Colleen & Ed caught the bus to Hobbiton in the morning for a guided tour of the film set, with Ed cycling on to Cambridge from the site. The remaining members chose a flatter route to Cambridge, following along the side of the Waikato River. The first 20 km was into a cold southerly wind against busy Highway 1 traffic which was enough incentive to take the first opportunity to swap sides of the river. The ride was then smooth sailing into Cambridge, a place with a magnificent velodrome.
We arrived in Cambridge to find that there were some 4,800 entrants in a national schools rowing regatta, so accommodation was pretty scarce. Luckily, the local information centre provided us with suitable digs, after adding us to their Facebook page (see link below).
Distance: 41 km
Highlights: Velodrome & Hobbits (brilliant weather for the tour).