Day 4 - Putaruru to Rotorua 58 km, 742m




Yay, an overcast dayso some reprieve from the heat of the previous days which none of us are complaining about.

Breakfast at a lovely Cafe in the mainstreet called the "Cow Cafe" quite appropriate considering we're slap bang in the middle of the Waikato dairy country. About 2 km of S H Way 1 riding to the Rotorua/Tauranga turn off then about 3 km to Leslie Road and 290 m climb over the first 6 km - fortunately it was sealed however like the Port hills there was not a lot of downhill on the way up. We got to the end of the road and the locked forestry gate that cyclists and walkers can slip around and had a breather. The route then takes us through the pine forest on foresty roads for the next 18 km before we popped out 4 km North of Mamaku.

A local kindly refilled our drink bottles and we enjoyed out Toasted Sandwhich on the grass verge. From Mamaku it is s lovely downhill ride to the S H Way 5 intersection which we quickly got off and rode in to Rotorua through Nongataha via the Maori Church and Government Gardens.

It is now lookiing a little damp outside so we have struck te weather just right as we are not out in it still.

Another more relaxed short day through interesting country. Not too many photos and many of  the pics I took of Government House from lying down on the Croquet green are of some very in focus grass and very out of focus Government Building! However I did manage to get on with the building in focus....

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