Day 3: Omapere to Ruawai

"Don't go South tomorrow!", Joe, a local Mauri guy (who turned out to be Sue's gardener)advised last night in the bar in Omapere. "The hills are terrible - head North instead." Joe is somewhat of a philosopher in the "live in the moment" sort of way. I try to explain my Southerly intentions, by showing him my guidebook map. "Throw that away for a start, man", says Joe. "That was written by white men!"

Well, Joe was right about the hills; the three big 'uns out of Omapere are tough and made worse by the fact that you can see them snaking upwards into the mountain mists ahead. But it is worth the effort for the views back to Hokianga Harbour and then the Waipoua Forest, where I visit Tane Mahuta, the biggest Kauri tree of them all. Photos cannot covey the scale, as it is so wide, but Tane Mahuta is awe-inspiring - about 50 feet around its trunk!

The haka chanted by the All Blacks goes:

Ka Mate! Ka Mate! Ka Ora! Ka Ora!
Ka Mate! Ka Mate! Ka Ora! Ka Ora!
Tenei te tangata puhuru huru
Nana nei i tiki ra
Whakawhiti te ra
A upane ka upane!
A upane kaupane whiti te ra! Hi!

This translates roughly as:

I die! I die! I live! I live!
I die! I die! I live! I live!
Behold the hairy man
Who fetched the sun
And caused it to shine again
One upward step! Another upward step!
An upward step, another....the sun shines!

Apparently, this verse was penned by warrior chief Te Rauparaha, who hid from a chasing band of Ngati Te Hou tribesmen, after he had, rather ungraciously, eaten some of their number in an earlier raid. The words relate to Te Rauparaha being uncovered, after he had hidden in a kumara pit to avoid his pursuers! His first sight is of the hairy legs of the friendly chief who hid him, and then the sunshine.

I press on for the easiest bit of cycling so far down past Dargaville, along the banks of the Waipoua River, finally arriving in Ruawai, where I stay in "Bea's" backpacker lodge.

Distance covered today: 112 Km, cumulative: 320 Km

written by

John and Claud on January 24, 2007 from Ruawai, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Cape Reinga to Bluff

Send a Compliment

Dear John and Claude

Pleased to see you are keeping the OB wanderers up to date with your travels. Must say Claude you look very dashing, not sure about the pasty faced man in white that is riding you though! Take care. Debe

written by Debe Gillham on January 25, 2007

OK,

I understand "New Zealand" but surely to God the other place names are random collections of letters.

This is written from the rather less stunning locale of our office on a development on the outskirts of Munich. No competition.

Glad you are hacking down the miles and still maintaining humour. Not sure the prospect of a 5Km climb would allow me the luxury. Good on you.

Keep reporting in and making us jealous, it sounds as glorious as the Smugs made it out to be which given their view was filtered through a haze of alcohol is no mean feat for a place.

Keep giving Claud welly and we'll hear from you soon I hope.

Andy

written by Andy Gillham on January 25, 2007

Big Papa Bear, Joyce wasn't wrong, don't be shy with the fake tan if you are really offending the locals with those pins! Am very impressed, if a little scornful that my Dad appears to be so much fitter than I, the slothful traveller. Oh and pies are great don't let anyone tell you differently, although I think it always safer to stick to the vegetable variety....just in case. Proud of you! Daught x x x x

written by Mandy Marmite Junior on January 25, 2007

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