Sunday December 22, 2013

We left Rotorua at 7:45.  The first 15 kms from Rotorua had a concrete cycle lane paralleling Hwy 5.  It was very nice.  The next 15 kms we were on Highway 5 but once again there was a wide shoulder.  We took an easier route along Broadlands Road.

At 40 kms we stopped for a snack at a little grocery store in Reporoa.  As we were eating an Elder Maori came to talk to us.  What a lovely gentleman.  We chatted about the culture and the fact that Maori’s are now living longer because they are beginning to trust the modern medicines.  It will be interesting to meet more Maori and talk to them about their culture and history.

Ralf also spotted a Lawn Bowling Club.  He decided that Lawn Bowling was far more civilized than curling, as it is played in warmer weather and you get cold curling.

The remaining 50 kms were pretty straight and the only interesting thing we saw were a few cows going for milking.  Picture the bucolic scene of a herd of cows in the English countryside slowly meandering up to the barn to be milked.  Then picture a few hundred cows being “driven” by quad bikes to be milked not quite the same vision.

The worst part of today was that we had a head-wind for the whole 80kms.  My wonderful hubby stayed in front all the way.