When I stopped to ask for directions to the Devonport ferry, my sunglasses fell into the gutter and bounced down a storm drain hole!! The lady shopper I was talking to exclaimed "Oh dear, that drain goes all the way to the beach!"

I could see a little ledge down the hole, so I reached my arm down, getting it completely black with oil and muck, I rustled around in the leaves on the ledge, until I fancied that there was something else rustling about there too, so I quickly withdrew and went to buy a replacement pair of sunglasses!

The run South from Auckland was then a nightmare of traffic lights and suburban and industrial squalor, through mangy Manuka, poxy Papakanu and dreary Drury.

Eventually I got lost from the HW1 route and found myself in Pukakohe, where I booked into a motel for the night. To pronounce Pukakohe correctly, you have to use very short vowels: pu-ka-ko-he. But the ladies at the information centre say the locals call it "pookakoey", or even "pookie".

Distance today: 104 Km, cumulative: 560 Km

written by  John and Claud on January 25, 2007 from Orewa, New Zealand
from the travel blog: Cape Reinga to Bluff
Send a Compliment

---

Not quite sure when slack jawed awe at the scale of the achievement should give way to calling in the men with the reversable white coats. You and Mr Butler make a striking combination. I have just checked the map; seems there's a way to go yet so we'll keep cheering from the safe side of a decent pint. Good luck and keep them pedals turning.

AG

written by  Andy Gillham on January 26, 2007

---

Greetings "JT",
most impressed and proud with ur progress thus far! seems like you are dominating those hills and also taking some uber cool photos at the same time!!
hope u made it ok over to the south island on the ferry today! look forward to the next post, hope claud is holding up ok and is able to keep up with those chunky yet apparently very speedy legs of yours!!
love #1 weasel

written by  Simo on January 27, 2007

comment on this...