Day 6: Dargaville to Pooh Corner (Paparoa)
March 2nd 2014
Distance cycled: 60 km
Total distance to date: 355 km
I had another coffee in town before setting off from Dargaville this morning, though not in the same cafe as yesterday as they were not yet open. Wanted to get an early start to try to have a quiet ride without much traffic.
Robert must have taken a different way because I did not see him at all today. Smart man, as the road today was not particularly fun. More traffic than I would guess for a Sunday, windier than I would have liked and flat for the first 35km which was somewhat monotonous. I did get to see Tokatoka Peak though. I didn't take a picture of that but I did snap one of the water next to it, for whatever reason.
My goal today was 60km, at the end of which my first Warm Showers host awaited me. It's quite amazing really that WS is able to exist! It's hosting by cyclists for cyclists, run online at WarmShowers.org or through their free app. My hosts are a Kiwi/Canadian couple who have a farmstead they call Pooh Corner. They are currently at the Bruce Springsteen concert. Last night, they gave me directions on how to get to their house. I got here today to find a bunch of treats: free reign of the TV and fridge, a hot shower, wifi, and a REAL bed with pillows and blankets. And I haven't even met them yet! They will be home from the concert long after I am already asleep. So I spent the evening updating my blog, looking at Facebook and watching the Matrix. I feel human again!
Here's a few pics of the view from their deck:
At about 4pm today, after passing through Paparoa and just a kilometer before I would arrive at the farmstead, I stopped for a rest at the top of a long hill. Another guy on a bike stopped behind me and said hello. I realized I had seen him earlier going the other way. You tend to remember when you see other cyclists as they are few and far between. I think so far I've seen maybe 5 others (not including cycle commuters I saw in Auckland).
This guy was a local named Phillip, 77 years old and still cycling. He said he'd started touring at the age of 50 once he and his wife split. Since then, he's been all over England, Ireland and big chunks of mainland Europe by bike. Now he only cycles locally, for fun and fitness, but was definitely pleased to have another cyclist to talk to and regale with a few stories. He doesn't have a computer but used to be a member of Servis, which is the same as Warm Showers but offline and not exclusive to cyclists. In another reality he could have been my host! He confirmed my opinion that traffic was heavier than it should be for a Sunday.
I also met a Dutch guy at a picnic area who was in NZ for work. He's a hydrologist. And a pair of motorcycling Kiwi conspiracy theorists in Ruewai. I would write more about them, as they were interesting to say the least, but I'm very warm and comfy in my bed and am going to go to sleep now. Amazing what a luxury a real bed in a real house can be after a week sleeping in a tent!
posted by Kyla @ 22:27
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