Day 11 Waihi Beach to Mount Maunganui 63km
A strange day. Awoke to rain so stayed in bed hiding till it stopped, around 6.30ish. I've been getting quite bad hay fever so took a cetirizine as per normal. Started to feel very strange, giddy and unwell. Decided to cycle on anyway. 20 minutes in I realised I'd taken a sleeping tablet by mistake. Nurses get suspended for less. The morning was a bit of a blur. We were cycling SH2, a busy, busy road. One of my responsibilities is looking behind for traffic and indicating. Mark kept asking "Are you sure?" all day.
Anyway, only 63km today. A treat.
Fuelled by an egg & bacon sandwich & a real fruit ice cream (we should be compiling a guide to the roadside cafes of New Zealand). There are numerous second hand book shops en route which also demand stops. Our new intention is to read literature from and about New Zealand. Our cycling weight varies dramatically according to our onboard library & larder.
The sun was out by the afternoon and here we are in yet another idyllic beach resort.
Mount Maunganui is a surf mecca and a real town beach. Makes quite a nice change from the secluded solitary splendour of the last few days.
Our pitch is at the base of the volcanic mountain. Scores of people were walking & jogging up & around the mountain in the evening sunshine. The views were terrific and 3 paragliders were using the onshore winds to soar above & then swoop & dive back down the side of the hill.