March 2010

Masterton - Wellington - Napier
Coastal Tour

 

 

 

 

 

Porangahau Beach - Napier

 

-  weather  -

the last 2 weeks of March turned on warm, dry & mostly kind conditions for our tour. The winds were from the NW – often at our backs, but very strong some days (on crossing one station and climbing to 400 metres, although the path was rideable, we were forced to walk,  or be blown over the side of the hill).  The wind was blowing the tops off the waves turning the sea white with whirly winds whipping up the surface, moving from sea to land and trying to dismount us from our cycles, creating a vicious head wind in one instant and then blowing us along from the rear the next.    After coming out of the last station at Waimarama for the 50km cycle into Napier we encountered our first rain – luckily it was only light drizzle so we pressed on, limping into Napier with one of us having two broken spokes and a slightly buckled rear wheel.     However we managed to find the Te Mata Cheesery, then a café to break the journey and replenish our engines.

 

 

Traffic Jam!!!

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Shucking paua at Blackhead.  We scored a couple for our meal that night.

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Main Highway from Blackhead to Pourerere - 10km along the beach at low tide.
This was a welcome relief from the hills.

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Shaded lunch stop - Pourerere Rd.

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Our shelter for the last night - on Te Apiti Station.  It had an outside shower room,
kitchen, dining and toilet block.  Sheep had also been sharing the quarters.
We scored the accommodation 2 out of 10!!!

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Planning the route for the final day's ride in to Napier.

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This ridge, between watersheds, had one of the better farm tracks on Te Apiti Station.

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The first real coffee for several days - an oasis near Waimarama Beach.
From here it was a 50km ride in to Napier.

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Passing drizzle shrouded Te Mata Peak.

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NAPIER   -   MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

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We all felt extremely satisfied having completed this challenge. After a rest day, cycle repairs & a soak in the hot pools, Margaret & Donald drove to Dannevirke then cycled for a further 3 days & 170kms on Wairarapa back roads.   Lyn & Neale bused to Woodville and over the following 2 days cycled the 100kms back to Masterton to reunite with their van.

 

A huge thank you to Margaret & Donald for their inspiration to cycle remote, scenic parts of our country, their valued friendship, loads of fun & laughter along the way,   and the challenge to keep us all fit & active.

 

 

And another huge thank you to the four of you for sharing your trip with the rest of us mere mortals
-  and to Lyn and Neale for getting the photos together and for the narrative.

 

 

 

 

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