Bent On New Zealand

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Day 55 Mon 09/01/17 - Roadside Wildcamp 10km After Eskdale to Tarawera Abandoned Campground

Today Distance : 52.1 km Total: 3419.1 km

Today weather : 15 - 35C Sunny Super Hot

Time on Bike : 5 hr 41 min

Ave speed : 9.2 kmh Max : 64.7 kmh

Ave Climb : 5% Max :15%

Trip Altitude : 1255 m Max : 318 m

Today spend : 0 nzd Total : 1170.2 nzd

Today got to be my toughest ride on a super hot day. Countless long steep climbs one after another.No towns no shops in between on this no man's land from Napier to Taupo SH5 road. Twice I have to request water from a house and a camper van. Tarawera is only a village but I noticed an abandoned campground without the gate locked,so I went in to check out, and very true that everything is left to rot including the motel units,chosen one of the unlocked unit to just spread out my groundsheet and sleeping bag for a free sheltered night.

My toughest ride on this SH5 from Napier to Taupo

With very steep short roller coaster hills

Tarawera Abandoned Campground

Day 54 Sun 08/01/17 - Hastings Rotten Apple Backpackers to Roadside Wildcamp 10km After Eskdale

Today Distance : 59.7 km Total: 3367 km

Today weather : 12 - 28C Sunny Hot

Time on Bike : 4 hr 49 min

Ave speed : 12.4 kmh Max : 38.0 kmh

Ave Climb : 4% Max :11%

Trip Altitude : 293 m Max : 266 m

Today spend : 0 nzd Total : 1170.2 nzd

Leaving the Rotten Apple Backpackers in Hastings for good and heading to Napier some 20km away. Still not recover from yesterday exhausted ride,feeling very weak as I slowly crank with a snail pace of 10-12kmh,it needed time to get warm up. Napier have a nice cycle pathway called Rotary Cycle Pathway along the esplanade with many locals cyclists,family and kids taking their Sunday ride or walk. There is also the morning market selling all sort of products ,foods and even a senior music band is performing live. A road bike race was on with police escort, many junctions and roundabout were manned to control traffic. Having a minor navigation mistake and had to U -turn for about 2km and in the process of checking with my Mobile gps,I accidentally dropped it and the corner landed on the hard ground and the glass cover was cracked but the phone is still functioning luckily. After getting out of Napier,I turned into SH 5 in direction to Taupo, very remote area.

Real Rotten Backpackers

Rotary Cycle pathway in Napier

Napier coastline

Rotary Cycle pathway in Napier

Just curious what these creatures for

Rotary Cycle pathway in Napier

Free camping for Camper vans

Morning market at the beach front in Napier

Rotary Cycle pathway in Napier

Napier Beach Front

A road race is on

Turning left to Taupo on SH5

Roadside Wildcamp 10km After Eskdale

Dropped my phone and cracked glass but luckily still functional

Can you spot the sheep?

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Day 53 07/01/17 - Dannevirke Pinic Area Camp to Hastings Rotten Apple Backpackers

Today Distance : 105.2 km Total: 3307.3km

Today weather : 11 - 28C Sunny Hot

Time on Bike : 6 hr 54 min

Ave speed : 15.2 kmh Max : 62.2 kmh

Ave Climb : 2% Max :7%

Trip Altitude : 488 m Max : 283 m

Today spend : 42.2 nzd Total : 1170.2 nzd

Long ride under very hot sun today and lots of rolling hills, hills without any green,mostly very dry barren landscape like in the desert. Hard to find any wild camping spot,that's the reason why I ended up in Hastings staying in The Rotten Apple Backpackers. Really true to his named real rotten, considered the worst Backpackers that I had stayed,very disorganized,the rooms was in a mess,and the kitchen too dirty and without cleaning towel to wipe,the reception guy did ask me whether want to go to another one about 2km away,but I was darn tired to cycle any further.

Dannevirke

On the way to Hastings

Hastings