Things didn’t improve for me.
We stayed at a department of conservation camp last night at the bottom of Cape Reinga. The road to the camp is a very steep and dusty with lots of ridges across the road caused by water damage. And it’s 5km from the cape Reinga carpark.
The hostess who organised the travel, accommodation and food for us was caught out by the recent Auckland covid lock down, with some people cancelling and then reconfirming.
Unfortunately, that meant more people were undertaking the trip then planned.
So, after our very shakey journey, we unloaded the bikes. Only to find, on the way, my front wheel – which was detached to get more bikes into the trailer, had lost a very important nut that holds the wheel to the front forks.
This is a game over problem if it couldn’t be sorted. There’s no lights at this camp, and by this time it’s very dark and I’m scrambling around with a light in the trailer hoping it might have only recently taken off.
… and everyone one else had found as tent and gotten their dinner…
Fortunately one of the amazing locals had a spare wheel with just the right nut on it. I swabbed him a beer for it 🙂
So it was a mildly happy James that made his own tent knowing despite a very limited dinner, I’d at least be able to start in the morning.
We were up at 5:00 am. A shuttle was running to take the bikes up to the start, but that left at 5:30am. Because of the under catering, breakfast was palm size muesli and yoghurt.
By the time I’d packed up my tent and assembled my bike, including fixing as best I could, the bent peddle it was still dark and 6:00.
I waited around for the shuttle, only to be told that it’s $10 😁, and of course I had no cash.
So in the dark, I’m cycling up this rutted gravel road to the start. Underfed, tired and no coffee.
