Day 8 - Ponchos and Puddles
Wow, what a night at Camp Epic. Staying in a glamping tent sounds romantic and exciting, but as the northwesterly winds blew and the rains fell in sheets, it was more like a nightmare. Around 1 am in the morning, it felt like the tent would blow away. We had the alarm set for 5 am and awoke to high winds and heavy rain. Lots of thoughts went through our heads. “Will the track be open today?” How much rain will fall? Should we just sleep in and hope that the rain would stop?
Instead, after breakfast and a photo in our ponchos, we decided we would indeed hit the track. We were expecting a real rollercoaster ride today, 92 km and 1,100-meter climb. But we took on the challenge and pedalled away from Cape Epic towards our planned destination.
The day kicked off with crossing the 2.5 km awe-inspiring Maramataha suspension bridge. Spanning a whopping 141 meters. This engineering marvel left us breathless – not only from the views but more so from trying not to look down!
We then hit a 3 km climb to the old railway terminus, where our legs got a good warm-up in preparation for another long distanced day. We kept our eyes peeled for the historic tramway, a relic of yesteryear that's now a playground for adventurous bikers.
We encountered some iconic landmarks, including the Waione suspension bridge, the Waikoura suspension bridge, and the Mangatukutuku bridge. I started counting puddles, but quit counting once I reached 100. We approached each puddle with caution as we never actually knew the true depth of them until we entered. Several unscheduled dismounts and a few falls later, we began to wise up a bit. Next, I counted goats, 14 in total today, and one who chose to run towards me instead of away.
One of the day’s highlights was the Ongarue Spiral where the trail looped using bridges and a tunnel. This twisty-turny wonder gave us the feeling of being a kid on a carnival ride, except with a little more sweat and no cotton candy.
Once off the timber trail, we stopped for lunch and washed our bikes down with a neighboring hose.
The next leg of our (rain-soaked) adventure would take us from Ongarue to Ohura. This route was an old gravel road, filled with interesting sights, including a ride through a railway underpass and a crossing of the Okahukura River on the old railway bridge.
As we made our way through the Okahukura Scenic Reserve, we couldn't help but appreciate the natural beauty that surrounded us. The historic horse watering trough was a charming reminder of days gone by, adding to the real heritage of our journey.
Finally, we arrived at Ohura township where we were finished for the day. The town looked abandoned. A shame, I guess, as it seems so quaint and wonderful.
We loaded the van and had to drive 40 km away for a place to stay. Soaked, cold, and depleted, we relived the day. We then drove into the Omaka Lodge. Wow, well worth the drive. We were greeted by Scott and Chris, the owners.
Located 7 km from the township of Taumarunui lies Omaka Lodge, formerly a “war-ballot” dairy farm designated for soldiers returning from World War 1, then sheep and beef station, and now converted to a boutique bed & breakfast venue in the heart of New Zealand’s Forgotten World.
Well positioned on the crest of a hill, with magnificent views of Herlihy’s Bluff and Mount Hikurangi, with a peek of Mount Ruapehu. The Forgotten World Gardens consists of four large and beautiful country gardens and are a 5-star garden of national significance.
As you can imagine we were all very excited to settle into this little gem and could not wait for our next hot shower!
