Day 16 Oakura to Te Kuiti ( 177 km)

Day 16

Day 16

And then there were three!  +Kate!!



The coast of New Plynouth



Dave tops Mt Messinger



Some days are just brutal. Today was one such day.

Today we left the Taranaki district and consequently, all the family connections are being left behind. With Chris and John leaving the party in Blenheim and no extra riders to join us, only Alison, Dave and Haze left Oakura at 8am. The forecast was for rain. Haze had plenty on her mind this morning as she rode slowly with Dave through New Plymouth (cities are not good).  Mount Messenger at 60 km was winding and steep (downhills are not good Bardie). 

Kate and Hazel

The group split here and Haze rode alone for long sections until Kate joined in for the last 40 km.  When Chief de Mission Pete ordered the two girls off the road and into a natural raspberry farm for an icecream, there were no complaints.(icecreams are good Dyanna) After a suitable refreshment, the girls tackled the last 20 km which included two very tough climbs right at the end. They arrived at Te Kuiti at 4:10 pm. With only 30 minutes rest all day, it has been a long day.





Pulled over for ice-cream