think it was the highest tarseal highway in nz?   From there it's mostly down hill (with the odd passing shower - what happened to the sunny weather from the day before?) to the town of  Waiouru  - mostly the town is  a army base with a great museum to do with the army - it does have a subway (the fast food place - not a underground railway : ) where I stop for some lunch before getting some pictures of the trike and trailer next to some of the tanks out side the museum  : )

  then it's time to get back on the road - the road tends down hill towards taihape with one down hill being steep enough for me to get up to 71 km/h - a new top speed with the trike (I did lose one of the hi-vise flags off the trailer - will have to find/make a new one up in the next few days - getting into the town of taihape I stop in at the info center - there's no camping ground in taihape from what I can find out - though I was told of a place where people sometimes set up tents for the night - in the end I decided to stay at a backpackers ($25 per person per night in a 8 bed dorm) - the backpackers is called rusty nail and is very nice - as I get up there - it's up a hill  with great views towards the Mountains - there's a man with a bike also doing a bike tour also staying the night so we have a bit of a chat about touring - though they English is not great  (and I don't speek German (or just about any other language besides my vision of English - what even many English speaking people have trouble understanding  : )

After doing my washing -I  was running low on clean cycling gear  I do some reading before heading off to bed for the night - odd to be sleeping inside a building as its been a few months since the last time I slept indoors  : )