A museum, a coastal walk and picking strawberries

The former Court House

We awoke to the sound of rain falling on our roof.  It was a nice way to start the day.  Fortunately it only lasted for a little while and soon we were on our way to explore Port Macquarie. 

Port Macquarie was established as a penal colony for prisoners transported from the UK who had committed a second offence in the colony of NSW.  It was identified as a suitable place by the surveyor-general of NSW John Oxley.  The town began to be settled by convicts in 1821 and they began by building their own accommodation.  Of course, there was a garrison of soldiers who kept watch over them as well administering severe punishment of 10 to 50 lashes.  They were cruel times.  We learnt all this in the local museum which was housed in an old storehouse that had been bought by the local historical society. 

The local museum

The town itself sits at the entrance to the Hastings River and like New Plymouth has a wonderful coastal walk.  The population is around 50,000 people and has been marketed as a resort for the past 90 or so years.  It is rather lovely and laid back.  There seem to be quite a few retirees and while walking the Breakwall (part of the coastal walk) we encountered a retired farmer from Orange who had retired to the town.  He was interesting and charming until he began stating openly that he thought problems in Australia were the result of people of coloured people immigrating to Australia.  We weren’t going to change his mind, so we ended our conversation and continued our walk.  I think he was lonely as he had recently lost his wife. One interesting feature of the walk were the painted stones which had all manner of drawings on them, sometimes referencing people.  It made it interesting and colourful.

Breakwater walk part of the coastal walk

One of my favourites

A stop for coffee and lunch on Town Beach enabled us to relax, eat and watch the sunbathers and surfers.  We both commented that it is easy to see why there is so much melanoma in Australia with may spending extended time lying in the sunshine. 

Town Beach

The local visitors’ magazine highlighted picking strawberries at “Ricardoes” a few kilometres from town.  Remarkably, Bev who is not a fan of strawberries suggested we go there.  They also grow tomatoes.  It was a big enterprise with lots of preserves and even had New Zealand manuka honey for sale. 

The picking of strawberries was so easy and before we knew it we had both consumed a few of the exceptionally sweet and ripe berries and had a bucket full. 

Finally, before heading back to our cabin we went for a drive south down the coast to see places that had been recommended.  The little settlements were obviously places where baches had once been but were now substantial homes.   There were also new developments, presumably because the land is cheap and you can build a large house with four bedrooms, two garages multiple bathrooms, etc on a pocket-sized section. On the other hand the beaches were superb with vast stretches of golden sand and surf and were largely empty. 

I cooked a steak for dinner on the barbecue in the common area and then back at our cabins and we sat eating it on our veranda, with a glass of wine,  enjoying the last of the light in the warm balmy air. 

The old and the new hotels

Road Trip to Port Macquarie - December 2023

I had thought that Port Macquarie was situated at Lake Macquarie which is just south of Newcastle in New South Wales.  However, I soon discovered that it was in what they call the Mid North Coast.  About ten years ago we had spent a lovely weekend at Lake Macquarie, riding our bikes and exploring the area.  For some reason I had wanted to go to see Port Macquarie and Bev had decided it was a good place to go for a road trip. 

 

Port Macquarie is around 360 kilometres north of Sydney.  We had been booked to stay in luxury cabins at a place called Little Palms Cabin at Lake Cathie (pronounced Cat-eye). Apparently this is to differentiate it from other places which are spelt Catti.  How you get Cat-eye from Cathie is beyond me. 

 

The trip to Lake Cathie is along the Pacific Highway a motorway that goes from Sydney to Brisbane as far as I can tell.  Otherwise it isknown as A1.  It is a bit like our expressways and is a continuation of the M1 from Sydney to Newcastle.  Having just driven from Auckland to Wellington the only comparison of the quality of the road are the motorways south of Auckland and north of Wellington.  It makes driving easy and much safer.   Much of the road goes through eucalypt forest and avoids the numerous little towns and villages that dot the coastal strip. 

 

We stopped for some lunch at a rest stop about halfway to Lake Cathie.  It was a random stop but a fortunate one as there was a coffee cart there to sate our coffee addiction while we ate the baguette, we bought in Pymble. 

 

Lake Cathie is a little village ten minutes south of Port Macquarie.  The cabin in which we are staying is very cute.  After arriving and unpacking the car we went for a walk to beach.  It is one of those beaches that often feature in advertisements for Australia, long and golden framed by a deep blue sea and dunes.  We were surprised that there was no one swimming there but it was late afternoon so that was perhaps the reason. 

 

Our cute little cabin

Nearby our cabin is a pub and supermarket.  Bev thought that the fruit was considerably cheaper in that supermarket than in Sydney, perhaps the result of property being so much cheaper up here.  Although, the prices of houses were still just under a million dollars and some well over. 

 

We had a drink on our little veranda and then we headed to the local pub for a meal.  It was in true Aussie style a big barn of a tavern and reminded me of the Hillcrest Tavern in Hamilton of my youth.  We ordered our meal and then waited and waited.  Eventually after about forty minutes I went up to the kitchen to find where our meal was.

“We were inundated with orders,” I was told.

“How long will it be as we have been waiting for a long time now?”  I asked.

“About 10 minutes!”

 

Bev continued to entertain me while I quietly thought about the next move.  After twenty minutes and no food we decided Bev might be a better person to go up and ask so off she goes to be told the same as me and that it was about 2 minutes away! Humph I said when she told me that and I estimated it would be about ten to fifteen minutes.  Fifteen minutes later I decided I would go to the people who took the money and complain.  Just as I was walking there the buzzer thing went notifying me that the meal was ready.  Sure enough it was there.  We were about the last to be served, over an hour and a half later after placing our order.

 

Remarkably the food was quite good for pub food. 

 

I commented that as we walked back to our cabin how warm it was - a soft almost tropical warmth which had me worrying about sleeping but I crashed out easily.

The Timber Trail part 2 - November 2023

Maramataha Bridge - the longest on the trail

It rained overnight.  The rain falling on the canvas was a lovely aural sensation and before I knew it was I asleep.  Like many men my age being able to sleep through the night without going to the loo is a distant memory.  So it was a bit of hike to the ablution block.  En-suites are so much better.  The bed was very comfortable and I slept pretty well despite aching shoulders and a very sore bum from the chafing. 

Breakfast time

The dawn chorus was lovely with tui and bellbird at least making themselves heard.  Then it was up for breakfast, pack the bags and before we knew it we were on our way.  It was a gentle mounting of the bike to test the pain threshold.  Yes, I could do it.  The road was relatively smooth and the first part of the track was similar.  Then we started to climb slowly through the bush.  It was beautiful and sweet smelling from the overnight rain.  Of course there were pot holes, mud to squelch through, rocks to dodge.  However wending our way through that part was beautiful.  

We then reached the longest swing bridge at around 141 metres in length.  Photos were taken.  Then we crossed the bridge.  Immediately we were on a long climb.  I had the e-bike in "tour" and it was enough to help me keep up with our best climber, to work hard enough that I got a sweat up but not overstressing my heart.  The track was rutted in places and a little slippery where it was down to clay.  I don’t know for how many kilometres we climbed but it was at least two but probably more.  Finally we were at the top and all we had to do was wait for the others.  They came in dribs and drabs.  Rob said he had to stop a couple of times and another rider also had to stop.  The Mountain Man wasn’t going to do that and so he gamely did it without stopping.  The track then descended for a while which was very nice and at times we were motoring along only to have to slow down to avoid toppling off going through one of the many puddles or bits of bog.  The rain had really cut up the track and I suspect when it dries out some serious maintenance is going to have to be done on it. 

Phew! Arriving at the top

 

We had a rest stop for a drink  at Mystery Creek and then we continued on along an old tramway for about ten kilometres until we stopped for lunch.  It was a gentle climb and I used the power for much of it.  It meant I still had to work but I always felt more in control of it than with lots of power and not needing to work.  Of course I wouldn’t have got muchexercise if I hadn’t done that. 

Camp 10 and a jigger turntable

After another couple of kilometres it was all down hill.  Of course, it came with usual caveats, ruts, mud and then at about kilometre 70 we hit the remnants of a slip and there was a boggy, muddy area for which the only way to get over it was to ride as fast as you could or else you would stop and end up ankle deep in the mud.  There were some young ones at the end of the section who clapped us through.  I think they must have been waiting to see someone spill off or just enjoy the look of determination on the riders faces as they went through the area.  As we continued on (for about a kilometre) more maintenance work was being done leaving the surface quite slippery.  I was very glad of the big knobbly tyres as they really made going through it less perilous. 

Ongarue spiral -

The next point of interest was the Ongarue Spiral which was one of 81 such spirals in the world and the only one you can ride a bike around.  It was quite neat except there was a tunnel and of course I only had the phone to light it up.  However, it was short and while I walked through some of I was able to get on the bike before the end and get down to one of the view points. 

The next couple of kilometres were great as they trail was dry with light grit on it and we hurtled down it until we came to a stop sign to cross a road.  From then on it was about three kilometres or so to Ongarue and the trail head.  I then had about four kilometres to ride on the road to the depot.  It was a relatively quiet road and what difference riding on tarmac made.  I reckon about three kilometres on the road were equivalent to one on the trail.  The bikes were pretty muddy by the time we got there.

We changed and then it was into the truck and onto Auckland.  We had a good run there arriving at around 8pm.  We unloaded it before heading down the road to get some Thai food.  I was into bed soon after and as soon as my head hit the pillow I was asleep.  

A selection of shots from the day

 

The Timber Trail part 1 - November 2023

A group of seniors ready to go

We were up at a bit after 6am and after shower, repacking and getting into our gear we had breakfast.  For the most part we were out of the motel by 7:30am but did not get away until a little after 8am.  We dropped Rob’s truck at Ongarue and got a lift from his brother to Pureora.  I’ve never been that way before and the landscape is quite beautiful.  Rugged land for farming and lots of pockets of bush.  An hour later we were at the drop-off point. 

When dropping off Rob's truck at the bike hire depot I had talked with the organiser to ensure that my bike was being transported to the head of the track.  Yes, it had already been transported there with the other bikes I was assured.  We arrived at the beginning of the trail just after a couple of the shuttles with all the bikes on the trailer.  Mine was nowhere to be seen. There was another chap who was also looking for a bike.  Then as I was thinking I would be waiting a while for my bike to my relief  another shuttle turned up and my bike was on that one . 

It was a big mountain e-bike.  It was quite different to ride to my bikes at home and it took me a little while to adapt to the weight, maneuverability and the electric assist.  

The track took us up and around Mt Pureora through a remnant of the original forest that had not been felled for timber.  I remember protests in the 1970s with people sitting in old trees to prevent them being felled which resulted in the ceasing of any further felling of the virgin forest.  Apparently many of the floors of NZ houses that were built in the early part of 20^th century were constructed from trees that were destroyed for building materials. 

Initially the track wound its way through the forest climbing gently all the way.  It was gorgeous, the only sounds being that of the birds in the forest and the occasional voice or the whine of the electric motor powering my bike.  I fell in love with the e-bike as it made the climb that much easier.  Then at about the 7 kilometre mark the track began to rise and the gradient increased quite considerably.  Finally we reached the high point of the track from where it descended.  It was a fast descent and one had to concentrate as in places there were muddy bits, potholes of indeterminate depth, sharp corners and other obstacles.  It was quite hard on the shoulders as the track was quite bumpy so at speed the bumps were going through the shoulders. 

Our group

I realised after a while how unfit I had become, at least on a bike. 

We stopped for lunch at a very busy shelter where others were also stopping for a bite to eat and a rest.  There both cyclists and trampers as the track is part of both the country long Tour Aotearoa cycling route and the Te Araroa Track, both about 3000 kilometres long. 

An old tractor and skid with totara posts

The track continued its downward way, until we came to an amazing swing bridge over a wide chasm.  The engineering of it was great. There was stream below; I could hear it but it was obscured by the bush.  There was a woman who arrived who said to her partner she did not think she could do it.  Later I spoke to one of her party whose view was that she was making far too big an issue of it. 

The first of the swing bridges

A kilometre or so further on we came to another long swing bridge.  Rob made the comment that he wondered why there was always a steep climb out of them, and I said it was all about the width of the valley/chasm that was being bridged and that they were trying to balance distance bridged with convenience to the rider. . 

When we were high  up on the mountain  there were places where the moss seemed to be completely was covering the rather large trees.  It was beautiful. 

Trees covered in moss

Our overnight stay was in a place call Piropiro where we at stayed Camp Epic, a glamping place.  By the time I got to about kilometre 40  I was somewhat tired and sore.  The bike had a so called comfort seat.  It was not so for me. My bum was really sore with chaffing caused by the seat.  We had travelled along an old timber tramway for  the latter part of the ride. Some our group turned off to the posh place and we wondered we had to go.  Finally we arrived at Camp Epic ready for a shower and a beer. 

Our accommodation

The camp was great.  We had a comfortable bed to sleep in.  There is a place to cook and and converse.  .  No traffic, just the sound of the birtds and the odd loud human.

Most of the people on the track seem to be visitors to the country.  Many seem to be doing the Te Araroa walk and are from Germany and England.  

The high point of the track

Lunch stop

Riding the swing bridge

Planning a new cycle adventure

In May 2023 my friend Rob enquired as to whether I would interested in doing the the Timber Trail in November with a group of his friends and family. It is a two day cycle ride from Pureora to Ongarue in the central North Island and a ride I had been contemplating for sometime but had never got around to doing it.  I said yes and paid for accommodation at a glamping place called Camp Epic which is at the halfway point of the ride.

A few years ago the trail had been recommended by another friend of mine who said that I would probably need a mountain bike to do it.  I was not sure at the time but filed it away in my mind.  

Planning for a November ride meant that I did not really think about until I returned from our trip to Canada. 

Initially I had thought I would do the ride on a hired mountain bike but having acquired a arrhythmic heart it seemed that I would be unlikely to climb the hills in the ride.  So I began inquiring  about e-bikes.  They are so expensive to hire but needs must and I found a company that had bikes at reasonably short notice.  

Rob and I drove up the night before the ride in his truck.  He was doing the ride on bike with the assistance of electricity.  I have to say I was a little envious as I would have liked to be able to do that as well.  

The weather forecasts were a bit bleak with rain and hail predicted for at least one of the days. 

One can do the ride in either direction but most do it in the northeast to southwest direction as there is a little less climbing in that direction.  That was the direction we decided upon.  

We stayed in a sixties built motel that was clean and comfortable.  I am sure that with the opening of the trail the businesses must have got a boost from those doing the trail.