Woohoo: done! Beautiful sunrise climbing up some hill, nice and cool. Body feeling pretty good, saddle thumbs up! Recommend biomaxa chafe cream. Awesome to finish, big thanks to Pete who was there and great to catch up with Fay and Chris over food. Vegetables I have missed you.
Boo: not much sleeping again. Traffic gearing into Rotorua.
Song: still earworming
Woohoo: pehiri valley was beautiful as sun came up. So much greener than Feb. Matawai camp store lovely lunch. Motu downhills! Power off in opotiki (?!) All shops shut but found Indian place that made me fast curry (tried not to think about refrigeration) Loved hill out of opotiki on dusk. Sh2 in the dark – much fewer cars feels much safer. Road works just out of taneatua, about 945pm, people working there – deliberately drove through slowly behind me with flashing lights on (well back)so no one would try to squeeze past, made me cry so kind. Day 3 often emotional!
Boo: last hour before matawai felt torturous (retrospect hungry) Not fan of squeeze gates and otherwise awesome dunes trail had them aplenty. This is one weird campground at hot springs.
Song. Still there.
Woohoo: mostly felt good today despite the hills! Nice burger at tiniroto pub not v vegetarian though neither was wairoa chicken sandwich. Love this route esp Murupara to wairoa. Hill after tiniroto was bad but survivable.
Boo: light is #$%$ed not fixed, luckily about to stop when this revealed and at that same instant saw an old track down to river and perfect campsite. Not much sleeping.
Song: I’m not dead yet… I’m bent but not broken. Pub had Nik Kershaw the riddle on but luckily after a few rounds over the next hour incubus won.
Woohoo: yay for Brendan’s HBAT which had definitely had a positive effect on my climbing legs. Felt really good on climb out of Murupara and then the big one out of Ruatahuna. Arrived at Waikaremoana 2 hours earlier than I’d estimated! Lovely and very encouraging to keep seeing roving race director Pete at various spots. Also gratitude to Pete and Amanda B for giving me her unused cabin so awesome 🙂
Boo: first 2 hours felt a bit blah head wise but at least avoided overcooking the start. Down hill to lake started feeling a bit off with stomach unhappy re ‘early dinner’ of crisps, ice cream and ginger beer consumed at speed at the unexpectedly open Ruatahuna cafe. BCC later seemed gourmet in comparison.
Song: very pervasive today was a song by Incubus, cant remember the title but the chorus goes ‘I’m not dead yet… I’m bent but not broken…’ may be helpful ear worm for next few days…