Feb 12, 2020

 

A great day of riding with a comfortable temperature climbing to 31C but the scenery didn’t disappoint with lovely rolling hills to rugged mountains, rolling fields and dense forests and both sandy and rocky inlets and coastlines. Couldn’t ask for more.

 

Early farewell to Paihia.

 

A quirky lookout resident.

 

A view from the lookout.

 

And another one.

 

And at yet another lookout.

 

And the view.

 

And a chance to talk to a local truckie and tell him how impressed we have all been with how courteously and well the truckies have been on many challenging roads.

 

Awesome sights on the way.

 

Oversize sculptures complete with mansion beyond the hill (Gibbs Farm) not visible from the road. Saw it on Grand Designs once.

 

Entertaining ourselves at roadworks.

 

Cute old buildings at Helensville, our lunch stop.

 

And another.

 

And a caravan with a difference at our afternoon break spot.

 

Tonight’s accommodation, very comfortable and nicely presented and a huge lock up garage underneath. Central Lake Hamilton, 2/19 Ruakiwi Rd, Hamilton Lake. Ours is the second door and the garage entry is behind the building another level down.