All through today I was checking the weather forecast hoping for a good day for the desert crossing. A lot of what I was seeing didn't look good except for no warnings about the road.
From Taupo I got to enjoy a nice but busy lakeside ride, with one decent bump all the way to Turangi. Quite an easy ride, a lot of narrow roads but no real dramas.
A few days before I'd planned to just stay somewhere in Turangi but as the ride was easy so I'd changed my mind and decided to put a dent in tomorrow's climb.
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| Only fine I could avidly see the top of the mountains. |
20km ands 300m of easy riding later I reached Kaiwanawa campsite. This was my first free campsite. Free generally means there's only a toilet and usually water from a stream. Unfortunately the campsite was a few kms from the stream. I'd fit in early so was no problem but it was very cold filling my water!
For a while I thought I'd be the only one in the campsite but just before sunset a French chick drove in. Through language difficulties I discovered she was doing the Tongariro crossing the next day.
It was getting dark so I called it a night.
Distance day 71km total 1720km
Ascent 650m total 20,050m
Up early once again I made breakfast and got ready. It was cold but looked like it wouldn't be to bad otherwise.
So I started the climb. Only a couple of sections were anywhere near what I'd call steep and with a few short descents it took over 30km to gain the 500m altitude. I kept thinking the next ride works have to be it but there was always something slightly higher.
Eventually I reached the summit mark. Didn't really feel like a summit though as the land all around was the same height and there was Mt Ruapehu in the clouds to the side.
While I was stopped taking photos and such the sun must have come out as the temperature went into double digits. Soon after it dropped back down though.
I started the descent. I got a little bit of speed going to stay with but I was amazed at how long it was taking for me to lose altitude. A decent headwind didn't help but in general the elevation drops in steps.
After quite a while I reached Waiouru, the first civilization I'd seen since the day before.
It was cool but not to bad so I ate lunch outside. While I was there a two engine truck stopped for fuel. I'd have loved to see it go round some of the corners down to Taupo.
I set off again. Was once again a very gradual descent into Taihape. I decided to enjoy a nice warm coffee as the whole descent was very tiring with the cold and headwind. I was very tempted to stay in a hostel that night but it was still fairly early and a campsite in Mangaweka was only a little over an hour away mostly downhill with one short climb.
I made it fine and got setup and enjoyed a fairly early night.
Distance day 101km total 1821km
Ascent day 1150m total 21,200m
It rained that night and was still raining in the morning. Looking back I really should have just stayed another night but my stubbornness made me continue on.
I'd decided to do the Manawatu cycle route, it meant adding an extra day to get to Parmeston North but it would keep me off highways almost entirely. What followed was an amazing road along cliffs and valleys but in terrible weather. I really want to come back and do this ride in good weather.
The average temperature for the whole ride was 3.4 degrees, with the first few hours hovering around 1 degree's. Without rain this wouldn't have been so bad but the combo made it very appalling.
I headed to Apiti hoping for a warm place to rest a little. Wasn't too be with the tavern and petrol station closed. So I found whatever shelter I could ands made a hot drink while I put on almost all the clothes I had. I spent a long time there.
Luckily the rain stopped so I continued on. It was only just over 20km. It also warmed up slightly but I still kept all my clothes on.
I finally reached the Piripiri campsite, another free doc site. The sun even came out a little! I'd managed to pack my tent up under shelter that morning so it was mostly dry. Was great to get into bed after a bad day.
Distance day 61km total 1882km
Ascent day 1100m total 22,300m
After the terrible day before it was great to wake up to a dry day. It had rained in the night so I had to pack my tent up wet but I had a nice comfy bed in Palmeston North to look forward to.
It was still cold but not too bad. I also had mostly descending to do. For most of the ride I had the Ruahine ranges towering over me which was great.
As I got closer the livestock farms turned into crops. It was nice to see slightly different farms.
Unfortunately the wind picked up so for most of the ride I was battling into a decent headwind. Even so I managed to rock up to Tony and Debb's place right at lunchtime.
It is very nice to stay in a house, although unlike when I got into Auckland the weather is great so being on the road wouldn't have been so bad.
A nice restful afternoon followed and a fairly early night.
Distance day 58km total 1940km
Ascent 350m total 22,650m
My first day not riding at all! After lunch in town we went for a tour of the surrounding landscape. It was very different passing through roads in a car!
Looks like good weather tomorrow so I'm off to Wellington, via a few cycle routes going south of lake Wairarapa.
For a while I thought I'd be the only one in the campsite but just before sunset a French chick drove in. Through language difficulties I discovered she was doing the Tongariro crossing the next day.
It was getting dark so I called it a night.
Distance day 71km total 1720km
Ascent 650m total 20,050m
Up early once again I made breakfast and got ready. It was cold but looked like it wouldn't be to bad otherwise.
So I started the climb. Only a couple of sections were anywhere near what I'd call steep and with a few short descents it took over 30km to gain the 500m altitude. I kept thinking the next ride works have to be it but there was always something slightly higher.
Eventually I reached the summit mark. Didn't really feel like a summit though as the land all around was the same height and there was Mt Ruapehu in the clouds to the side.
While I was stopped taking photos and such the sun must have come out as the temperature went into double digits. Soon after it dropped back down though.
I started the descent. I got a little bit of speed going to stay with but I was amazed at how long it was taking for me to lose altitude. A decent headwind didn't help but in general the elevation drops in steps.
After quite a while I reached Waiouru, the first civilization I'd seen since the day before.
It was cool but not to bad so I ate lunch outside. While I was there a two engine truck stopped for fuel. I'd have loved to see it go round some of the corners down to Taupo.
I set off again. Was once again a very gradual descent into Taihape. I decided to enjoy a nice warm coffee as the whole descent was very tiring with the cold and headwind. I was very tempted to stay in a hostel that night but it was still fairly early and a campsite in Mangaweka was only a little over an hour away mostly downhill with one short climb.
I made it fine and got setup and enjoyed a fairly early night.
Distance day 101km total 1821km
Ascent day 1150m total 21,200m
It rained that night and was still raining in the morning. Looking back I really should have just stayed another night but my stubbornness made me continue on.
I'd decided to do the Manawatu cycle route, it meant adding an extra day to get to Parmeston North but it would keep me off highways almost entirely. What followed was an amazing road along cliffs and valleys but in terrible weather. I really want to come back and do this ride in good weather.
The average temperature for the whole ride was 3.4 degrees, with the first few hours hovering around 1 degree's. Without rain this wouldn't have been so bad but the combo made it very appalling.
I headed to Apiti hoping for a warm place to rest a little. Wasn't too be with the tavern and petrol station closed. So I found whatever shelter I could ands made a hot drink while I put on almost all the clothes I had. I spent a long time there.
Luckily the rain stopped so I continued on. It was only just over 20km. It also warmed up slightly but I still kept all my clothes on.
I finally reached the Piripiri campsite, another free doc site. The sun even came out a little! I'd managed to pack my tent up under shelter that morning so it was mostly dry. Was great to get into bed after a bad day.
Distance day 61km total 1882km
Ascent day 1100m total 22,300m
After the terrible day before it was great to wake up to a dry day. It had rained in the night so I had to pack my tent up wet but I had a nice comfy bed in Palmeston North to look forward to.
It was still cold but not too bad. I also had mostly descending to do. For most of the ride I had the Ruahine ranges towering over me which was great.
As I got closer the livestock farms turned into crops. It was nice to see slightly different farms.
Unfortunately the wind picked up so for most of the ride I was battling into a decent headwind. Even so I managed to rock up to Tony and Debb's place right at lunchtime.
It is very nice to stay in a house, although unlike when I got into Auckland the weather is great so being on the road wouldn't have been so bad.
A nice restful afternoon followed and a fairly early night.
Distance day 58km total 1940km
Ascent 350m total 22,650m
My first day not riding at all! After lunch in town we went for a tour of the surrounding landscape. It was very different passing through roads in a car!
Looks like good weather tomorrow so I'm off to Wellington, via a few cycle routes going south of lake Wairarapa.
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