Karangahake Gorge -Tokoroa Oct20-23/08

11KM from Whangamata, we start the climb for over 9KM, fortunately the grade is not too steep, so I can cycle up and then some tight turns and some long straight downhills.

35KM to Waihi a mining town. Very interesting video at the Info Centre of how they moved a massive 18 ton old structure Pumphouse to a stable location. I walk around it and take photos after lunch while Peter sits.

Around 4PM we are on the busy & narrow Highway 2 to Karangahake Gorge, fortunately after a ways there is a walkway that parallels the road...it is an old railtrail, a bit rough and not well graded but better than #2. Impressive view of high cliffs and stream before we cross the bridge and enter the 1KM tunnel...it is very dark and eerie, there are some lights but in places you can't see at all you just have to keep walking.

I am glad when we come out the other end. We stay at a motorcamp although in the fellows back yard with his chickens (feathery tuffs on their legs). It has a great shower.

Next day we carry on to Te Aroha on Highway 26 until we can get off on a quiet country road (Rawhiti Road). Chat with a cyclist/dairy farmer. In Te Aroha we stock up on groceries and cycle a couple km out of town to the motorcamp.

A UK couple in a camper offer us tea when we arrived. We cook up lamb chops and vegs but there are no utensils in the kitchen so it is a little difficult to eat with our spoons.

Á symphony of birds wake us in the morning! In the shower building, I almost scream at the huge bug on the wall above my jacket. We have a tailwind behind us so except for pausing to photograph the poppies and a mare and colt we carry on until 26KM lunchbreak.

Before we get onto Te Poi Rd we pass a yard with a big fenced Rotweiller that looks like he wants to eat us luckily the fence is just...high enough.

There is suppose to be a campsite at Okoroire, it is quite rural and there are no signs for a campground at the turnoff. We eventually see the sign and inquire at the hotel unfortunately the campground is not open for 2 days (labour day weekend) and the backpackers and hotel is fully booked and the lady manager is not sympathetic to the fact that we have already cycled 65KM. She suggests a B&B (expensive) or carry on 6KM to Tiru to see if anything is there?

We decide to carry on to Tiru or find a spot to camp along the way, just as we leave the hotel and start up the hill, I spot a little clearing, so this is our camp spot for the night.

There is a bit of garbage in the clearing but it isn't until morning that Peter points out that what we think is fire burn is actually a dead sheeps'carcass (not fresh!). I also have to clear some bugs/spider from the folds in my paniers. We have breakfast at a picnic table beside the hairy pigs pen just before we reach Tiru.

The Info Centre is a metal building shaped like a big sheepdog beside the sheep (Merino Wool shop). I take a look in the Jade & Shell Factory/Shop.

It rains off & on, however we are on quiet roads, we pass big farms with long lanes and fields with huge stones.

In Tokoroa we think that we have a great deal on the cabin only $25/night instead of $50 however we check out the kitchen (dirty) and shower facilities (ok). This is the only motorcamp so we stay...anyway Peter says it is better than a dump and a dead sheep's carcass!

There are a number of people that live in caravans (small RV's) in the camp, they appear to very poor (either retired or dodgy characters). Although Peter says hello to the men, they do not respond. We keep our groceries with us the first night as we aren't sure that they will be in the fridge the next morning. I am not happy about staying a second night, but the forcast is rainy and we had bought too many groceries to carry with us, so we do laundry and walk into town. I check out a community gallery, a few good works of art.

Our cabin does have a beautiful mural on the wall and it is big enough for our bikes.

Day 9 cycling 50 KM
Day 10 cycling 38 KM
Day 11 cycling 67 KM
Day 12 cycling 55 KM