What a slog! 35.5km!

The day started slow, I barely did one rotation on the bike and my muscles started burning. I am definitely not bike fit yet! The track is slightly up for half of the track today. We had a couple of e-bike wankers pass us with a smug look on their face as the zoom up the hills. Haha can you see I am very dark about these e-bikes! We got to the Wai-iti Domain where we were supposed to camp last night and I needed a small break. My legs feel on fire. We need water soon, but there is nowhere to get any here. Unless we want to filter it from the river. There is a bit of a mountain bike track from here to Belgrove. It was a bit of a peddle but I quite enjoyed it.

We go past a free range chicken farm. Rowan ends up scaring a stoat in the act of stealing an egg. The stoat drops it on the path. We decide to keep it and test how fresh it is!

We get to Belgrove and ask the weighing station for some water. They let us fill up our bottles. Yay, plenty of water for the uphill. This track is part of the Great Taste Trail and is perfect for cycling. There are a few road crossings, but all in all, it is a pretty safe track. There is a steep bit I have to get off and walk. The skinny bike gates are not designed for tour bikers. You have to lift your bike over them. We get up around the corner and have a break and a snack. There is about 4.5km to Spooners Tunnel from here.

Now my legs are killing me, it takes a long time to get to the tunnel. I walk and bike the rest of the uphill. It doesn’t look uphill but it is a small incline. Obviously designed to trains to handle. When we get to the sign we chat to a guy who we chatted to earlier on his way back and a group of people who are on their way to Wakefield.

I didn’t make it all the way for the kilometre. I turned around to talk to Rowan and I thought he was being a creeper behind me and trying to scare me. Turns out he was at the start of the tunnel and couldn’t hear me. So I was just talking to myself.

From outside the tunnel, I had so much fun. Downhill baby! There was only a small amount of up and the rest was down, down, down to Kohatu. We did stop under the trees for lunch. When we reached Kohatu we treated ourselves to a milkshake each. And took a good 30min break.

From here to Tapawera was mostly downhill. The last few kms gave us a bit of a headwind.

We set up our tent at the campground. Free WiFi, showers, washing, drying. It is a great spot for weary riders. We headed to the 4square to get a few supplies for dinner and ended up going to the pub to get takeaways. Not bad burgers for $7.50