Taihape to Waiouru (17.89 miles/28.80 kms)

It turned out to be a very challenging day today. I started out the door about 8:00 knowing it was going to be a challenging day with lots of steep climbs. Bob, the manager, had wanted to take me past the steepest section and the top, about four miles away. He said it would only take ten minutes or so, something I didn’t really want to hear because it would probably take me hours.

It was overcast and the temperature was in the forties, and it got colder as I started climbing up in elevation.

The road started out with a slight grade right out the door and then rolled through some small hills the first half mile or so. I came to road construction area right outside of town where the traffic was diverted to the shoulder and a workman stopped me as I walked through the cones. He had me follow him through the construction zone and had the equipment pause as we walked through.

After that half mile, I hit that steep climb. It was so steep that that if I didn’t have the Wheelie I could probably have beat some of those overloaded trucks going uphill. My goal to not stop on hills went out the door within the first quarter mile. It was about a three and a half mile climb, and a tough one. When I finally made the top, it had been two hours since I started, only going about two miles per hour.

After reaching the top it actually started a slight downhill and leveled out, but that was short lived because it continued uphill the whole way to Waiouru. It wasn’t as steep, but a steady climb with a few short, very steep, peaks.

The sun never came out and I felt chilled much of the day because there was a slight breeze and I was sweaty. When I finally saw the signs for Waiouru I was happy because it had been a very challenging day.

Waiouru is next to and surrounded by the Waiouru Military Camp, the army base. It is a small town that also has a large military museum.

I made it to Waiouru about 3:30 and checked in at the Oasis Motel. I had a choice of a room with a shared bath at the main building, or a private room across the highway. I opted for the private room as the one with the shared bath looked a little sterile with only a bed. Even the private room wasn’t the nicest but there was not much choice here.

I wanted to wash my clothes but the laundry was across the highway and I didn’t want to run back and forth, so I did what I did in Spain many times, and that was to wash my clothes in the sink. I have clothes hanging everywhere and turned on the heater to dry them.

There are a few cafes and restaurants here, and I went to the Cafe Express Waiouru, which is across the street and had good ratings. It was packed, so it must be good I thought. I ordered a great tasting vegetarian pizza, and it was so big I could only eat half of it. It will be good for breakfast or lunch tomorrow.

Tomorrow? The weather forecast, unfortunately, calls for rain the next two days! I am not sure what I will do as i will be on the desert road and going through the National Park, and the next town, Turangi, it is about forty miles. That means I will have to camp at least one, maybe even two, nights. That could be even more if I get caught in heavy rains?

I am too tired to make that decision now, and I am going to lay here and read my book, and make the decision in the morning.

Best wishes to you all,

Ted

Please excuse the typos, spelling, grammar, etc., as I am typing this on my phone, and I am probably pretty tired.