Day 6 was a rest day. We stayed at Opoutere for an extra night due to the rain, which did not clear till mid morning. Whilst the day turned bright, the seas were amazingly rough and a brisk walk down to the beach saw a spectacular surf. We used this day as an advantage to clean up the bikes, go shopping in Whangamata, and even help around the YHA. It took 4 of us half an hour to fix a handle on the fridge – including one person to sweep and one to take the photo!
Day 7 had us setting off in a slight headwind to Athenree. Not our original intention, but the lure of hot springs at the destination was too appealing to miss (especially after Hot Water Beach). We had coffee at a “hidden” cafe on a beautiful beach town called, Whiritoa. There were a couple of hills (more wiggly lines on the maps), however we all welcomed the challenge, some more so than others. For bonus points, Rayner’s party at the rear decided to climb up Headland Rd – an unusually steep climb for a couple of kilometres before reaching a dead end (the headland of course). Robert and Liz smiled bravely and we returned to join the fold, patiently waiting at the bottom of the valley.
The mineral pools – amazing & a welcome long soak after yet another great day of riding.
Boys made dinner tonight- bangers and mash.
Distance: 69 km (if you went to the headland, 66km if you did not)
Highlights: The mineral pools, of course
P.S. For those who have been following our adventures, you will note that the text was missing from our previous posts – good news, all added back now, so be sure to check out the earlier posts.