Kopiko. The return to Te Urewera...
Every time I do bike touring I like to discover how quickly the body can recover through a good night sleep. Today's day got me really worried as we had more than 3000m of climbing to do, more than 200km to go and it started with 26 km Single track section which won't be fast. I felt like we don't have much time to mock around and should be focused on the riding.
Another foggy start of the day with the mighty Waikato River steaming!
Started to clear out
not far from here I got my first flat - warning sign of troubles to come!
Chippies for the lunch snack!
Up and up she goes....through the Waikato farmland and rolling hills
another stop for a flatty, now on Ruth's bike...
This is one of the most picteresques valleys - with some steam pools on the right, this reminded me of a mini Swiss green valleys.
we pass by hot pools only to ask fellow bikers for a floor pump to get high pressure in the tyres (manual pump can only do so much!) and we already low on CO2 cartridges.
The most steep climb of the journey!?
CP#6 - Waiotapu, didn't have time for the Champagne lake :)
Still 1250km ahead with roughly 3 even sections to Murupara, Ruatahuna and Waekoremoana.
Straight drag into Murupara followed by a long downhill! As I was down on one spoke I was being careful on the downhill and had to limit my speed...
"Healthy" snack on ice cream, cola and chippies in Manapura and we are ready to tackle the 4 hills on the next leg: 150/150/100/300 - so does the elevation profile tells us!
We bump into a fellow Kopiko rider going the opposite direction, must be roughly the middle of the route!
Hills - done!
the last stretch!
the remote Te Urewera!
the top!
coming in Ruatahuna, where we last lost our wheels...
This time the town is more friendly - the groceries store opened just for us to restock the supplies!
it is a usual scene in these places!
As we start climbing up the last 500m climb the sun start setting down and it is a constant sunset chase!
Beautiful!
See you tomorrow, sun!
fast gravel downhill in twilight mode, this is where I get another flat (dint see a large rock!) and use my last CO2.
Funny memory from riding in the dark was chasing a rabbit/hare? for 2 kilometers. He was just in the spotlight of our lights and probably did his longest run ever until he finally got tired and gave up! Silly rabbit..or silly us doing this long adventure!?
CP#7 Lake Waikaremoana, can you see the water!?
Booked a cabin in Waekoremoana holiday park and lovely host bought us some food from the store as well (it was supposed to be closed but we got lucky!).