I struggled today.
I let things dry out a bit, and left the campground in Miranda at 9:30 am. As per my original plan, I converted the backpack to a trunk of sorts, and finally have enough cargo space to carry food.
Most of the day was Rails to Trails cycle path, off the road but slower. Yet I covered only ~80 km, and didn’t arrive at tonight’s campground until 6:30 pm.
Hundreds of cattle access points on the trail were a constant irritant, as well as the occasional traffic jam.
Not helped any by a flat tire 5 km outside of town! Another cyclist stopped to check on me, and stayed until I was on the road again.
I’d planned to end the day near Cathedral Cove, but between the bicycle’s gearing and my own, 5 km into the turn towards the mountains I decided I’d never make the climb and redirected to Te Aroha. Adjusting the seat along the way improved things a bit, but still a long day.
That said, inclement weather approaches, so I’m going to attempt Rotorua tomorrow, a bigger climb and longer distance. It’s a central Maori tourist point, and a general tourism hub. From there I can explore the surrounding area and wait out the weather. There’s also a big jump at the end with nothing in between.