Rotorua to Thames via The Hauraki Rail Trail - 234kms - 8 days

It was a quick rest, and we agreed we needed more but we were keen to keep moving north just in case another lockdown happened. We figured the more kilometres we made towards Auckland will certainly make it easier if we have to fly back up to finish this adventure.

We loaded up and headed out of Rotorua through Ngongataha and out to Mamaku. The roads were nice and quiet but we had still had some decent hills to get over the southern end of the Kaimai Ranges. The hills are always a lot easier on a sealed road so the kids breezed up them.

We arrived into Mamaku for a lunch break and chatted with the local contractors who advised us that most of the forestry gates were closed where our intended route was to be. We could probably lift bikes over and around but decided it could be end up being a real mission, take some time and not be a lot of fun so we headed to the main road towards Matamata. Not our ideal route but at least we were going to make some good ground on the sealed road.

The kids powered it out, constantly searching for the golden treasure that could have fallen out or off the cars, ever since the grandparents had found a lunchbox full of money the kids have always been on the lookout for something comparable! Charlie did discover a wallet but much to his disappointment it was empty.

The kilometres were ticked off quickly and before we knew it we'd done 65kms, with the rain setting in, the visibility wasn't so good so we hunkered down in a rest area and set up tents in the rain. Mahe and Charlie were keen to hit the 70km mark for the day so decided to ride around and around the 350m rest area loop road well in the evening, they managed to clock up another 4kms, meanwhile the rest of us were just recovering from what was a long enough day.

Thankfully an easy 15km the next day bought us into Opal hot Springs. A beautiful campground with thermal pools, we were definitely getting spoiled in the North Island with the geothermal pools. The rest of the day was spent swimming and relaxing on the pool side. The kids thrived on having some new friends and enjoyed having new play buddies. Meanwhile us parents enjoyed the wee break.

Now in the Hauraki Plains we jumped on the Hauraki Rail Trail en-route to Thames. We were glad that we were off the roads and could now relax a little. The only downside is the Hauraki Rail Trail is flat and repetitive but it was a nice surface and progress was quick. The land of flat green dairy farm desert which comes with the smell. We enjoyed a quick camp just out of Te Aroha, tents were just set before the thunder showers started and drenched everything.

A quick stop in Te Aroha for a top up off greasy food and ice creams. Then we put the peddles down and slogged out the straight line to Paeroa. Jazz was feeling super strong so she was off, didn't manage to catch her till we hit Paeroa, the day was hot with little shade so we just needed to get there. It felt a little like being back on the Otago Rail Trail.

Of course on our arrival into Paeroa was to head straight to the nearest shop and purchase L&P so we could enjoy it underneath the giant Lemon & Paeroa bottle! The kids polished off two 1.5L bottles before dinner. When in Paeroa.....

We camped right beside the playground in town in a freedom camping spot, the traffic noise and the Countdown freezer kept us up most the night. Plus we'd been alerted about the vandals that were causing havoc in the area so we kept our bikes as close as possible to the tents but got very little sleep.

With time to spare with Auckland still being closed off and no date as to when it was to be changed we detoured for the next few days out through the Karangahake Gorge to Waihi.

This is a side trip of the Hauraki Rail Trail and well worth doing, it is definitely a highlight of the trail. The Karangahake Rail Tunnel is a 1100m tunnel which is exciting to cycle through, it is well-lit by a series of electric lights. You certainly take your hat off at the efforts of those men who, with pick and shovel, dug it out of the mountain.

The heat was tough going again so we enjoyed numerous swims in the crystal clear Ohinemuri River. We were lucky enough to be able to camp at the Victoria Battery site at Waikino. Plenty of gold history here as this area was the largest producer of gold back in the early 1900's.

A friendly local offered us a wee tour of the old tunnels and smelters in the area. We were shown through the U shaped tunnel which gathered the ore and ash from the kilns above (through chutes) into wagons which were then winched through the tunnel then transported onto the crushes and agitation tanks for processing. Workers would spend countless hours in the tunnel raking it down from the chutes - extremely dusty and smoky no doubt. The ore was then moved onto refineries in Waihi for further treatment where eventually the gold was produces. A massive process but certainly paid off! Amazing piece of history that the kids thoroughly enjoyed especially being able to compare it with Preservation Inlet gold history.

A short ride into Waihi and a few hours exploring the town and the impressive hole in the ground - Martha Mine! This is an 'open pit' mine just 200m from the town shops! It employs 800 staff and has a series of underground mines which produce 100,000 ounces of gold each year which is estimated at $200 million. It is an impressive site, and possibly the next time we come back to this site it will be filled with water! They are now working on a series of underground tunnels away from the pit so the pit will be turned into a very deep lake.

Waihi campground was one of the nicest places we've stayed, beautiful grounds, nice outdoor dining areas and a pool. As we'd all got a bit run down and had sniffly noses we decided to have another night and enjoy a bit of rest day.

Having a pool right next to our tents was a treat so after a catch up on school work it was an afternoon next to the pool which was bliss.

It was tempting to have another night as one day off is never enough! But we decided to push off from Waihi and head back to Paeroa, re tracing our bike tracks along the Hauraki Rail Trail. Enjoying a great lunch stop at Stef's friends place in Karanghake. It's always nice to have a bit of time to detour to catch up with old friends.

Arriving back into Paeroa we decide there is no way we are staying in town again at the freedom camp spot so we head out to the Paeroa Maritime Museum campsite. The place was pretty neat, and with no one around, we slept out under the covered in veranda, while the rain fell through the night.

In the morning the rain continued and it was hard to leave the shelter of the museum. Even the head wind kicked in. We contemplated a second night. But we’d made arrangements to catch up with friends parents Dave and Jan Kitchen in Thames. Again the flat straight cycle trail with a head wind and rain wasn’t worth sticking around for, so we knuckled down and pumped it out. It was slow going and not much fun but that's cycle touring, you have to be prepared to ride in all weathers.

Jan and David's was a welcome site. We quickly filled their garage with bikes and tents. Jan cooked a beautiful meal, and it was great catching up but it wasn’t long before we all crashed for the night. We enjoyed a rest day in Thames, catching up on school work, cleaning gear and drying everything out.

We knew we'd have at least a week till the Auckland border was going to open so our plan was to head to Coromandel Town and have a good explore around the peninsula. What better way to kill time than to explore the quiet Coromandel, it will possibly never be this quiet again!