We cycle on quiet roads for most of the day. On the map, Tram Road will avoid the busy Highway #1, but we only find a private road where bikes are not allowed near a big plant.
Eventually we decide to try it and end up on Tram Road, we ask a company truck driver about the road. As it is Saturday, he thinks it will be okay if we take it, it is a logging road which on weekdays will have huge logging trucks on it.
It is a 20KM paved logging road, we have it to ourselves...it is a bit eerie passing through big clear cut areas and some big hills. I am a bit glad when we finally reach pasture land again.
Around 2PM we do a long climb with tall trees lining either side of the road, Peter is ahead of me when a dog sneaks up on him, he yells and it retreats, fortunately it doesn't come on the road again as I am too tired to outrun it.
After a brief lunch by the side of the road, I am still feeling quite tired (and hoping for some Kiwi hospitaliy), so we start keep our eyes open for a suitable camping spot, although we are passing through farm land so the land is wirefenced, and spots are hard to find.
We pass a school yard (Tirohanga) where a woman is sitting outside, I tell Peter that I will ask if we can camp in the school yard. The woman I talk to cleans the school, she gives it some thought and thinks it will be okay. After letting us use the school toilet, she invites Peter & I to a family BBQ at 6PM, she also offers us a bed for the night, but we tell her that we are fine to camp. Her name is Anne.
Kiwi Hospitality! Anne & Howard pick us up around 6PM after milking their cows. They moved from Auckland about a year earlier. Up the road a little ways, it is a big gathering of friends and family, people look at us a bit curiously when we show up. There are little children, cat, dogs, Norman the lamb and a calf.
There is an excellent spread of food and it is a very pleasant group of people. Suggestions are offered on which roads to take further south. One lady that we chat with turns out to be the current Prime Minister's (Helen Clark) sister, we receive an invite to have tea with them the next day.
It is a cold windy night but we are concealed from the road and protected from the wind and snug in our sleeping bags.
The next morning, it is quite cold and windy. It is about 6KM to Jennifer and Bruce's house as they are off the main road. We have tea and chat. Bruce has a collection of vintage vehicles including a 100 year old Model T which we are treated to a drive in...he has to crank it 4 times before starting it and it has wooden spokes. Their fox terrior hopped in for the drive, a friendly fellow.
Before we depart, we take photos. The Kiwi hospitality and a ride in a Model T is definitely a hightlight of our trip thus far.
It is a challenging ride to Taupo with rain on and off (even hail) and a headwind/cross wind - it is a bit scary at times when you are on the descent. Bruce honked his horn as he passed us in his Model T.
We stay at a lovely motorcamp a couple kilometers from town and have "Take Away" Fish & Chips for supper.
As it is the Labour Day weekend, we stay another night to avoid the traffic. We ride into town and walk around the Tinkers & Traders (gypsy) Caravans and booths. It is cold and windy so the walk by the lake is short. We watch golfers try their hand at hitting a ball onto a platform on the water to try to get a hole in one.
Day 13 cycling 50 KM
Day 14 cycing 52 KM
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