Cycle to Taupo

I was sorry to leave Rotorua and the Funky Green Voyager, where I had made friends with some nice people. It was time to go south to Lake Taupo after being delayed by rain on Sunday. People keep telling me horror stories about the bad drivers in NZ. The owner of the backpackers even gave me a high vis shirt to wear! The first thing to say about the ride was the humidity... I was sweating buckets after a couple of kms. The 30 kms was a long drag up through pine forest which pinned in the humidity nicely. After about 15 km I filled up my water bottles from a camper. I was on the busy SH5  but the drivers were okay and gave me space when I needed it. My bike gave me another headache because a nut and bolt had come loosed and fallen out of the pannier rack . This meant the rack rubbed against the back wheel. I took the quiter road through Reporoa which is famous for an Iron Man going through it. A man at the local shop gave me a cable tie which got me to my destination. I met 2 Germans cycling with their 4 year old daughter attached at the back. They were really laden with tents and loads of other stuff. They had been all over the south island and even over one of the mountain passes. This was a long cycle of 85 kms and it felt longer on my mountain bike. I was really glad to get to Rainbow lodge backpackers. Today is lovely, sunny and fresh.
Gerrard, Vera and Loz looking happy but efficient!

Reporoa Iron Man