I am knackered, what a day.
Woke up a few times during the night but on the whole I’m getting the hang of tent living, I still think I have too many things with me that I do not use, but I guess this is a problem for the next trip. Got up quite early for my standard and was ready to go by 8:00.
Peter, (The Quinn’s son) was around to do the blueberries spraying and we had a chat about blueberries, mountain bike and the route I was taking south. By then Maureen and Paddy had joined us and they suggested that I call into some friends of theirs that live, and have a blueberries growing business 55 miles into my route. I took all the detail but I was a bit dubious I was going to make it, 55 miles on day three when the first two days were 50 miles each is no mean feat.
After saying my bye byes I left aiming for Cambridge, a mere 14 miles away. I got there in less than a hour and stopped for a bite and internet in the first nice looking coffee. The internet was available but it was limited to 50 Mb and that was a bit of a drag. I had meant to video call my mum but I was not sure if it was enough.
I did most of the posting of yesterday post and at the end my mother called me drying up what remaining allowance I had. Anyways, I was happy to hear her and to hear that my dad is doing well with his treatment.
Leaving Cambridge I headed east towards Roturoa on the State Highway 5 which eventually runs by lake Karapiro (picture at the top). The SH5 is a fine road, mostly two lanes but with the occasional stretch with three lanes for passing.
The first 10 miles after Cambridge went quite quickly and I decided to celebrate finishing the fruit I bought yesterday (I suspect in the morning I will load up with blueberries).
After that the road started showing its true nature, short steep ascents followed by brief descents for the next 15 miles.
On one of these ascents I took a moment to have a bit of food and I noticed that across the road there was a business called Corrugated Creations (http://www.corrugatedcreations.co.nz/), which had all sorts of thing s in the field in front. I did not pay much attention until I got to Tirau and I realised that the town had been given a corrugated makeover with hardly any corner not adorned by small and large creations.
The real deal were the last 15 miles, once Tirau and its lovely corrugated art was behind me it become a relentless uphill climb with no letting go.
I was stopping every 3 miles to start and then probably every two. I even made a pit stop at a road side caffe where, after some isotonic beverage I squezed in a 20 minutes power nap. Not all of my cognitive faculties gone I managed to admire the beauty of the Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park.
Anyways, after approximately six and a half hours of riding and a whopping 11 hours on the trot I made it to the Mamako Blue Vinery. I got there some time after closure so I had to enlist the help of Maureen Quinn to get me to the right spot, she gave me directions and also phoned Anne who came to meet me on the drive of the house.
Harry and Anne have a great business and they are delightful people, after I pitched the tent I spoke a little with the group of berry pickers that were accommodated on the ground, mostly gap year students from all parts of the world.
It was a trying day, and one in which thoughts of sofas and sandy beaches popped up relentlessly in my mind, but I made it trough it and today is another day.