Day 16 Te Araroa to Tokomaru Bay 88km The largest Pohutukawa tree in the world, this tree is covered in red blooms as December proceeds (hence called the New Zealand Christmas tree) This was billed as a hard day. Hilly and long. Mainly, we were worried about the heat and not having enough water and food as it seemed there was little along the way. The hills came thick and fast and by 11am we had broken the back of it and were sitting having coffee (and of cou...

Day 15 Maraehako Bay to Te Araroa 79km Hottest day yet. Hot and sunny all day made it a harder day than it should have been. The road turned inland and rolled over hill after hill covered in manuka bushes just coming into flower. Lots of beehives and bees. We learned later they were all owned by the East Cape Manuka Factory who pay the landowners to site the hives. A tail wind blew us the last few km to the campsite, yet again on a beach, laid back and beautif...

Day 14 Hawai to Maraehako Beach 60km Awoke to mizzle. Packed tent away in mizzle. Set off cycling in mizzle. Uphill. But it soon stopped and we found an open cafe where we warmed up and refuelled. In the end an easy 60k led us to this beach retreat where we have treated ourselves to a room for the night. We can dry out and charge our phones and chargers. Went out in a boat setting the lobster pots for crayfish. Actually all I did was sit feeling terribly seasic...

Day 13 Whakatane to Hawai 73km Our first miscalculation. We cycled to Opotoki this morning via a farmers market/craft fair. Had lunch. Hung about reading. Set off in the afternoon on SH35 to head for the East Cape. Really lovely, remote, quiet and beautiful. Arrived at Hawai with no food to find the store described in the guidebook burnt down 7 years ago, the next potential store was 30km further on and up a large hill and might be closed anyway as it's the week...

Day12 Mount Maunganui to Whakatane 84km I've decided that cycling a flat day is worse. Harder on the hands and butt as there's less variation. Anyway, it was at least fast. We arrived in Whakatane by 2pm despite a really long stop (I mean really long...) in the kiwi fruit centre. A short aside on food. We've been eating very well. Lots of salads and fruit. Easily achieving our 9 a day. Bit there's been a running refrain. Meat pies are advertised all along the r...