Day 6 Turiwiri (near Dargaville) to Paparoa

Today we start early, getting up in the dark at 6am and are on the road at 7:15. This is not natural for me but I have to admit the conditions: cool, clear and calm are perfect for riding. We cover a very quick (for us) 5km on SH12 then turn into the back roads.

Back roads are very quiet but are often gravel and seem to seek out hills. These ones are gravel and find a few hills, but are mostly straight, reasonably level and don't have much loose stone. Sau Keng does not like camber as it tilts her trike and neither of us like loose stone - here we make good time.

We rose early to get to Ruawai in time for a 10am meeting, it looks like we will be an hour early, so we target Matakohe instead.

View near Turiwiri, looking west

...

We are going to be late... But our phones show we have network connection and it's quiet and pleasant here, so we pull off the road and set up shop. Alas, the network connection is not good enough, so we pack up shop again and continue. "It was not important for me to attend" says Sau Keng.

We arrive at Matakohe at 10:30, about the finish time of the meeting. "How far to Paparoa?" asks Sau Keng, "9km", "So close!, I thought we were only half way!". Our check in time is 2pm and we told our hosts we expect to arrive between 4 and 5 - It's very nice here and I am interested in the museum so we will have brunch and stay a while.

We have a very good meal at the café opposite the museum then Sau Keng sets up shop to work and I enter the museum - I'm still not used to qualifying for a senior discount.

A good brunch

Sau Keng in her office

The museum is very good and I spend more than 2 hours looking around. In the end the exhibits and photos overwhelm. I leave awed by the tenacity and resourcefulness of the settlers - and appalled at their attitude of treating everything as a resource to be exploited.

Section of an ordinary kauri. See far wall and compare with diameter of large trees

Leaving Paparoa we take a short cut, riding on the old highway and cutting off a big corner. Oops, a wire barrier stops us from getting onto SH12 (I'd used Google Earth to check - but did not see the wire) There is a 'totem pole' here, so we check it out and see the path continues - it can only go to another section of the old highway, so of we go. The track delivers nice views of the rives and takes us where we expect. Now which way? Backwards to a definite exit or try our luck again? We try our luck and ride to a dead end - or is it? The wire ends 100m away, we push to the very end of the old highway, 70m, Sau Keng walks across the shallow grassy ditch and I drive the trike across, 60m. There is just enough space outside the wire to ride - and we can get back onto the road :-) Only 6km to go.

6km is nothing! We are at Pheasant Lodge, but our hosts are at the beach. Our fault, we said we would arrive much later. We tell them not to hurry and relax under the grapes.

Tony and Maggie arrive and we have never felt more cared for, they fuss over us, and share a complementary beer with us. There are tree trimmings in the garden - so I offer to help. Tony resists but lets me twist his arm. In about 40 minutes we move a big pile of wood and dispose of the trimmed branches. Tony says he was dreading that job and gives me a second beer. Showers, relax and dinner is prepared - a BBQ together under the grapes. We paid for our meals - but did not expect the extra service and company. After dinner we chat into the evening. They are an interesting couple.

Pheasant Lodge with wood I helped move

The house is heritage and has been very well restored, and somewhat over decorated - but with humor. It is extremely nice. We head for bed - looking forward to breakfast tomorrow.

This is the first day that has felt easy to me 😀

Statistics

Distance 56.2km

Time 04:14

Climbed 562m