Last day on the Hauraki Rail Trail - to Kaiaua and beyond

Cloudy skies, wind - but surely its not a tail wind today?  Yes!

After a quick breakfast, I headed back to the bird hides for one more look.  The tide was even higher, but still the godwits stayed far away.  

Time to get on the road!  Kaiaua was only 7km away - the offical start (for most people) or end (ie me) of the Hauraki Rail Trail.  This last section was riding on top of the chenier - a ridge of crushed seashells, so a little soft and tricky to stay upright!  One section was badly washed out, so we rode on the road for a short section.  Soon we arrived in Kaiaua and bought a coffee and a piece of quite yummy carrot cake.  Its always a tad sad at the end of a trail, but there were still plenty of kms ahead of us - some of them are UP! 

There wasn't too much traffic, just enough to annoy!  The road waved alongside the sea shore, slowly climbing a little higher each turn, but still manageable.  But sadly all good things come to an end and at Matingarahi, we turned inland and immediately the road began to seriously tilt upwards.

Oh dear, I thought that this past week or 2, my legs were getting stronger, but not for hills!  Soon it was safer to push Hennie along, rather than wobbling around trying to ride.  There was no shoulder and it seemed like a favourite section for speedsters, especially motorbikes to be driving/riding on this public holiday.  So we walked.  

Eventually we reached a rise and spent a little time conversing with some sheep.  A tiny lamb was hiding in a tussock and would not come out for a photo.  But it was time to get onto Hennie and coast down the other side of the ridge.  Unfortunately, the down is never as long as the up and soon, I was puffing and pushing Hennie up another ridge.  The westerly wind was gathering force too, trying to send us back to the coast.  But we struggled up another ridge and zoomed down the other side into Orere Point.  We then turned east and sailed down to Orere Beach and to the holiday park where I have a basic cabin for the night - tiny and very basic, but it is still better than Dicksons!

Am trying not to think about tomorrow's westerly ride back into Auckland - I know its gunna be a tough 50km, so an early start is required, hopefully getting a few kms done before the wind really picks up.

Sadly this holiday is quickly coming to an end.  But (excluding tomorrow) its been full of variety, some spectacular scenery and generally just fun to be out cycling again on unknown roads!

Excludes Section C to Waihi

Couldn't resist buying this coffee-in-a-can - from Japan!

Up and up!

Typical NZ farm, hills and sheep

Looking across the Firth of Thames

Orere Beach - the kids were having more fun 
swimming in the river than runs into the bay