Distance: 46.04 km
Ride time: 2:04:30
Average: 23.62 km/h
Total: 20272 km
It was another cold New Zealand morning, but the beautiful sunrise over Lake Taupo more than made up for the cold weather as I was looking for a place to enjoy my morning coffee.
Later in the day I was going to visit my friend Anna’s place. We had been working on the same cattle station in Australia a year earlier, and now I was looking forward to see Anna again. She was staying at her parents sheep farm near Rotorua. On the way I had a short break at one of the hot springs that Rotorua is known for. What the photo doesn’t capture is the smell of sulphur!
Anna picked me up at the highway as the road to her farm was not really suitable for my bike. Apart from helping out at her parents place, Anna is also milking at the neighbors. I joined and tried to help out the best I could. One day cycling along the beautiful lake Taupo, the next milking cows at a dairy farm. What makes this life style so attractive to me is that I never know what the day will bring.
Back at Anna’s place we had a short ride around the farm. The rolling hills really reminds me of Lord of The Rings country.
Back home the dinner was now cooking. Lamb chops, home made bread, salad, good beer, and ice cream with blackberries for dessert. Certainly not an everyday meal on the road. I enjoyed every bite as well as the great company – Kiwis in general and Anna and her folks in particular are just such lovely people! Evenings like these will always remain an absolute highlight of the trip.
