Day 10 Part 1/6 Taumarunui to Pipiriki
Had a great sleep in Kelly's Motel and am waiting for my Bacon and egg McMuffin to arrive. The sky is clear and crisp and just started to glow in the east. I'm aiming for Jerusalem on the Wanganui River. 116 Kms mostly sealed roads.
I'm learning all sorts of stuff on this trip. Have you ever wondered about those Lycra shorts cyclists wear..all that padding? Me neither. Well I bought some when I began training for the event. Roscoe,my. Casual riding mate, regaled me with horror stories about cyclists bums on long events, lack of food etc and told me about bum cream. Apparently It is a thing. You buy it and use it. Well this has a slightly nauseous aspect to it to me. However I gritted my teeth and bought some. But what now? Discreet inquiries revealed it goes on the shorts!.I thought it would be other way round. The prospect of wearing them is about as appealing as putting on a dirty nappy and mum's and dads can imagine what that would be like. Well it works. You just slide around in the shorts all day!
More breathless talk yesterday with another revealed most riders wear two pair. some undies also.And you can also wear those adult diapers to absorb sweat but they get shredded after a couple of hours. That's a lot of cream! and slipping and sliding.
I think I'll stick to one pair. Right breakfast is done. Time to head back to the motel and slip on my wet nappies and hit the road.
If you like these posts pass my Facebook name on John Arnold with the bike in the photo, and don't forget to tell them I'm doing this to aid Arthritis NZ, (and lose some weight).
There is an old song about Taumaranui, Taumaranui, Taumaranui. On the old trunk line. About a lovestruck soul of who used to catch the night train from Auckland to Wellington so he could see the girl he admitted who worked in the tea rooms at the station for the whistlestop break there. It is now an earworm.
I have always admired this house when driving past. I stopped and called out to the owner. He said he was named after the local marae, Ruruku. I bossed him around in between vehicles roaring past so he was properly in the photo.
It's 21.75 kms into the ride and I just passed through a glade it tall trees which was nice and chilly as the sun hasn't got in yet and stop at the cafe at Owhango. The owner Sue peers through the window. The sign says closed Tuesdays. What day is it, time stopped T Cape Reinga. She fiddles with the door and it won't open. I despair and am ready to go.She asks if I would like a coffee. Yes please. She brings it out the other door foc and offers to donate. Bless. Please stop in next time u go skiing.
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| Sue - Owner of Owhango Cafe |
Sue added that the little wharepuni to the left of Ruruku's house was an old marae. I would love to sit up there with a coffee watching the dawn break. She also asked if I could 'tag' her on my Facebook and I was quite pleased with myself, and I can hear my kids beginning to chuckle, but couldn't do but offered her to try. She couldn't either. Another online Lesson tonight please Jade or could you please do that for me? Thanks.
The photo below is the whanau who just turned up. I showed them the photo of the house. Apparently the owner's nickname is 'killer' because he used to kill fetal cats when he was a kid. (Years ahead of Gareth Morgan). Cats can be mean possum killers eh Roscoe? Actually I saw a helicopter which looked like it was spreading 1080 but we'd best not get into that I 've still got 67 kms to go although I feel in my bones it's going to get easier now. I'm up to 825 metres having climbed from about 180 metres without getting off.
The heather was in bloom and 'murmerring with the mumble of innumerable bees' or something very close to that. It was introduced as good and cover for grouse which were introduced on the slopes of Ruapehu for early settlers to shoot. It always reminds me of my grandparents place at Korere which had lots. I remember being told that every year a florist used to drive up from Christchurch each year, some 260 miles on to harvest it. Ngaruhoe is in the background.
Last big climb was up from Raurimu. This is looking down from where I came without stopping. I gibbed and tacked, zigged and zagged, across the three lanes and chewed it up. You need to wait until there is no traffic noise and just keep plugging on. The railways had to construct the famous Raurimu Spiral here where the track does a huge 360 degree loop to gain elevation, and I got up without stopping! Note the sweat on the brow which reminds me I must slip,slop and slap before pressing on. My heart was hammering and I was breathing at the same cadence as one spin of the wheel and I got there!
This sign just warms the cockles of my heart, which is actually already pretty warm today. A pity about the can though. I'm horrified at the number of plastic drink bottles and suchlike on the road verges everywhere. A deposit on can and bottles would be a grand idea.
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| Lunch a la Wes Anderson |
Thanks Eddie for contributing by giving me a discount on lunch - National Park GAS and Four Square.
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