Back home again, time to reminisce on the long awaited trip. Covid has halted touring plans, so it was a good to head over the ditch for a quick pedal. Several Facebook posts about the Haruki Trail had decided me that this could be a quick and close-by trip to take.
And it was. China Airlines flights were really comfortable, accommodating and even early on the return flight. Even the vegetarian meals were quite tasty and ample. So tick for them, definitely recommend them if you're flying either to Taipei or Auckland. The flight was only 3 hours to Auckland compared to other airlines that flew from Brisbane to Sydney or Melbourne with hours at each terminal. And resonably priced!
My plan to catch a train down to Hamilton, then cycle to Cambridge worked. From the window, I got the clear idea that the North Island is Green! Cows are black and white! I soon realised what was ahead.
Our first ride to Cambridge was a good wake up for this old body, although Hennie's chain was slipping far too often. But that was fixed by the great mechanic at Spoke in Cambridge.
Cambridge, a small town, lots of cafes and the lake in the crater was quite beautiful to walk around. The next day saw a bit of a punishing ride over to Matamata, steep rolling hills, but this was in New Zealand!
Matamata was the start of the Hauraki Trail and the Trail was very clearly marked, which carried throughout the whole Trail. Only got lost a couple of times, which is a miracle for me! The trail surface was easy to ride on, in some places quite firm, in other places a little soft, but probably the best rail trail surface I have ridden on, so that was a bonus.
It was rather repetitive though. After awhile, green paddocks, cows, sometimes sheep, once deer, all become a little tiring. The mountain range to the east helped make the scenery more interesting, although my one attempt at venturing into that area - to the Wairere Falls - was a failure as I never reached the Falls after believing the Lookout to the Falls was only 15 mins up the track. But walking in the forest there was quite interesting!
Riding through Karangahake Gorge and out to Waikino and onto Waihi Beach was the most interesting part of the whole trail, complete with its little adventures along the Gorge. This section - Paeroa to Waihi is obviously the most popular section, including the train ride between Waikino and Waihi.
There were a couple of closures along the Trail, especially the one between Kupo and Waitakaruru, which was a tad sad. But generally I enjoyed pedalling along the Trail, just enjoying being out with Hennie and cycling in another country. Keeping out of the way of traffic always makes for an enjoyable pedal.
I certainly recommend the Hauraki Rail Trail for anyone who is looking for an easy, quiet pedal and New Zealand is quite a beautiful place to visit at any time.
I do wish that I had planned my last few days in Auckland a little better. I ended up miles out of the city centre, stuck in boring suburbs and sulky! I was thankful that the accommodation was quite close to the Airport and close to 99 Bikes where I managed to get another bike box to pack Hennie in for her return flight. But wish that I had spent an extra day out in the country side and maybe one night in the city, before moving out to be closer to the airport. Hindsight! will consider that for next time!
Now I am left wondering where to go next! I truly enjoyed myself, but was thankful that I was still pretty close to home. Travelling to Europe still seems a tad risky! But I still haven't ridden along all the marvellous bike ways in the Netherlands... Stay tuned!
