Bridal Veil Falls

Yesterday it rained all day again, so there isn't much to report.

Today, on the other hand, the sun was shining all day and energy flowed through my body :D

In the morning, I pulled weeds as fast as I could and went through the whole garden.
Yesterday, my host offered me one of his bikes and of course I didn't refuse! There was still a waterfall on my to-do list, 20km away. Too far to walk but perfect for a bike ride.
So we lifted a bike off the wall (all the others were e-bikes - seriously!) pumped up the tires, and searched for a helmet. Looking back, I should have been suspicious when my host mentioned that the bike hadn't been used in a long time. But I thought to myself: it can't be that bad.

But it was.

The other residents had already warned me that the road was bad and the area was very hilly. But I just waved it off, after all, I've done some challenging bike rides before.
However, my legs aren't what they used to be...

The path started out simple, paved highway. Pleasant to ride except for the cars, it was slightly uphill. But here I noticed that I can't handle these mountain bikes. The gears switch too slowly and you're constantly leaning forward. But hey, it was only for 20km...
Then the path led me away from the highway onto a gravel road! Oh joy, oh joy, woohoo!
It was the worst ride ever. I had to ride in the lowest gear possible because I had headwind, it was practically all uphill, and I sank into the gravel.
Terrible.
Even the break for a photo (beautiful view, I have to admit) couldn't cheer me up. I was already running on fumes, it was too hot, and my leg muscles were burning.

Only 15km to go...

Somehow, I made it to the end of the road (including multiple times pushing the bike) and I was thrilled: finally back on asphalt and going downhill!

I took the wrong turn...

So: 5km back uphill, on this not-so-nice asphalt stretch. I was almost collapsing, especially mentally.
This time I took the right turn. Thank God the rest of the route was paved, only the wind, the hills, and my tired muscles were bothering me. But otherwise, I had fun.

About 4km before the destination it happened: the chain came off. Typical. And I had no idea how to fix it on a mountain bike with a total of 25 gears.
Yes, I pushed the remaining 4km.
I have to say, I really enjoy hiking. And riding a bike! But hiking and pushing a bike at the same time is not recommended.
But I don't want to delay it any longer, I think everyone understands that I was pretty much done by the time I finally arrived at the waterfall after 2.5 hours.

The beautiful name 'Bridal Veil Falls' already promises magical moments, and I was not disappointed! Maybe it was because I hadn't seen waterfalls in a long time and my capacity for appreciation was fully restored, but the falls were really beautiful!
The path took me through my beloved New Zealand forest, along a small river, and the waterfall could be admired from the top, middle, and bottom.
A perfect place to enjoy my lunch.

The biggest challenge of the day was yet to come: how to get to Raglan with a broken bike for 20km? I couldn't even call my host because there was no reception out there in the middle of nowhere. Hitchhiking was also complicated because of the bike.
In the end, I approached a few people, played the helpless girl. And, bingo: Billy, from Wellington, was supposed to be my savior.
He quickly fixed my bike (easier than expected) and then offered me a ride to Raglan. Thank goodness, because I couldn't have survived that gravel road again...
Billy is traveling his own country right now, was in Raglan with a few friends for a few days, and is continuing to Taupo today. His mother is from England, he studied veterinary medicine, and he thinks DC is better than Marvel.
It's amazing what you can learn on a 10-minute ride!
So, let's wish Billy all the best on his travels - he deserves it. Sometimes I'm still surprised by the really nice people here in New Zealand...

Not much happened at home: I ate first and then retreated to my room. The whole place is a mess since I unpacked my backpack. Somehow, I have to fit everything back in by tomorrow, but I still have time for that...

So that's it: my time in Raglan. It's a nice little town, you can definitely surf well, but for me, a day or two less would have been enough. But at least I could relax, get organized, and gather strength for what's to come!

Don't expect too much: because the bus doesn't leave until Monday, I'm going back to my beloved Wharf Community for the weekend ;)