Te Rerenga Wairua, NZ
Three months to the day after leaving Wellington, I cycled up the hill to Cape Renga. The Maori name is Te Rerenga Wairua. And what a memorable, incredibly incredible, crazy, blustery day it was!!!
I met Nick, the Dept of Conservation Ranger, first thing this morning...and our paths crossed all day long. I hate to think where I'd be sleeping tonight if he hadn't saved my ass. How about the toilets at the lighthouse in all probability.
After he stopped and told me I was not allowed to camp where I spent the night, but no worries, he pulled up next to me while I was reading the info boards about the reserve up here on the tip. That was about 5 kms in of the 21 I needed to cycle to the lighthouse at the very top of the North Island. My plan was to cycle up there and stay the night legally camped at a DoC campsight on the beach. Many people have mentioned how beautiful it is. Where Nick pulled up was the car park for some large sand dunes. How's the road down to the dunes? I ask. Any steep gravel hills? Yup. Wanta a lift? I'm going down there now. Sweet as!
Quite spectacular...yes!
Then, after eating my breakfast in the DoC maintenance barn because it was windy and rainy outside, I pedaled on. Nick offered to drive me out but stopped himself saying "you probably want to bike it, huh?" Yes I do!
Thank goodness he didn't tell me about the hills, so I could be surprised. There were a lot of them. And they were fairly steep. Every time I saw the next one from the top of the one I just climbed, I laughed. Of course! But the weather was my biggest challenge. The wind gusts were so strong I had to just sit still and hold the brakes with both hands not to he blown away. At one point, they were so strong tge blew me 100 meters backwards up the hill when I let off the brakes. Most of the time I was able to use my umbrella shelter trick. Until the last hill. Then it was blowing too hard to hold up the umbrella so I just pedaled and hot soaked. Luckily I had just talked with Nick, and since the campsite was down too steep a gravel road and the weather was blustery I accepted his offer of a lift somewhere south. But first, the lighthouse.
When I finally got up to the car park I was soaked to the bone. It was gusting (over 100 mph, I heard in the news...weather so bad they closed the Auckland airport) and raining sideways. Needless to say, barely a view. The water was so choppy...woo, what a storm! When Nick arrived, he gave me a lift down to the lighthouse and the point which is a bit of a walk.
This point is very sacred in Maori culture. They believe the spirits of the recently deceased travel up the island and leave off the point to their permanent home. You can also throw off any unwanted "stuff" while you're there. Nick and I did a little ceremony. The wind was whipping! The waves were crashing! It was an amazing moment!!! So dramatic! So moving!
And tonight I'm back at the campground across from which I stayed last night. I'm the only one here. Not even the owners are here. But I got a shower and a place to get inside if I want. But of course, I'm in my tent.
The day was so unexpected yet just perfect! I'll have to come back here when the weather's better so I can do some of the walks along the coast. But for now just having biked here under my own power over hill after hill and through major winds and rain feels like quite an accomplishment. I'll sleep well.
Now I turn south and check out the east coast, the Bay of Plenty, and the other treasures of the Northland on my way back to Auckland.
Thank you New Zealand for showing me another side of your amazing land.
BagLady
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