Cycling The Globe

A Cycle Touring Expedition Around The World

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Day 874: Lake Rotoaira – Taupo

Posted by Thomas Andersen Posted on May - 01 - 2013

Distance: 66.90 km
Ride time: 3:13:32
Average: 21.72 km/h
Total: 20219 km

After the disappointment with the closed hiking trail yesterday I was happy to discover that my cyclingroute was taking me through some very scenic places today. I was cycling along the shore of Lake Taupo almost all the day.

The small towns I’m passing through these days have a high Maori population, the Maori being the indigenous people of New Zealand. Coming from Australia it is tempting to compare the Maori with the Aboriginals, but the two cultures are fundamentally different. The Maoris seem to be integrated into the community in a much deeper way than the aboriginals in Australia.

I continued towards Taupo, a popular holiday destination in beautiful surroundings. I always find it interesting to arrive in a place where people are on holiday. Even though I’m travelling myself, I don’t feel like I’m on holiday. In that sense I feel more at home when I’m cycling through places where people live rather than these holiday towns.

I was trying to do my usual trick of sneaking into a 4 star camp site to recharge my equipment, but it seams like security is tighter in this part of the country. The camp sites all had high fences around them and security cameras all over. Instead I headed towards the fields in the outskirts of town and found a comfortable place to put up my tent. Finding a place to sleep is usually easier than finding a power plug.

Categories: New Zealand
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