Ongarue to Mosley Campsite.

February 4, 2025

Well I said that I’d keep it real. Today was a good day but it pales in comparison to yesterday’s pure bliss.

I started out early at 6:30 after saying goodbye to Arnold, the friendly French hiker (tramper) who was staying at Ongarue. The air was heavy with moisture and there was fog but visibility to at least 500 m. I was lit up like a Christmas tree with all the lights blinking as I set out on a gravel road saying “watch for logging trucks”. There is nothing like the power of a logging truck and we’ve experienced this many times in BC. They are generally good drivers but their task is to move lumber fast.

I came onto the first one in a good place. He was headed the other way but they are so big that you feel the road shake. I got right off the road. The next one came as I was approaching a corner. I was hugging the ditch and to his credit they slowly around corners. Just not a very fun stretch of gravel with your senses at 100.

My goal for the morning was to get to Taumarunui early and find someplace I could plug in and connect to the world. I quickly found McDonald’s and knew from the Great Divide that they are super reliable with outlets and free WIFI. I hung out there with a sandwich and coffee for an hour and a half. They have great coffee which is a notable difference from Canada where their coffee is acceptable but cappuccino is not on the menu.

After that I ran into a grocery that was a block away and grabbed a few more groceries and hit the road again by 10. It was mostly gravel riding and not a particularly great surface as road go. It had the usual breaking and accelerating bumps that had me weaving around a bit and then it got really loose with loads of gravel.

I came into a banked curve to the right. On my side there wasn’t a good line so I checked behind and tried the middle. Right at the apex it just got too loose and my front wheel washed out. I ended up falling right and away from my bike. As crashes go it was mild. My arm and shoulder have a few scrapes and my shirt is torn at the shoulder. The bars twisted and the hood took a smack and I had to realign it and the bars before continuing.

I pride myself on being skilled on a bike but things will happen and I had slowed right down as slow as I could go given the downward pitch.

I got moving again and stopped to clean a few cuts. On the Divide we both rode without crashing and the first aid kit was only for Advil.

Really nice guys from Switzerland 🇨🇭. They love trail angels. Yay New Zealand 🇳🇿

Up the road I came onto two hikers stopped for a break. They were super nice and friendly guys from Switzerland. We shared a few adventure stories and I laughed when one said “we were in the jungle.” I told them about the fun comment about it being called the bush here. They chuckled but agreed with me that it’s a jungle. To me it’s the smell, the humidity and the variety of flora. At home we have dense forests but they are very different. Still incredibly beautiful just different.

Trail to the campsite. Up and down and a bit exposed.

They were filming and documenting their whole experience and planning to produce it so I gave them my IG and hopefully they share the results.

I just kept plodding along those gravel roads for hours and it was hot (35 C). I kept drinking and eating and soon longing for the next little town of Whakahoro. There’s a cafe there but sadly it was closed. Fortunately they had a water spigot and I filled up completely because all the way along there was a river that was too far down to access.

Right out of Whakahoro I headed back into the forest and really slow up and down singletrack with drop offs to the left. I was getting tired by this point and happy when I came up to Mosley’s campsite. Here I have spread out and I’m camping in the shelter because it’s the flattest available spot.

Later, after writing this post Chris from Minnesota showed up. We had a good chat and then I hit bed at 8 exhausted..

As days go though it beats the best day at work :)

Highlights:

-meeting the guys from Switzerland

-free WIFI

-shade in some sections of the gravel to take breaks from the heat

Distance: 103 km and 1560 elevation gain

Today's ride: 103 km (64 miles)
Total: 563 km (350 miles)

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