December 8, 2022
Day 4: Twin Coast Trail - Kawakawa to Horeke
The weather has not been kind to us so far this week. The rain and wind that have plagued us in Paihia were meant to ease this afternoon, in time maybe for the latter part of our ride across the country.
But no. We arrived at the far end of the off-road trail in a familiar state of bedragglement.
Let's wind back to this morning. The plan is to ride the Twin Coast Cycle Trail from east to west across the width of the North Island. Admittedly, it's a very narrow width at this point. From the east coast to the upper reaches of the Hokianga Harbour in the west is just 84 kilometres.
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A fly in the ointment, or spanner in the works maybe, is that the first section of the trail from Opua to Kawakawa has been closed indefinitely. Supposedly, this is to allow for construction of a new rail link. From where to where? To carry whom or what? Who knows? But it does mean that we start our ride from Kawakawa, a little town that's famous for its public conveniences designed by the eccentric Austrian Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
Rather than spend a penny, we spend time at the only bike hire shop in town, being kitted out with mountain bikes suitable for the trail. Mine also has a motor attached which pleases me. There are some big climbs ahead in coming days; I'm being kind to myself today.
The first leg is flattish and uneventful. We pass by a second small town, Kaikohe, without bothering it. There's a gentle climb next, passing a lake renowned for its eels, before we reach Okaihau.
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It's already after 1pm by now and we've just passed a sign suggesting that our lunch stop is another 14km away. So we stop quickly in Okaihau to buy water before rejoining the trail.
The morning's gentle climb means we've gained a lot of height. Now we're about to lose it. Bruce and I rode this trail five years ago and clearly remember the steep drop, with switchbacks, into a river valley. It's a swift and exciting descent of around 150 metres, followed by a gentle meander through native bush complete with birdsong and the babble of the stream.
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At last, we pull up at Snow's Farm, our lunch stop. A lavish spread awaits us in the shelter of an old implement shed. And it tastes even better than it looks. 25 hungry cyclists soon make a dent in the array of dishes, and there's lots to see if you're interested in old tractors and farm machinery... However, I drag myself away after my fourth cream scone and get back onto the bike for the final leg. It's still raining, I miss my jacket and the Hokianga Harbour is within cooee.
The final 15km pass quickly on a wide, slightly downhill track. Just short of Horeke, the trail becomes a boardwalk over a large wetland. This then meanders back to the road which takes us into town - and the welcome sight of the Ride Holidays vans.
This was a challenging ride, thanks to the rain and wind. As always, though, once we're in the van for the return trip to Paihia, only the good bits matter.
Today's ride: 74 km (46 miles)
Total: 183 km (114 miles)
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The cover article of our local cycling newsmagazine many years ago summed it up nicely: "From Adversity to Adventure, In Two Beers and a Shower".
1 year ago
1 year ago
I highly recommend Ride Holidays btw.
1 year ago