Turangi to some where

Turangi to some where

A late start to the days riding as I chat to a few people including 2 traveling cyclists and the person at the front (only?) desk as I drop off the keys to the bathroom /kitchen after unplugging the phone that's been charging up - ever since I forgot my tablet at a Campground in taumarunui about a year or so ago and had to do a 60 km round trip by thumb to get the tablet back I tend to check that I have not forgotten any of my e-suff then it's time for a bit of shopping before getting on the road around lunch time.

Heading out of Turangi on S. H. 1  I pass the weight bridge (where trucks are checked for weight so they not over loaded /over the weight rules /check other things) where i had some fun with the people who was at the weight bridge about the size of my bike Friday and bike trailer with a touring load on it a few years ago now  - nice to see even people at a weight bridge having some  fun  : ) 

Keeping a eye on the mirror to see what the  traffic behind me is doing - besides a very few people the traffic has been good giving me room or waiting until it's safe to pass with the white line shoulder on the side of the road being anything from very wide to no shoulder (ofen with no warning)  - lots of friendy waves and nice  toots of the horn from passing cars - I'm wearing high-vise gear including a helmet cover (yep I still wear a helmet on  the trike - keep in mind that this is a girl  who is known to have gotten her trike on 2 wheels more than a few times and has come off it a few times : ) and at least one high - vise cover on the front panniers and a number of flags  (including 2 nz flags on the trailer - that for some odd reason people think are Australian flags? ...)  

Passing over over one of the many conules?  That take water between lakes and rivers to Lake taupo by 2 power stations - including one that the power house is around 80?  m under ground (there used to be tours of the 2 power stations years ago - I did the tour of the power station near Turangi at least once over the years with my family over the years - as well as visiting more then a few other power stations in my travels around nz ) I stop to get a few photos - Looks very different after the logging of the pine forest (I'm so use to seeing it with all the trees around it)

Then it's back to riding - in places the road drops down to cross a steam before climbing back up - at one point I see a sign for one end of the Mt bike ride to tree trunk gouge?  So I decided to go for a little 10-15 minute walk along the trail for a break from the riding. Then it's time to get back on the bike as time is moving on...

From memory there is a side road that leads up to a winter ski field - it's a gravel road that turns into a 4wd track as it climbs up the side of the mountain - after this road on both sides of the main road is army land - no public access for the next 30? Km or so - after some thought I head up the ski field road until I find a safe place to spend the night - passing at one point a ute that's stuck in a bit of water - lots of 4wd tracks heading off the gravel road (there's a more then a few signs saying no vehicles off the gravel road beside the road - its a national park and on one side of the road is army  training land - yep looks like more than a few people can't read....)