Go do one bungee cords!

Day 7. Big hills, big trees.

Opononi to Trounson Campground.
Daily total: 52.91km Running total: 294.10km

Chaotic start to the day. Grand plans of leaving at 8am but the rain had plans otherwise. So close to calling a rain day. Then the bungee cords. I hate you bungee cords. Proper hate you. I'm going to replace you with string! Yeah. That's right. String. I have some guide rope string I have found. Its no threat. No more of your elasticated shenanigans for me! Also, curse you hill outside of Omapere, no way are you 110m long, curse you false expectations. The rain did not help at that point. Despite the rainy start, my first rain day turned out well. It provided a change to the unrelenting sun of the past few days.

The two remaining rolls I brought to sustain me at the beginning of the journey have started to grow mold. So I ate one and threw the other one away, thus reducing my chances of getting ill by 50%! Go maths! Today the pate roll was taking to the next culinary level with the addition of value ham.

Te Matua Ngahere

The hills leading through the Waipoua Forest are long.  Very long but a good ride once you establish a good pace and the down hills are insanely fun. There was a lot of wooping on the way down. In the Waipoua Forest is the Te Matua Ngahere tree. This Kauri Tree is estimated to be around 2000 years old.

Going up one of the hills I met a couple of Ozzies heading in the same direction towards the Missing Link Cycle Route. It was good to have a bit of company on the route. Especially as all the other cyclists I came across have been heading North towards Cape Reinga.

My shoes are horrific. The smell is offensive, only fire can cure them. I swear the smell is becoming ingrained into my physical being. I may have to burn my feet at the end of all this.  

Am I the one being cautioned or the Kiwi?

Turns out the campsite I was staying at holds the title of second most likely place to spot a Kiwi in the wild. Once the sun was bored of doing it's duties I headed off in to the woods with a random from the campsite to go us some Kiwi. To maximize your chances of spotting one, you need a torch with a red filter, they are less freaked out by the light and it is better for their nocturnal eyes. And being quiet. We had none of the above. If you want to know how not to find a Kiwi, I am man to ask!

On top of the hills.

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