TA Day 3 - Omapere to Dargaville

 51.5 miles, 4377’ elevation gain 

Lodging:  Tent site at Dargaville Holiday Park

Weather:  Sunny and hot

When you’re at sea level, you can pretty much expect to start your ride with a climb, but the first steep hill out of town was a tough wake up call. We had a coffee and breakfast sandwich at the local cafe, then started our hilly ride south. After about a dozen miles we entered the shady Kauri Forest of tall trees, tall ferns, dense vegetation, and the persistent sounds of birds and insects that we’ve heard everywhere but along the beach. We stopped to see Tane Marita, the largest Kauri tree, after carefully disinfecting our shoes. The tree is 2000-2500 years old. Only 3% of the kauri forest is left after it was clear cut in the 1950s. 

We then had a long descent thru the cool shady forest, then back to the hot and humid hills, farm country on gravel roads and a rail trail. A road worker topped up our water bottles when our expected refill spot was closed, wishing us that our uphills be like our downhills. A young woman met us and asked to ride along. It turned out that she and her two brothers were trail angels, offering cold slices of melon and ice water to TA riders. She introduced us to their two horses and told us that we were on the last hill before Dargaville.

In town, we took a camp site at the holiday park with several other cyclists. It’s sunny and warm, and showers and laundry are welcome. Tomorrow we need to make it to Poutu Point by 5pm to get the ferry we booked to Helensville, and were told not to underestimate the ride though mileage isn’t too long.

From the holiday park, we walked into Dargaville with Quintin, the school teacher, and met a few other cyclists, for dinner and a beer. It was longer than we anticipated, but good dinner. We bought food for tomorrow at Woolworth’s a popular NZ grocery store and headed back to the holiday park to finish laundry. There are quite a few more cyclists here now, and it’s finally cooling off.

Some bits of knowledge gathered along the way…a defunct microwave is a suitable mailbox for more than one rural property owner.  Also a possum has virtually no evasive measures from autos as sadly their carcasses litter the road.