Day 2

We woke around 7 to lots of singing birds nesting in fragrant bushes quite near the head of our tent. Quick breakfast of eggs, toast, and some terrible brown powder the kiwis try and pass off as instant coffee (tastes more like hot prune juice than coffee) in the deserted camp kitchen. Packed up the bikes and headed to the hot spring pool so Z. could soak his legs before taking off. Met a nice Polish Canadian who was also cycling through and who'd already had a run in with the local drivers who tend to cross the center line around the curves. He'd made it through unscathed due in large part to good bike handling. We exchanged route information and made idle chat for quite a while. The pool closed for cleaning shortly after we arrived and we (Z. begrudgingly) pulled on our knee braces and pedaled away into a gorgeous day. The coast is dead flat and the road is quite straight; which is great except when there's a headwind and you're riding directly into and will be until as far as the eye can see! We pedaled our hearts out that afternoon making what felt like little headway until we turned west and headed into the foothills. We arrived in Morrinsville around 4:30, about 20k short of our desired destination. We pulled into the first grocery we saw and sat down to loot at the maps when a big bearded guy of about 45 came by to check out what we were about. He offered to help us plan a better route along the back roads as well as offering up his yard for our camping pleasure. We accepted and headed off to get the makings for dinner and to see about getting online. The library in town took care of the Internet connection to the tune of $2 per 15 minutes. E. posted a quick note and a few pictures about our first day to the blog before the place closed. We headed to Pete's house to setup camp and while we waited for him to arrive, the neighbours introduced themselves by asking tons of questions and offering us bourbon and cokes and insight into everything from our new President to the politics of bicycling in New Zealand. Pete got home around dusk from eel fishing with his wife, two daughters, and a heap of friends in tow. They lit up a fire in the back and brought out the beer all to celebrate another evening with their "family". We laughed, asked and answered questions and eventually got those directions from Pete about staying off the main highway. We sauntered off to bed light from the friendliness and probably a bit from imbibing!