Over Easter weekend we got in the car and drove up to Northland. It was my first time going up to the Northern most point of New Zealand. We hit some horrible traffic out of town and it took us 3 hrs to drive 60km. We stayed at the base of 90 Mile Beach on Friday night. We stayed at a local holiday park. We made it just in time as the sky opened up and it poured like you wouldn't believe. The next morning we walked along part of 90 Mile Beach. Then we drove to Cape Reinga and ran the Sand Dunes. You had the option to rent sleds and rocket down the dunes, but running was plenty fast as it was.
Saturday we went to Paihia and got on The Rock, a converted vehicle ferry boat for a sampling of water activities. We met Renee a student teacher from Ohio and Victoria a vet from Germany who we happened to bunk with. Our first activity was to shoot at a duck decoy being pulled behind the boat with a paintball gun. It was girls against guys and who ever hit the duck the most got a free drink or chocolate bar. You would have thought since I played a fair amount that I could have hit the duck. I put all 3 balls (the amount each person got to shoot) within inches of the dancing duck.
The next activity was fishing for snapper. I was unable to snag anything, but others on the trip were pulling mad numbers of fish. Unfortunately none were big enough to keep. So our dinner was BBQ steaks, sausages, and a bunch of salads. Renee and I shot pool while we waited for the food to be cooked. You can't imagine how difficult it is to shoot straight when the boat is rocking at anchor.
After dinner we went out for a night kayak. We were treated to a cloudless sky before the moon rose and were able to see the Southern Cross as well as lot of glowing algae. Afterwards several people jumped into the Bay of Islands for a swim. Renee and I opted to roast marshmallows in the fire. We got to talking about how Kiwis don't know about smores and proceeded to eat 2 packages before being cut off. The marshmallows don't taste like back home. Afterwards we drank tea and talked until we decided it was time to retire to the bunks. Some people had a trouble sleeping on the boat, but not me. It reminded me of being out sailing.
The next morning I was up to see the sunrise. We had a quick breakfast of porridge and cereal before jumping in the water for a quick snorkel. We went under the water to retrieve sea urchins. Afterwards, we made our way to Robinson Island where we hiked to the top and learned more about the tragic history of the island. It was a place of much confusion between the locals and early settlers. It led to a hanging of a 17 year old. On our ride back to Paihia we caught a fish and had some awesome sashimi and uni for those who wanted to try it. If you happen to be in the Bay of Islands, stop by for a trip and the crew will take care of you.
We debated on staying up North, but Beth had homework and we predicted the holiday traffic would have been horrible on Monday, so we headed back to Auckland on Sunday evening. We said by to our roommates and had some Movenpick before hitting the road. That was how we spent part of our Easter vacation.
Just me in the car
The following week the country gave remembrance of ANZAC Day. We saw our first rugby game. We purchased a groupon that got us tickets to the game, a bus ride, a roast meal, and a drink. We saw the Blues beat down the Waratahs, 21-13. Beth was super excited to receive a Blues flag when we walk in to Eden Park. The next morning, I loaded up our car with both my mountain and road bike. I first headed to Taupo to ride with the Thames crew. We road around into Taupo and then back out to the Huka Falls, and Craters of the Moon. It was pretty awesome, but some of the hills were brutal. There was the very aptly name 'Incline' trail and the Grinder.
After riding for about 4 hrs, we parted ways and I drove to Tauranga and crashed at Martin's. The game plan for Sunday was to ride the Sundee Hundee. This is a weekly ride leaving from Red Bikes in Mount Maunganui that exceeds a 100 km. We started off with a group of 14, but ended with 3. My legs went bust about 2/3rds of the way through the ride. It wasn't unexpected as I haven't been doing large rides. I ended up taking a short cut at the end of Welcome Bay Road as a few riders went the little bit further around the blokart track. The ride was capped off with a date pinwheel from Cafe Blend and it was oh so tasty.
This weekend we have Rotorua Marathon. Beth and I are battling injuries. She took a hard spill running and twisted her ankle. I'm having the lower back issue again. I've got a chiropractor appointment tomorrow to make an adjustment that will hopefully set it straight. She is thinking of dropping down to the half. I will probably be boneheaded and do the whole thing. I haven't made up my mind.
Then the following weekend we are going up North again. We are going with Performance Diver up to Tutukaka for a diving adventure. We'll be doing 2 dives. From the various photos I've found of the dive sites, we'll be in for quite the experience. Beth and I are talking about getting additional certifications so we can go deeper and do different things.
Laughing at my dad who was using the action mode on his camera.
So I've been nursing a foot injury for several weeks, but I wasn't going to let it stop me from doing the race. I started packing all my gear on Tuesday after our Takapuna swim session. Knowing it was going to be a long day, I wanted to make sure I was comfortable so I packed a different set of clothes for each event. I wasn't expecting blazing fast transition times as I was doing a full change for each event so I could be comfortable. Early Thursday morning we set out from Auckland to Taupo for the race on Saturday. We stopped by the airport shortly after 6 am to pick up my father. We have a new rule. Don't bring us anything from the States unless specifically asked or cash. All those with any sickness will be deported immediately. (Beth and I both got sick and someone else is alternating between coughing and snoring all night long). We made good time, but weren't allowed to check-in to the room until much later. We grabbed a bite to eat and then it was off to do race things. I had to dip my wetsuit in a cleaning solution, get my race packet, and get weighed. At the athlete's dinner and race meeting we, my co-worker Sebastian and I, found out that there were 52 different countries represented and close to 570 1st time racers. Of which we were 2. The dinner was a massive table of good eats followed by an entertaining segment of former winners and race legends talking about their experiences at Taupo over the past 30 years. We were greeted with a haka and other traditional song and dances as well. It would be an early night.
First race in a wetsuit
I woke up at 4:30 to start my long day. I had a big breakfast at the hotel while chatting with another racer and the waitress. She had come in early to make the food for us which was much appreciated. We were treated to another Maori ceremony prior to entering the water and those guys looked a little chilly. I think it was roughly 40-50 degrees and they weren't covered up much. Waiting for the swim to start we had the starting cannon roll past us. We were in for a treat as they shot it 3 times instead of the planned 2 times. The swim was up close and personal with my closet 1500 friends. We swam on and over each other for the better part of an hour. I was happy to have the layer of protection that my wetsuit provided or I would probably have some wicked bruises and scrapes. I tried to get distance, but people kept swarming around me. I was pretty relaxed during it all and just tried to find my rhythm. I'm glad my swim fitness hasn't totally left me as I haven't swam much since living in Thames. Beth and I have done a few races in a local swim series. It is in Takapuna and the swim consists of a 1500m ocean swim followed by our special event. Ice cream at Movenpick.
After exiting the water at 1:06, we had to run about 400m to the transition up a hill. My toe was killing me, but I kept running for fear of being trampled by other racers. I ended up seeing a lot of friends on the short hill up to transition. There was a small crew from Tauranga and a larger crew from Thames. From there it was off to my 1st personal assistant. I got my wetsuit stripped off and all my gear dropped on the ground. I did a quick change and the guy helped by handing me what I asked for and then put the remaining stuff back in my back and I was off to get my bike. I walked through the transition opposed to running as my foot was throbbing. I started off easy through town and waved at Beth as I rode past our hotel. I heard more than a few comments about my litespeed. I cruised out of town trying to keep my heart rate low as it was a bit of a hill. Then it was time for the fun. A downhill and a tailwind out to the turn around point. I felt like I wasn't even riding that hard, but I was flying. On the way back it was fighting up against the wind and up the hill. I also played a bit of leap frog with Paulie from the Thames crew on the bike leg as someone didn't have a bike computer. I on the other hand tried to keep my heart rate down all day long and I watched the speed on the computer.
There were numerous flats and a few crashes on the bike course, but I
wasn't not among them. I did see a lot of illegal behavior which is hard
to police with so few course officials. There was drafting here and
there, but the rule most often broke was the biker only passing one in a
group of legally spaced riders forcing the passed rider to either ride
in the draft area or slow down. I lost count of how many times it
happened to me. Its not to say people weren't caught doing wrong as the penalty box always seemed to have someone in it. I'm just glad that I had my flats during my training rides leaving my ride unblemished.
I changed up my nutrition since the Port of Tauranga. I started to consume baby food (apple and banana oatmeal porridge) and a mix of coconut water and cranberry juice. I also suffered a bee sting to the palm while drinking out of my bottle. I yelled at Beth that I was stung by a bee when I passed her at the beginning of my 2nd lap. With 50km to go my foot started to kill me with all the vibrations. I knew that I wouldn't be running any portion of the marathon. With 2 bathroom breaks I finished the bike in 6:03, not too shabby as I've only been doing 60 miles for my long rides.
Once again I had an assistant to help with getting changed into my running stuff. After changing, I got sprayed with some sunscreen and was out on the course at a quick walking pace. People were egging me on to run through the pain. I quickly tired of trying to explain that I came to the race injured, but I was aiming to finish regardless. My friends told me to enjoy the day and make the most of it. I was in a sour mood the first lap as I really wanted to run, but even the walking got to be painful as the laps progressed. Beth got a couple phone calls from the race organizers as my timing chip evidently wasn't being picked up at the outbound mat. They asked if I was still on the course. She replied of course he is. She got a little worried and ran against the flow of the race and spotted me walking along the waterfront. I must have gone over the mat so slow that it didn't register.
I had a lot of friendly volunteers that walked beside me and chatted for a bit not mention all the food stops where I gabbed with the volunteers. Much like food challenges, Greg ended his 1st race heavier than when he started. I took this as a challenge. I ate cookies, chips, pretzels, moro bars, lollies, oranges, bananas, and some baby food while drinking water, coke, and an electrolyte mix. I also used the bathroom at every stop by the end of the day. There were times that I saw guys from the Thames crew on the course and I wished them well. I ran into a friend of a friend from Tauranga who I climbed and mountain biked with while I lived down there on my last lap. I stopped and talked to him for a few minutes. Both Beth and my pops walked next to me during the final leg. It was great to have such encouragement for my family but the strangers were good too as it gets lonely on the course as the day progresses. There were some awesome supporters out there blaring all sorts of music throughout the day and even a guy who left his bbq open and I grabbed a sausage as I "blitzed" past. During the marathon, I told Beth I wouldn't be happy only doing one Ironman as I didn't really race it. I just finished it. She had already said something to that effect to my dad back at the hotel. I guess I'm a little predictable in that capacity. I walked down the finishers chute roughly 14:43 hrs after I started to a bunch of cheering supporters. Hands started popping out for high-fives and I just walked down the chute trying to slap them all. It was cool feeling. Beth said I should do a little dance as I crossed the finish line as I walked past her. After crossing the line I was escorted into the med/recovery tent where I was given my finishers metal, t-shirt, and towel. I had my timing chip removed and my weight taken. I had only lost 2 kgs during the day's event.
Following the race, I realized that I had 2 popped blisters on the back of my heels, my left foot was swollen, my bee sting swelling went down, I chafed my thighs, and I was starving. I ate some food and took a hot shower. I tried to sleep but I was boiling up then I was freezing. It was hard to sleep on the bed so I ended up on the floor with my legs up in the air against the wall. I was back to riding to work on Tuesday so any soreness didn't last very long.
We are both of the opinion that you can't not see and experience everything. If we stopped at everything, I would still be in the Auckland area. The following is from my recollection which is filled with my own internal commentary and does not reflect those who happen to travel with me.
Our first day together
was a lot of traveling around.I left
the hostel at just before 6 am to pick-up Skog whose flight was due to arrive
at 5:45am.I was well rested as I got to
sleep early in the evening knowing that the next day was going to be a long
one.I made good time down to the
airport and as luck would have it, I was greeted by a familiar face once I got
to the International Arrival gateway.I
was in the airport for less than a minute and he comes strolling out.We quickly make it back to the car where, I
don’t have to pay any fee as I was parked for less than 10 minutes.Talk about an auspicious start to what has
already been a gnarly adventure.
Can't go here without bumping into someone I know.
We quickly departed
Auckland along Hw1 towards Hamilton.We
pulled over for some pie action as the same rest stop that Beth and I were at
on Wed and Beth and her parents were at back in July.I didn’t realize it when I was pulling in,
only after I was starting to park.I
also introduced him to L&P here and Ginger Beer a little while later.I think I created a fiend.Our first destination was to go to my
hometown of Tauranga/Mt Maunganui.I had
to drop off a few things and pick-up some stuff as well.We stopped by Macpac for a wool t-shirt.Then we proceeded to walk up Mauao where we
bumped into Elaine and Faye.Just before
this, I was commenting how I couldn’t go to there without seeing someone I
knew.This time proved the same.We also ate Copenhagen Cones with Hokey Pokey
Ice Cream for dessert.For lunch we had
grub from the local Fish ‘n Chips.Much
to my surprise and luckily Beth is already gone so she can’t enjoy this carnal
creation of fried fistful of awesome, also known as the Moro bar.We walked around the Mount and I showed him
my new digs and the beach.
After all that we loaded
up the car and drove down to Taupo via Rotorua.We were going to make a detour to Hell’s Gate, but it was a paid thermal
park and we weren’t down for that.The
trip to Taupo wasn’t very remarkable to me other than I was driving.I haven’t driven since last April and never
before have I driven on the left hand side nor on the right hand side of a
vehicle.It is not that difficult, but
some things take some getting used to like the blinkers and the beeping while
in reverse.We got in and made a few
calls around for a place to stay.We
ended up staying at Taupo Urban Retreat, a place that Beth and I had stayed at
in the past.I set about the task of
finding bikes for the 42nd Traverse.It ended up being a bust as the one company that is supposed to do the
bike hire and the pick-up/drop-off is no longer doing it in the winter as the
cold and the trail is too hard on the bikes.I ride in MN during the winter occasionally and the cold doesn’t affect
my ride, the chemicals for the ice does.I ended up calling another company located out in Ohakune and was
pointed to doing some local rides in Taupo as it wouldn’t be cost effective for
us to get out on the 42nd as they would have to charge a lot for
that service.She also agreed that the
guy was full of BS.I figured it was
just people screwing around on rental bikes and treating them badly.We ended up taking her recommendation and the
recommendation of Sarah from work and doing the W2K trail.
My faithful steed
So on Saturday morning we
wandered over to Avanti in Taupo and rented bikes.We were entrusted with our 26in steeds for
the day.I made a comment that the owner
must hear all the time about the $250 bond.We also got directions to the start of the trail as I had no idea where
I was going.The start was in the town
of Kinlock just west of Taupo.The trail
itself was approximately 14km with an optional 9.6km loop.We assembled the bikes and donned our gear to
set out for what was to be a pretty stellar ride.We had a little trouble finding the start of
the ride as the initial sign was very small.However, once we got on the trail we quickly left the city behind us and
started a sweat inducing series of switchbacks that quickly increased our
elevation and heart-rate.
We got awesome helmets.
We ascended for probably
40 minutes to an hour and were greeted to an impressive outlook over Lake Taupo
and the town of Kinlock.We would stop
from time to time to take photographs and to grab a sip of water.We only encountered a few people the entire
afternoon, a couple walkers, and a family of 3 out biking.We basically had the run of the trail, but
had to be cautious as it is a combined trail meant for walkers and bikers going
in either direction.The day was filled
with ups and downs.Skog had some issues
with his legs and walked the bike up a few hills.We both were getting into the groove and I
made the comment about it and was quickly dumped from my bike as it slides out
from underneath me.I felt fine, but
evidently I bruised my knee as it pained me on Sunday morning.As our time with the rentals was nearing, we
decided to turn back after doing the Kinlock entry and the Headland Loop.If we would have gone to the other side it
would have been another 15k and we wouldn’t have been able to return the bikes
on time.I was fine with turning around
and so was Skog.The great thing about
turning back here was that it was all down-hill and we got to bomb the
descent.I was pumping over the bumps
and pedaling on the flats.I was feeling
much more confident that when I went to the Redwoods with Tim.I’m looking at getting my own Mtb over here
so I can continue riding the variety of terrain.
Our hovel for a couple nights.
Saturday Night was our 2nd
night at Taupo Urban Retreat and we were in for a treat.The All Blacks were playing Australia in
rugby and there was some local Navy boys cheering on the AB.They were decked out with sombreros and fake
mustaches.It was quite the sight.I had a brief conversation with Beth and she
talked about her recent driving experience at the Great Barrier Reef.This just means that I have to spend some
more money and get SCUBA certified before leaving the Mount.There is a place that does certifications and
I’ll be able to drive while on my biking trip.
Can you see Taupo behind me?
Sunday was packed with
2 hikes and a fair bit of driving.We started in Taupo
and headed east on Hw5 and turned off shortly after Hw1 and did the Mt Tauhara hike that
starts, much like many other hikes I have been on, on a farmer’s property.We walked through his pasture to a white
fence post in the middle of nowhere and kept following them until we reached a
couple of water tanks.It was here that
we entered the tree line and the “real” trek started.We almost had the trail to ourselves, but a
young couple pulled up right after us.We walked through a dense forest to the 1,088 m summit where we were going to be
provided with magnificent views of Lake Taupo and the city of Taupo.However, the cloud cover or fog blocked all
of our views and kept barraging us with a windchill that forced our time at
the top to be cut short. As it was, we explored the ridge line for about an hour. As we were
exiting the woods to start our walk through the pasture, we encountered
several other trekkers and they were keen to ask about the track and the
visibility.I quickly relayed the
following information.It was about
2.5km to the summit and it took us under an hour each to get there and
back.The visibility at the top wasn’t
allowing us the magnificent views we were expecting.However, the walk itself is very pleasant.
Robo is this the path down?
After that we jumped in
the car and drove north along Hw1 as we
were headed to Te Aroha, which coincidentally is not all that far from where I am
living except for the Kaimai Mountain Range between us.We ate at a really good place called Ron’s
Roast and then made our intentions known about staying at the local YHA ran by Dannie and Helen Young. The hostel is interesting as they don't have any staff on site. You are greeted with a sign saying claimed rooms will have a sign on them. So we made up the beds that we choose to sleep in
that night.I thought it was common
practice to make the bed you wished to use for the evening as they are typically unmade in the dorms.If the bed is already made, then either take
the towel on it or place an article (book,etc) on the bed.Evidently coming into a room and seeing 2 out
of 4 beds made up means that they are all free and that you can pick one of the
made up beds.Yes this happened to
Skog.Evidently while we were out seeing
the Wairere Waterfall another person decided to “claim” a bed that we had
already claimed by making it up.There
was a brief discussion and Skog was the bigger man and took the double bed
instead of the bunk below me. Interestingly enough the guy had stayed there the week before and would be in my mind be classified as a nutter. He was getting his classical music fix and I told him I played the classical on my violin for many years and he quickly retorted that he didn't like the strings. Um, so what kind of classical does he listen to? I don't know but the stuff on the record player happened to be mainly piano. We got into a debate if a piano was a stringed instrument and I said no.
These times are not indicative of our times
Te Aroha local art
The home of Hobbiton, Matamata.
The Wairere Falls walk
could be described as an ankle breaker as there are plenty of spots where one
could easily roll their ankle.The rocks
are slick from all the moisture and the rocks are not always positioned in a flat
step like fashion.However, much of the
walk has been well planned and executed.There are log stairs and processed wood bridges and steps.There are also natural material switchbacks.All of these lead to a couple spectacular
views.The first is the lower viewing
point of the falls where you can see the entire waterfall from a short distance
off.The second view is at the summit
and its right next to the falls.You can
see the water running over the edge and can feel the water sprinkles.The views up here are stunning as you can see
a good way out in the distance.One of
the nearest cities, Matamata, is the home of Hobbiton.We stopped at their I-Site to ask for
directions and we ended up with pictures of Gollum and a Hobbiton sign.Also a lot of the shops had signs in the LOTR
font.I wonder how much tourism has
increased because of the films and how much the new Hobbit Trilogy will impact
that number as well.Despite my
nerdiness, it wasn’t a factor in the decision to move here.It was all the outdoor activities one can
do.As Skog and I drive around the North
Island, we are constantly shown signs about a reserve this way or a park over
here.Talking to the hostel owner in Te
Aroha, who has been here for over 30 years, he hasn’t done a lot of things in
his own backyard of the Kaimai.
Fuel for Wairere Falls, Lamb Roast
This brings up a
conversation I had with Skog about not experiencing all that MN has to
offer.I would like to do the Superior
Trail, Boundary Waters Canoe Trip, bike the Iron Range, to visiting Paul Bunyan
and Babe the Blue Ox.I wonder if I
could get a job promoting MN Tourism and enticing other local residents to
enjoy what our great state has to offer instead of vacationing elsewhere.I know that I do love traveling and
experiencing foreign things, but I have a great backyard that I haven’t fully
experienced myself yet I keep running away every chance I get.Maybe I should create a list of things to do
locally before I collect another stamp in my passport.
The 2 falls of Wairere Falls.
Dannie and I had some good conversations as he is a Canadian living in New Zealand for the last 30+ years. His side gig is running the hostel with his Kiwi wife. We had a good chuckle about insulation and double paned glass and the lack of both here. We also talked about the many tracks to do in the Kaimai and about my upcoming cycling adventure. One of the cool things about Te Aroha is that they have a Rail Trail going through the town. If you have never experienced one of these, they are a fairly easy ride over crushed rock and are fairly straight with little drastic elevation change. I've done the Glacial Drumlin Trail in WI several times. He also recommended that we drive an alternative way back to Auckland that had us go through the Hunua Ranges Regional Park around the Firth of Thames. I believe I found a road that will get me to the Coromandel Peninsula without having to get on the major highways. We are back at the Skyway Lodge not to be confused with the Skyway Lounge. We have an early morning flight over to Australia where we'll be looking to go out to the Blue Mountains for some fun and a gorging at Nishiki. If this is like the all-they-will-serve-us we had in Hakuba Japan last year, we'll be impacting their bottom line for the night. Well its time to grab some dinner and think about catching some sleep as we have to leave for the airport at 3:45am. Small price to pay for an international flight I guess.
We hoped on Naked Bus for a day in Taupo this past week. Why Taupo? To start, Taupo is home to Ironman New Zealand. This past year's event was delayed because of high winds and then shortened to a 70.3 on the following day. Would be nice to compete in this if I was here longer and there were openings. From Tauranga to Taupo, the trip was a quick 3 hour nap for me. I have unfortunately not seen a lot of scenery between cities up to this point as I have a tendency to fall asleep as soon as I get into a vehicle that I am not operating. We got in shortly after 2 and wandered over to our hostel to check in. We stayed at Taupo Urban Retreat hostel on Heuheu St. They had a nice set up with lots of communal space for socializing and eating. Even saw some advertisements for paintball on the wall. After checking in, we wandered around the downtown area and some of the lake. The lake is the crater of the last large eruption. Which happened a long time ago, but there is still lots of geothermal activity. As we get to other towns, we notice that there are set up remarkably the same. The same chains are set up in the same approximate order and the mom and pop shops are pedaling the same goods. Its still fun to explore though.
Yes BBQ!
Damn, its a Chinese Buffet.
Did I happen to find BBQ? No. My hopes were dashed when I read the sign closer as it was a Chinese Buffet. Good thing it was closed or I would have told them about their false advertising. Instead, we found this small Italian place where Beth got pumpkin filled ravioli with feta cheese squares and I got a pasta topped with a lot of seafood, mussels, prawns, calamari, and scallops. I was impressed by my meal. It was very tasty.
Looking for Huka Falls.
Back at the hostel we inquired about doing the Tongariro Crossing in the near future as snow is starting to accumulate on the top of Mt Ruapehu. We should be able to do it without crampons, ice axe, and a guide if we get up there next week. Also good news is that snowboarding isn't too far off and they are going to be celebrating Mardi Gras June 23! I know they are off by a couple months, but Kiwis are often behind. We joked with the front desk/bartender about this for a bit before heading to bed.
The next day we thought we would walk to Huka Falls. We started by walking to the lake and then heading along the shore until we found the beginning of the river. We tried to follow the shore as much as possible when the trail allowed for it, but once we got to the cemetary of the original settlers we were forced to the street. We quickly found a path down towards the water again. It actually lead us to Cherry Island. From there we found the safety team for a bungy jump platform above the banks of the river. We had to walk up to the street once again before we found the brick pathway that signified the walkway to Huka Falls. We entered the park and read the sign that said the falls were an easy 2.8 km walk that should take 50 minutes one way. We knew that we had to catch our bus to Wellington but we should be fine. The falls were pretty impressive. The river is squeezed into 15m channel and roughly 220,000 liters flow over the edge each second.
After leaving the falls and heading back to downtown, we came across a perfect place to workout. For anyone looking to do a mud run, spartan race, dirty girl, or some other boot camp fashioned race, this park had almost every obstacle including a 5.6km trail run. We played on the pulley and I played on most of the stations.
I must return to Taupo to do the following:
Tongariro Crossing - voted the best day hike in NZ. Around 19 km 7-9 hour hike
Ironman New Zealand bike course or maybe the whole thing! Lake Taupo bike challenge 160 km solo ride
Mountain biking their various trails and parks
