Day 3
Sun. 28 Feb. 2010
Dist: 117 km.
Av. Spd: 18km/hr.
NRG: 2322 Cal.
Ride Time: 6 hrs 30 min
Another biiig day! But another perfect day for cycling. We left Rawene at 7.30 after just a light snack, heading for Opononi. It was only 20 km so the plan was to eat somewhere nice in Opononi or Omapere. We found the perfect café overlooking the Hokianga but despite being open the chef hadn’t arrived and wasn’t going to be there until 9.30 - we were way too hungry to wait so decided the other option of an ‘all you can eat buffet at the Copthorne’ for $22 was just too tempting. It lived up to its billing (it’s going to be a hard breakfast to beat in the great NZ breakfast survey - 8.5) and the setting was just magnificent. It was very hard to drag ourselves away, especially knowing that the next leg included the big uppy bit out of Omapere which has quite a reputation!
At the top of said uppy bit we stopped to take in the superb view and got talking to an English lady (who thought we were nuts) who’d taken our photo as we ascended, she kindly offered to email it to me. Nice person!
The good thing about the big up was the awesome down on the other side - we set a new top speed record (don’t read this Mum) of 77.8 km/hr - sweet!
What we hadn’t planned for was the really big uppy bit into the Waipuoa Forest - it’s a beast - we climbed for 45 minutes in the small chain ring! At the summit we pulled off the highway for a rest and lunch of gingernuts and hot cross buns, then rode about 500m around the corner and discovered the Tane Mahuta rest area with the caravan that sells hot food and cold drinks - doh!
As you can tell by the slow average speed and the high calorie count the rest of the day was pretty testing and it sure felt good to see the ‘Welcome to Dargaville’ signs.
So after a wonderful Indian meal at Shiraz, Tim and Sharon have departed back to the real world and I’ll be on my own for a few days until I meet up with my cousin Stewart in Wellsford and Almo a bit further down the line.
The legs are good, and the spirits are high but another part of my anatomy sure knows it’s done 3 x 100km days!
go you!!! makes me feel very lazy...Nothing much happening here apart from the Tsumami warning that was like the last... Enjoy your next few days... :) Sach
ReplyDeleteWe don't do breakfast in the South so might wanna bring extra gingernuts.
ReplyDeleteTo help with your sore bits, try a golf driving range. I found it numbing!!!
Hi Sacha
ReplyDeleteYeah, heard about the tsunami warning - in fact we were just cresting a big up between Rawene and Opononi and a lady going the other way stopped on the blind hilltop to warn us, doh, we were heading to the west coast anyway!
Hey Keith
Hmmm I had something less short, sharp and shocking in mind, like a bag of frozen peas! But the driving range incident still cracks me up to this day, so it might help take my mind off the burn! Will stock up ginger nuts, do you want me to chuck in a few packets for you too?
Ha! we thought yesterday's little humps were hills. What a mission and again I relied on you to drag me up that 45 minute climb Mark. By the time I arrived at the top of Waipoua Hill you had cooled off and had a meal !!
ReplyDeleteHey the arrival at Dargaville was bitter sweet. It was great to get there and I needed to stop but found myself wishing i was goin on.....
Thanks heaps my friend for sharing your adventure and for your leadership and support - I look forward to catching up a bit further down the line when you will have some more stories to tell !!
Go Well .....