Day 1 - First to see the sunrise
Hi everyone!
Today we launched and have just wrapped up the exciting first leg of Tour Kopiko! Let me tell you, Day 1 was nothing short of jaw-dropping! Picture this: from the most majestic sunrise at the East Cape Lighthouse to the charming Te Araroa, we blazed a trail today spanning 115.7 km.
We set off at the crack of dawn to the East Cape car-park to witness the sunrise. It was unbelievable! The East Cape is the first place in the world to start the new day. But that was just the beginning, as we cycled along East Cape Rd, we took photos of several horses which I think I would have preferred to ride. We also couldn't resist a pit stop to marvel at the Te Waha o Rerekohu, the largest known Pohutukawa tree in the country. It's 21 m tall and 40 m wide, and most definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.
At Te Araroa, we stopped off for coffee at a cute little cart. Next up, it was time to shift gears as we conquered the road from Te Araroa to Waihau Bay, a heart-racing 57 km stretch with just enough twists and turns to keep us on our toes. Of course, no adventure is complete without constant caffeine boosts, so we made a swift detour to Hicks Bay township. Unfortunately, the coffee shop was closed so we continued along to Waihau Bay for a well-deserved lunch and break. We parked ourselves on the grass next to the jetty and began to eat. Several of us also went to the local store for ice cream. Here on the east coast a single scoop is actually a double scoop and Gold Rush, Hokey Pokey and Chocolate Mint seem to be the favourites.
The home stretch of the day was from Waihau Bay to Te Kaha, where we wound around the east coast shoreline for a spectacular 36.5 km. From the stunning vistas of Maraehako Bay to the Pacific Coast Macadamias and Nuthouse café, many of those moments were a picture-perfect postcard.
Along the way, we met a gentleman who wanted to chat. He was very proud of his 2 children who were in the movies ‘Whale Rider’, and ‘The Story of Paikea’. As it turns out another kiwi classic ‘Boy’ was also filmed in the area.
Today we passed a total of 8 Maraes and 12 cemeteries and also a number of churches.
Finally, we arrived at Te Kaha Beach Hotel which is really special. Liisa who we met at the front desk has simply gone out of her way to make us feel welcome. They’ve provided space for us to store our bikes, extra milk and is providing us all breakfast 2 hours earlier than usual.
Thankfully now we have finished the day and are embracing some rest and relaxation, reminiscing about our thrills and a few spills of an unforgettable first day of our journey from east to west.
But it has only just begun! So stay tuned as we continue to unravel a few more tales of this wonderful adventure across NZ’s North Island! 🚴♂️✨
