Day 2: Huntly to Okauia

Bike day 2
Trip day 5
59.05 miles

I woke early to the sounds of birds calling. This was something I would have to get used to. The birds in this country were king and rejoiced in making an early morning racket, interrupting my much needed sleep. Even the moorhens by the lake had grown more curious by the morning and a few began pecking at my tent.

I awoke and headed to the camp kitchen for breakfast. Got into a good chat with a local chap who was staying at the campsite in his caravan. He was a coal miner and had chatted to me about the close proximity of the power station and the work he does throughout the year. We then entered a deep conversation about the British Monarchy and their place in modern day society. Fascinating guy.

I packed up the tent, taking my sweet time as I did. I did not have to rush as I was still getting to grips with having everything on the bike at one time and various places that items would be packed. Once I was packed, I wheeled my bike up, filled up my water bottles and bid farewell to Bob & Carol.

I had a long day of cycling ahead of me today. The couple last night had recommended I visit a resort called Opal Springs. This was on the outskirts of the town of Matamata in a place called Okauia and was in the direction I wanted to head. Between me and the campsite was around 60 miles of farms and open grassland. Perhaps not the time scenic of cycling but easy on the legs at least.

The main obstacle of the day was State Highway 1. SH1 is the main highway which runs North to South throughout the whole of NZ. It is a busy and quick road especially between Auckland and the city of Hamilton - a place I currently found myself.

I took off on the bike and took the quieter suburban streets parallel to SH1 for and few miles out of Huntly. All good so far until these streets ran out. Once the streets ran out I was looking in the direction I wanted to go: and that direction was SH1. This part of the highway had no hard shoulder and and very narrow verge between the road and the rough. Not yet stable enough on the bike, I decided to push the bike past this section of highway until it became rideable. A mile down the road and, with my arms aching and the verge running out, I took a deep breath and got into the saddle.

The next mile or so were very unpleasant as I made my way slowly and shakily along the highway. Trucks, buses and motor homes barely slowed as they passed me only allowing a metre or so of space.

"It's OK," I thought "it only gets quieter from here. Next time I see SH1 it will be far quieter road and I will be in charge...."

Pedalling as fast as I could I finally made it off SH1 as it diverted towards Hamilton. I made my way east towards the more peaceful roads. Goodbye for now SH1. And fuck you.

The next few hours were relatively sedate and I made my way through the flat and windy plains of farming country. The roads were mercifully quiet but I was still never too far from a farm house or cottage. It must be said at this stage that I understand why so many Brits have packed up their lives and retired to this part of the world. The homes were recently built, beautifully designed and most seemed to come with a few acres of land.

I was making good miles, powering through the vicious headwinds. But that all came to a standstill around 30 miles through. I had the familiar feeling from the previous day's riding where I couldn't settle into a rhythm. I stopped at a remote service station for a sugar boost - it worked, but only for a few more miles. My head was down, my legs were tired and I was struggling to hit 10mph over the flat roads. Then I cracked it; my headphones went in and hit Spotify.

Just a quick note now that I generally would not condone having headphones in whilst cycling. Awareness whilst on the road is key and I wouldn't allow myself to be listening to music whilst on the roads in the UK. But here I was on the quiet roads in rural NZ. I had barely seen half a dozen vehicles in the past 3 hours of cycling. And the music was helping. I concentrated on warbling along at the top of my lungs and suddenly I didn't feel it in my legs. My average speed went up and I was in a much better place.

Post lunch (road side pasty...very good!) it was a long slog through to the town of Matamata. The rolling green hills and endless farms reminding me that I was very much in hobbit country. My mind and body were focusing on the road ahead and I was becoming rather good at balancing my gear on the back of the bike (even if I do say so myself...).

Eventually I arrived at Opal Springs Resort: a small thermal resort nestled in amongst the trees of the Coromamdel Range. It was certainly a contrast to the previous night's accommodation as it was more family orientated and felt a little more business, rather than family, run. The ladies in the camp office couldn't believe how far I'd travelled and didn't think I'd make it to Rotorua. They were incredibly helpful and I was getting used to the kiwi accent, eh?

I raided the camp store and bought myself a pizza for dinner (gotta keep up with the calories I'd burnt). Had the slightly awkward task of asking a family to borrow a plate and cutlery so I could eat the bloody thing. Oh, the glamour of packing light on the bike...

After a well-earned dip in the natural thermal pools I decided to camp down for the night and call it a night. This campsite was certainly more lively than others I've been to; lots more groups of younger people travelling through. The tent next to me were blasting music out until at least 9:30pm (got to respect that curfew) - for some reason they insisted on playing "All I Want for Xmas is You". Twice.

As I settled to sleep I started to think about what the next few days would bring. I'd seen the landscape change from open grasslands to wooded hill areas in only a few days of cycling. It was exciting to see how this gorgeous country changed with every pedal cycled and I couldn't wait to keep going. The plan was to get to the lakeside town of Rotorua (famous for its hot springs) within two days. The roads would get more hilly but I was confident I could do it. And besides, I now had an ipod full of crap music to keep me company. What could possibly go wrong?