Thames to Orere Point

December 16, 2023

Setting forth around the Firth.

We farewell our hosts and wish our fellow guests auf wiedersehen before carefully negotiating the steep gravel driveway. We pass the ‘Castle’ whose owner claims to be a Knight Templar. The skull over the letterbox might be a junk mail deterrent or perhaps it had deeper significance. We don’t stop to find out as the steep descent whisks us away. The downhill angle is sharp and we wonder how we found the energy to ascend yesterday.

The Waterfront path is easily located and we admire the beauty of the red Pohutukawa flowers in the sunshine, many in full bloom. The first known published reference to the pohutukawa as a Christmas tree came in 1857, when ‘flowers of the scarlet Pohutukawa, or “Christmas tree”’ formed part of table decorations at a feast put on by Ngāpuhi leader Eruera Patuone. Settlers in the 19th century decorated churches and homes with the flowers, known as ‘The Settlers’ Christmas Tree’ and ‘Antipodean Holly’.

The cycle path follows along the waterfront past the old train station buildings and the remnants of the old wharves. After buying enough food for lunch, we head back to the path and to the turn off west for Miranda and then north for Kaiaua.

Cyclists shelters designed in the same style as an old station building.

Because the Hauraki Rail Trail is undergoing repairs, we are forced to take to the road. It’s ok where there’s a shoulder, but when that diminishes and all the remains is a white line on a rumble strip, it’s a worry. The road isn’t too busy, but there’s enough traffic to keep one’s nerves a little on edge. We stop at a cafe at about the halfway mark and revitalise with a caffeine injection.

Once at Miranda we look out for the famous Godwits that fly to and think we spy a few but they don’t look long beaked enough to me. These birds have been known to fly as many as 5000 kilometres to and from Alaska and are dear to the hearts of New Zealanders, despite not winning bird of the year. Robyn Hyde, New Zealand journalist, poet and novelist of the 1930s wrote The Godwits Fly, an autobiographical novel, which uses the birds as a symbol of the longing many New Zealanders felt – at least in her day – for England, the place they still thought of as home. It’s probably still relevant to those of us for whom our OE (overseas experience) was a rite of passage in our younger years.

After lunch at Kaiaua it’s a ride along the road with gloriously blue sea stretching to Coromandel on one side and hills on the other, until the Matingarahi turn off and upwards. It’s quite a stiff climb taking us high above the coast and the firth of Thames. Stopping for a few rest breaks helps and before too long we’ve covered the ten kilometres to the general store at Orere Point. Here we buy a couple of Fruju ice blocks which have never tasted better, and rejuvenate on the seats outside in the shade.

Our accommodation is close by and after following a series of detailed instructions we are in.

Today's ride: 69 km (43 miles)
Total: 328 km (204 miles)

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