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 course a pie) in a cafe in Tikitiki with an amazing Irish cyclist called Ann. A woman after my own heart, she had her pillow strapped to the top of her panniers "sure it weighs hardly anything-men don't get it." She is a world class hill climber who left us with a backward wave and we never saw her again. It was cloudy by the time we left the cafe and raining by the time we arrived in Tokomaru Bay. Fair weather campers to the core, we booked into the very lovely Brians Place and I'm writing this warm and dry and sitting on a soft and comfy sofa in front of a wood burning stove surrounded by fellow travellers.