Day 5 - Rotorua to Whakamaru - 83km 878 m



Finding a Cafe open for breakfast in Rotorua on a Saturday morning is not the easiest of things however after traversing the City's streets we managed to find one that was open. After breakfast we went past the Supermarket to collect something for lunch and something to have on board for a spare lunch should we need it over the next two days coz once we left Rotorua we won't be seeing another shop until Taumaranui.

It was cooler today and the clouds looked like rain before too long so on with the rain jacket for the first time and I must have had it on and off about another five times before the we finished in the sunnshine at "That Dam Lodge" Whakamaru. I would have been the singleman's quarters during the build stage of the Dam. We have the three bedroom cottage all to ourselves and have dinner cooked for us as well.

Other than the rain the day will also be remembered as on of our windiest so far, fortunately the route wound through some undulating hill country to start with so at times there was a break from the wind. 

If you are a cyclist then I can recommend you come up to the Waikato and ride the "Waikato River Trail". It is a relatively easy trail that follows along the side of the Waikato River for probably close to 150 km (someone may like to look the distance up)!!! It twists, turns, climbs and declines alongside the river/lakes, through bush, farmland and shoreline with very little of road. Simply the best. 

We were lucky with the rain in Rotorua - it rained after we arrived then again while we were having dinner and had cleared for the walk back to the YHA Haka Hostel our accommodation for the night.

It was good to catch up with Gayle (an ex Prostate Cancer Foundation Board Member) over dinner in Rotorua and hear about her upcoming travel plans as well as have a few laughs about many of the common problems shared by the Aussies and us Kiwi's - mostly to do with how Governments like to dish out the peoples money...

L

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