Decision time: riding East Cape

Before I committed to Africa I took myself on a wee cycle touring holiday to make up my mind. I rode from Rotorua to Whakatane then around the scenic coastal highway to Gisborne. This was before I met Captain. I rode a Marin Larkspur: the Silver Bullet.

Many people warned me about the logging trucks around the cape: "They'll put you in a ditch!", "You'll get get run off the road and end up over a cliff!". However I found the truck drivers very courteous and often with a smile and a wave.  The roads were generally empty and I felt safe on them at all times. The biggest danger was the multiple magpie attacks from birds nesting in windbreaks near the road. 

I met all manner of engaging people, cycled through some long uninhabited stretches and stayed in some welcoming and comfortable places. The most notable were:

• The airport worker originally from old South Western Africa who kept the terminal open for me while I built my bike and told me stories of driving trucks back home. He spoke seven languages one of which was all clicks and whistles.
• Te Kaha Homestead Lodge which comes complete with a sign especially welcoming cyclists at the gate and a hot tub just above the high tide mark.
• Michelle from Footprints in the Sand at Tokomaru bay who fed me tea and cookies while I warmed up from riding in the rain, cooked me the most wonderful dinner and dessert, showed me her Egyptian collection, introduced me to her family and made me feel at home. If you are cycle touring with a group this is a perfect stop.  There is good space for multiple tents to be pitched, a lovely dog and impressive outdoor kitchen facilities.
• Meeting Dwayne on the Tolaga bay bridge and spending some time together at Uawa FM and in every store that Tologa Bay has to offer.
• The upcycled clothing and conversations at Gisborne's My Beautiful Life.

Here's a few sights that caught my eye along the way, and of course obligatory shots of bike at rest.