Our initial plan was to take a ferry from downtown Auckland to the Coromandel Peninsula. However, the week before we arrived in New Zealand, the ferry was cancelled for the season. Plan B was one of the “Great Rides”, the Hauraki Rail Trail. Another however, due to heavy rains causing a “slip” aka landslide the first Hauraki section from Kaiaua to Thames was closed. Plan C was to take an Intercity bus from Auckland to Thames and then start the Hauraki Rail Trail. This gave us the opportunity to test out our fold-able Bike Fridays on the Intercity bus system. Bikes are only taken at the discretion or mood of the bus driver and cost $10 and are never taken on a double decker bus. Well that’s what the web site and the ticket people say. We arrived very early at the bus centre and the first thing we saw was a double decker bus. The challenge for double decker buses is that the luggage compartments are not at the street level, rather they are more at one’s shoulder height. Fortunately when our bicycles were folded it was possible to lift them up and into the luggage compartment. No discussion of money for the bikes and bobs your uncle that was that. Along this trail there were lots of little towns and it was easy to buy groceries or enjoy a bakery/ cafe every 40 km or so. We met almost no one on this trail.
Thames to Paeroa – 34KM
It was such a joy to be cycling on a trail and in sunny dry weather. The route was straight as an arrow and flat through mostly spring green pastures. Every so often we had a hill, which was a small bridge crossing a pasture’s irrigation canal. Very easy and gentle riding with lots of signage.
Paeroa to Waihi – 24KM
At Paeroa we decided to take a side trail to Waihi. This is where we started to see New Zealand’s lush semi tropical environment. The trail followed the Ohinemuri River along the Karangahake Gorge and through a 1100m long tunnel. The tunnel opened to a sub tropical area filled with variety of familiar and new plants. Our first fern trees appeared and the air smelled of jasmine and honey suckle. The variations of green was amazing and hearing only birds and no traffic was fantastic.
For our first 2 nights we stayed with a lovely couple at their Waikino B&B. It was way up a dead end road in the hills on their mini farm. Cattle, chickens, California quail and sheep as well as a lovely Australian shepherd dog who herded us everywhere. The owner invited us to help round up his ram and a lamb who needed shearing. Shearing is not for the unfit – one has to clamp your leg muscles around the sheep and use both arms to hold and shear a sheep. Sadly the price of wool is so low that it is just composted. We even had the chance to feed the cows their favorite food – frozen kiwis! Our hosts were lovely and it was a real pleasure to talk with them.
We took a day trip to Waihi the next day and saw historical gold mining sites including a Victorian Battery, saw the largest over ground gold mine in NZ and had the opportunity to enjoy our first cafe lunch.
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