Rejoining the rat race?

Writing this a day late, having enjoyed a rest day in Auckland, staying in an en suite double in the Haka House Youth Hostel just off Queen St. It's hosing down outside, so the weather gods obviously love us.

After the late night into the outskirts of Helensville we were in no hurry to leave the b&b. Plus which I was lazing in bed finishing Friday's blog. There were also dire warnings in the book about not riding the Old North Road between 6 and 9 AM, to avoid the Auckland commuter traffic. Our pedal addled brains had not factored in that it was a Saturday. And not just any Saturday but Auckland Anniversary weekend Saturday!

As we loaded up the bikes around 10 it started spotting with rain. This wasn't in the forecast, the rain was due on Sunday. It didn't come to much as we rode the few kms to the centre of Helensville, where we paused to zero the odometer and set up the directions for the run to Mount Eden. True to form, the brothers Kennett started their section at the bottom of a hill. Given that our 'fresh' legs had struggled even up the rise to the rail overbridge this did not bode well. At the summit I looked back, expecting a vista of the Southern Kaipara harbour but it wasn't to be seen. The road was fairly busy with cars, which were unfailingly driven with great courtesy. I never thought I'd find myself giving a wave of thanks to a patched Hell's Angel astride his hog.

One highlight of the trip was gliding down the super smooth asphalt on the descent toward Kemeu. As the journey progressed we passed from traditional NZ pastoral farmland, through vineyards, eventually the productive agricultural land giving way to newly developed NW Auckland lifestyle blocks.

At the first contact with Auckland proper we caught up with Wendy & Tony, who had camped at Parakai, and told us they'd been the last to leave at 7:45. So much for dodging traffic... They also recommended the bakery where we'd bumped into them so had an early lunch. 

The ride into the city was a relevation. Apart from a short section of road-shoulder bike lane heading into Massey, we were on the North West Trail, a dedicated shared path all the way to Queen St. Cutting across the far Western reaches of the Waitemata at Te Atatu, and the mangroves at Waterview it never feels like you're çycling through a city. Apart, that is, from the incessant noise from the highway alongside. I did wonder why Auckland Council feel it necessary to direct the political tendency of our LGBTI+ community though...

We dropped our luggage at the hostel and headed up to Mount Eden for our checkpoint photo. We should have spent less time at the summit, which would have avoided being put to shame by a 7 year-old who rode all the way up on his 3-speed kiddie bike, accompanied by his father on his son's BMX!

Today we've been to Eco bikes for more chammy cream, and a fruitless search for a stubby drink bottle for Marg, then taken in the final rounds of the Red Bull cliff diving competition. We forwent the ensuing entertainment, luckily avoiding the downpour mentioned earlier.

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