Day 9 - Hauraki Rail Trail

That was a complete success!

The path took me from Thames to the distant town of Paeroa, a distance of 44 kilometers. It meandered through farmland, sometimes going straight for kilometers. So far, a very unusual route! Once there, I filled up my water bottles to take on the remaining 25 kilometers. Since I started from my campsite at 7 a.m., I was able to avoid the scorching heat up until now. On the section from Paeroa to Waihi along the Ohinemuri River, the heat hit me hard. The incline increased, and the terrain worsened – overall, it became more challenging. Around noon, after almost 70 kilometers, I arrived at what I thought was the destination in Waihi. At the tourist information center, they asked me about my plans for the upcoming days. When I said Tauranga, the lady hesitated for a moment and then advised me that it's not a good route for cyclists. Following her recommendation, I booked a bus ticket and two nights at a campsite near Mount Maunganui, as I wanted to visit it and the beach the next day.

When taking the bus with a bicycle, you are dependent on the goodwill of the bus driver in New Zealand. You book your ticket without the bike (there is no other option) and give the bus driver 10 dollars while storing your bicycle in your personal luggage compartment. So, you have no guarantee that the bike will be transported. Fortunately, he let me bring it on board. On the journey, I thought several times about cycling on this highway. The buses and trucks thunder down at 80 kilometers per hour on serpentine roads without any space to the left (side streets simply do not exist in New Zealand). I'm glad to be on the bus instead of the road. Based on my experiences on the highways in the past few days and this highway, I will choose the bus for the sections between developed cycle paths, if possible, and hopefully, discover and ride more trails on the South Island. Now I'm looking forward to the campsite in Tauranga and the beach there.