DAY THREE: TE RERENGA WAIRUA / DEPARTING FROM THE CAPE

Day 1 (Cape Reinga to Kaitaia) Daily Distance: 111.07 kms
Day 2 (Kaitaia to Whangaroa) Daily Distance: 75.33 kms
Day 3 (Whangaroa to Paihia) Daily Distance: 63.28 kms
Total Distance: 249.68 kms

Looking back on Europe, Day One was a leisurely stroll from Poynton to Sheffield. In New Zealand, however, Day One was not nice. Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of fun – in the first half of the day.
First thing, I was shuttled from Kaitaia to Cape Reinga on a tourist bus. We stopped to see some giant Kauri trees, travelled north up 90 mile beach, went sand boarding on the giant 140 metre high Te Paki Dunes and finally reached Te Rerenga Wairua, the Maori name for Cape Reinga, which means “the departure place of spirits” from Aotearoa (New Zealand). Fascinatingly, the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet with a loud thud here at the northern tip of this southern country.

Te Paki Sand Dunes

So that was the first half of the day done.

The Kiwi adventure was about to begin. And as it happened, the cape was also the departure place for me, although I did the reverse of those spirits. While they rose gracefully from the cape and into the sky, I was plummeting back to where they had departed from, complete with loud thud. Just like the sea meeting the ocean.

I hadn’t eaten enough, didn’t think through the fact that I wouldn’t be departing until 1pm (meaning peak-heat and a very late arrival), and then had to ride over 100kms into a very strong wind (the peninsula is only 10km wide so is very exposed), in high temperatures (it was about this day that Sydney was sweltering in 43 degree heat). I arrived back in Kaitaia, where the day had begun, just before 9pm, just before the sun disappeared, but long after my enthusiasm had evaporated like the spirits from the cape.

Cape Reinga to Bluff

 

I didn’t spend that whole eight hours riding: in fact, two were spent having a siesta on the grass at shops that marked the first sign of civilization from the cape. On the plus side, I had become an instant celebrity given that every single car or bus that passed me heading north towards the cape then passed me a few hours later when they were heading back south. One very friendly Dutch family that I had met at the Cape just prior to my departure even stopped for a catch up on their way back.

Day Two was a dramatic improvement: I had decided to make it a shorter day to the quaint seaside town of Mangonui, but in the end continued on to the even more quaint harbour side Whangaroa, which meant that already I had gained time and distance on my schedule. The roads were quiet, wind behind my back and the short distance allowed me another lunchtime siesta, although this time it was by choice rather than necessity.

Whangaroa Harbour

Whangaroa Pier

 On arrival in Whangaroa I discovered that my fame stretched beyond the Opononi Peninsula, as four other touring cyclists had seen me a few days earlier and were anticipating my arrival in Whangaroa (they knew that I was coming because someone had called ahead on my behalf to book the hostel and mentioned that I was a cyclist). Those four are from USA, and are undoubtedly crazier than me. You can follow them on Facebook – search for ‘Left Side Ride’.

Firstly, they plan on not only covering NZ tip to toe, but then continuing to Australia where they hope to ride from Melbourne to Cairns. More notable, however, is that they are each carrying at least twice as much as myself – and I think that I have too much gear! Between the four of them they have: 4 GoPro Cameras, 3 SLR cameras, 4 laptops, 4 bike pumps (including one that is nearly the size of my leg and could probably pump up a jumping castle in less than 10 minutes), 3 tents, 3 camping stoves, fishing gear, diving gear (snorkels and flippers), 3 types of sauce for rice, 5 avocados that haven’t ripened since their purchase four days ago, but yet – wait for it – 0 mobile phones. They each have four panniers (two front and two rear), plus at least one bag on top of the rear panniers, and a handlebar bag.

Since the Left Side Ride boys and I were all heading to the same place the following day, Paihia – we toyed with the idea of riding together, although I ended up getting a hefty head start since it took them several hours to pack up their campsite. I’d liked the idea of having company on Day Three given that we knew a 6km hill faced us (according to Lonely Planet’s ‘Cycling in New Zealand’ guide book – thanks T&S – it was a “6km hard climb”). But I figured that if I keeled over halfway up they’d soon find me anyway. If they could see me over their panniers, that is.

Having had a long lunch in Waipapa, a photo stop at Haruru Falls, and a 1.5 hour tour of the (Waitangi) Treaty House and its grounds, I arrived in Paihia. This may not sound remarkable, but actually I did question whether my arrival would ever eventuate when shortly after lunch I suffered severe stabbing pain in my left knee on every rotation. This was remarkably similar to the achilles pain I had early on in Europe except that, well, it wasn’t my achilles. Like on that occasion, I am sure that it is just overuse and my body adjusting to the daily grind of cycle touring.

It was interesting to see the site where in 1840 the Waitangi Treaty was signed by Maori chiefs and British representatives, meaning a unified nation for the first time since Polynesians settled here in 1250ish.

Waitangi Treaty Grounds

There was no sign of Team LSR until shortly before 8pm they rocked into town having been severely delayed by a flat tyre and a broken pannier rack – no idea how that could have occurred?! (I jest, but actually they’re lovely guys with a hugely impressive trip planned that I am very keen to now follow.)

After a couple of ciders and some nice beachside live music, I crawled into my bed feeling happy that my leg was still in one piece and a rest day awaited.