January 8, 1992
To Te Aroha
This was a very full day. It began much better than expected - we were kept awake late into the night by heavy rains, and we had fears of another soggy day in NZ. Instead, we awoke to clearing skies and a mild but friendly tailwind. After our day's rest from the bikes we were both much more energetic, strong, and ready for the road.
The anticipated long ascent of the Mamaku range proved to be an ideal climb - 13k, but never steep, it kept a modest and consistent grade that brought us into the high country with as little pain as could be hoped for. The Mamaku plateau itself was quite interesting - after a brief traverse of a knifelike ridge, the land opened up into an eerie, eroded plateau punctuated by curious spires and steeples - they apeared to be eroded plugs from ancient volcanic activity.
At the top we enjoyed a break at a curiously ocatedc tea shop for tea, carrot cake (R), and pie (S); then doubled down with a second, similar order before cascading out of the highlands for the river valley defining the western face of the Kaimai Range. For the remainder of the day's ride we followed this range as it gradually gained elevation to the north.
Shortly befor Matamata I broke a second spoke on my rear wheel; and after resting in a park for lunch we fortunately found a bike shop in town which repaired and retrued it for only $10NZ and a half hour delay. We also stalled around while we called United to confirm our departure time and the fact that the airline had no bicycle boxes in stock at the airport.
The remainder of the ride was along a flat, beautifully pastoral quiet rural road to Te Aroha, wheich we reached by about 3:30. By 4:30 we were settled at the motorcamp and at the trailhead for the climb to the summit of Te Aroha, at 950 meters the highest point in the range. This was quite a spectacular climb - almost 2 hours up, often very steeply, through beautiful native forests. The trail was often difficult to negotiate - long stretches of steep climbs, the path little more than toeholds in the tree roots. The views were increasingly impressive though, and by the time we reached the summit we could see the entire vally to its mouth at the Firth of Thames, and long views both down the Kaimai Range and across the east to Cormandel and the Pacific.
The climb was sufficiently steep and precarious that we decided to walk down the gravel access road instead; and about halfway down we picked up a separate track through the bush to the outskirts of town. We arrived back at our bikes shortly before dusk, pooped out from a 100k bike ride and a 4 hour mountain hike (oh, yeah - an Rachael slipped in a muddy patch on the way down, bruising and scraping her hip).
We had a very enjoyable meal in the dusk, eating takeaway Mexican food on a downtown lawn before pedaling the 3k back to our caravan in the near dark for a well earned night's sleep.
Today's ride: 65 miles (105 km)
Total: 1,306 miles (2,102 km)
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