Bike Jan '18 Day 5

Breakfast is meusli and protien powder, again. I think I will be giving the drum of it away to Cam when I get back. Thankfully a shorter day today, and it starts out a bit easier with a nice ride along a river valley to Motu, where I actually lose altitude. Sheep & beef farms surround me and I even have to ride through a large flock of sheep heading to the shearing shed.

Thrus 11th Matawai to Ohiwa via Pakahi track.

Total distance: 87 km | Total time: 8.48 hr | Overall average: 9.9 km /hr | Moving time: 5.51 hr | Moving average: 14.9 km/hr

Years back there was the usual railway along here to transport logs out, all that is left are some bridge relics and information panels. Motu has a school, a hall and a public toilet, but no people today. I lose the tarseal and start to climb out of the farm land, there are km markers as this is part of the NZ cycle routes, they help me feel that I am actually progressing. I don’t see anyone else until I exit the Pakahi track some hours later. Near the top of the first big hill I stop for a protien snack (egg), as I’m resting a stoat drops out of the bush onto the road, snakes with legs a friend calls them, they are certainly destructive to the wildlife. I have no weapons of mass destruction to drop on it, so it lives another day. The road narrows more and I get some downhill, watching for stray rocks on the running surface. There are nice bush views down the steep valleys and I start to feel that it is getting remote. Eventually the turn off down the Pakahi MTB track arrives. Decision time. I’m on a loaded cyclocross bike and have had broken spokes on a previous trip from this type of riding. The Old Motu road has some more climbing, is gravel and a bit longer so I opt for the track.

Track time to the hut is one hour so a good spot for lunch. It takes 50 minutes and I’m not racing. The track is in good condition with the windfalls from the storm the previous week pretty much cleared. There are some local volunteers who help maintain the track. I discover the hut is slightly off route and it is a steep downhill to get there, which means a steep uphill to get out again. Too late! I cook up another dehy meal, stretch and drink plenty. The hut is in good condition with plenty of deck space if it gets full. As the Pakahi track is only 20km long it wouldn’t really be needed for MTBers.

Fed, watered & rested I push on. There are a number of small streams coming into the main river I’m following down, these are bridged and tend to have sharp bends to get on & off them. I can usually ride around the corners if I’m careful. I’m not sure if it is inattention but as I come out of one of these corners I lean onto the rock wall to stablise myself, wobble, go to unclip my cycle shoe as I start tipping toward the dropoff. I got my shoe out in time to fall into the stream, breaking my fall with both knees, shoulder and head. I lie in the water like a stunned mullet as I mentally check my limbs out, sore but don’t feel broken. Grovel up the 1.5 m bank to the bike and lie on the track. I carry a PLB in my small back pack and if needed can reach it. I run through my options. Injuries appear to be bruises & possible strains, minimal blood, teeth rattled but no concussion. Conclusion is I can probably continue the 8km to the road end. No point waiting for help as I doubt anyone will be through today and I’m not ready to fire the PLB off. Well, if it is carrying on then no point feeling sorry for myself, get going. Bike is fine but there is some blood leaking from my fingers and knees which will dry up. The track is benched from now on and at times quite high above the river. My confidence has been shaken so I opt to walk some of the more daunting sections which I would have normally ridden. The limbs are working but stiff, so best not to stop and cool down. I make it to the road end where a bloke and his boys are working on a large picnic table. We have a yarn, unfortunately he lives nearby so I don’t even broach the idea of a ride.

The ride down to Opotiki has just been graded so it is loose with no vehicle tracks established. The trappings of civilisation appear, power wires, letter boxes and finally tarseal. Head down into the wind along the final straight road and finally the Opotiki cemetry is in sight. I stretch out on the grass, retrieve my phone to contact my friend, Steve who is camping in Ohiwa 15km away. Yes he is around and do I want a ride? Pride rears its head so I decline. A nearby cafe gets the caffeine and sugar levels back up sufficiently to start the final leg, which I assume (wrongly) is flat. With the accident and difficulty in eating properly I am at a pretty low point. 15km I can do but toward the end I spy a tar seal ribbon ascending a hill, it is not a big hill, even so I have to stop twice to get up it. I’m met at the motor camp gate by a friend of Steve’s who escorts me past the security barrier to their camp. Steve is tied up on the phone for work so I crash at their tent with Lousie and start the rehydration and re-energising process. When Steve returns I’m feeling less sorry for myself so we head into the sea for a swim. It’s nice to have good company that I know and so after a shower I get my tent up and have the best feed of the trip. Fresh snapper and pasta salad. Easy on the stomach and plenty of carbs. I even begin contemplating continuing the ride tomorrow!