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Leg breakdown:

Date	Activity	Leg	Distance (Km)	Elev. Gain (m)	Elev. Desc. (m)	GPX	Profile
4-Nov-18	Hike Ride	Hike on Tiritiri Matangi Island and ride from Gulf Harbour to Orewa	15.5	119	119	GPX	Profile
5-Nov-18	Ride	Orewa to Matakana	57.6	605	607	GPX	Profile
6-Nov-18	Ride	Matakana to Mangawhai Heads	58.6	541	540	GPX	Profile

1-6 November, 2018: Auckland and region

After 14 hours of flight, we approach the Auckland airport. Through the window we can see what we already expected: it rains, not even a small ray of sunshine. We hoped for a miracle, but miracles don’t exist. After landing, the customs process is thorough but friendly. New Zealanders are very concerned about visitors not importing non-native plant or animal species. We were already ready for their requirements: new tires on the bikes, an almost new and clean tent and clean boots. Everything is ok, so they give us the go-ahead without further problems.

Here is the first reality fact. Outside, besides the rain, it’s windy. At the exit of the airport there is a space reserved for assembling bikes, even with a bike stand. But the wind blows the rain laterally and all the gear will get wet in the process. We are not psychologically ready to land and start getting wet. Surely there will be other occasions. So, we get on a shuttle with a convenient baggage trailer that distributes travelers around the city. We arrive at our AirBnB comfortably and dry.

The second reality fact is the friendliness of the New Zealanders. The owner of the AirBnB receives us with a big smile and gives us all sorts of information, such as details of how to go to the city center, services in the surroundings, typical places to visit, etc., etc. The third reality fact is that they couldn’t care less about rain, wind or cold. All those explanations and details were given under the rain before showing us the cottage where we will stay for the next 3 days.

Auckland is a modern city in full growth. The business area, around the harbor, is in full expansion with new buildings in construction everywhere. The neighborhoods around downtown are clustered in the multiple hills that make up the city and usually occupied by single family houses or low buildings. The most emblematic neighborhoods preserve Victorian houses with manicured gardens. In the 3 days that we visit the city we realize of the great number of urban parks and the incredible amount of bike lanes, both dedicated and shared with cars. The car lanes, however, are narrower than the San Diego ones and the drivers are less careful with cyclists.

Attached to our cottage is the owner’s garage, where we are allowed to assemble the bikes. During the transport on the plane, Cèsar’s front wheel disc rotor is warped and the wheel is not true anymore. Judit's bike rear shifter is not working properly either. With our few tools we fix the issues somewhat but not enough to start the trip, so we take them to a bike shop. Summer is around the corner here along with the Christmas holidays. At this time of the year, there is an explosion of outdoor activities, the city is deserted, and everybody is getting ready for it. As a result, all the bike shops are extremely busy and after checking five different places, we have to start begging to get our bike problems fixed the same day. The guys at Torpedo 7 makes us the favor and do a good job on the spot.

We start riding the following morning. To avoid the traffic of Auckland’s suburbs, we take the ferry that goes to the Tiritiri Matanga Island Scientific Reservation, a bird sanctuary. On the way back, we'll get off at Gulf Harbor, instead of returning to Auckland, like the rest of the passengers, and start our ride there. The visit to the island optionally includes a guided tour by ornithologist-wanna-be volunteers, who are very helpful in identifying the different species of birds and insects.

The visit to the island meets all our expectations. The vegetation is lush, very different from what we are used to: giant ferns, climbing vines everywhere, the treetops are so thick that they block the direct sunlight. At ground level there is an enormous variety of ferns, mosses and lichens, as well as all kinds of twisted trees and shrubs putting up with living in the shade of their taller cousins. The DOC (Department of Conservation) has eradicated all introduced predatory species (rats, ferrets, possums, cats, etc.) that endangered the native species, mainly birds. There are traps everywhere just in case one of them makes it to the island.

Some of the birds have been reintroduced after they had become extinct on the island. The sounds of the forest surround us: the polyphonic song of the bell bird, the leaf rustle caused by some bird looking for a tasty worm, the heavy flapping of the New Zealand pigeon. The birds here are not afraid of humans and, as they don’t have predators, they don’t flee in terror as they normally do elsewhere. Some even put up a performance on a nearby branch to show off with photogenic postures while they delight us with their best trills.

Many of the creatures here are a bit odd: the New Zealand pigeon is the size of a chicken, the Tui has a white untidy feather in the chest as a bow tie, the Weta is a kind of cricket measuring 10 cm that lifts its hind spiky legs to scare away predators. At the end of the route we reach the island's lighthouse where another volunteer tells us the history of the place. In short, a very pleasant visit that serves as a perfect introduction to the country's wildlife.

We get off at Gulf Harbor and start pedaling. Pedaling should be easy, right? Well, it’s not. Momentum is the culprit. The handlebar does not want to turn because of the weight of the front bag hanging from it, and when it finally does, it turns too much. So much that it makes the rear paniers wobble, which we try to counterbalance with swerving the handlebar. The perfect example of a positive feedback system. Our ride has quite a rhythm. We stop every 100 m to adjust this, adjust that, check that clicking noise, the dynamo does not charge, we have not put on sunscreen, now I'm cold, now I'm sweating, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Luckily, our goal for today is only 15 km away.

We camp in Orewa, in a campsite next to the beach with artificial grass (!). Here the grass reaches the sand naturally. Just when we arrive, we see for the first time the Eastern Rosella, a multicolored Australian parakeet. Then the challenge of setting up our new tent begins trying not to look too newbies. It is an asymmetric tent, with three poles permanently connected between them that form the exoskeleton and with a tension system that requires three hands and a prehensile tail. In the end we got it without sticking the poles in our eyes, without stumbling more than twice in the same picket and without too much arguing. In short, today we overcome the test but barely.

In the next two days we continue North but avoiding the main roads. The back roads take us through rural areas dedicated mainly to farming. There are green pastures everywhere, delimited by native forest only in those areas where human activity has not yet destroyed it. The terrain is very hilly, and we spent the whole day going up and down. Cows and sheep look at us patiently as we climb the slopes. Conveniently, we arrive to Puhoi at lunchtime. We stop at the cheese factory to certify that its fame is well deserved. Delicious!
One of the nights we end up camping in a place that seems half campground and half farm. At night, the lady in charge brings us 10 fresh eggs. Yes, here the egg boxes contain 10, not 12 eggs. At dawn the roosters wake us up much earlier than we would have liked but we retaliate with some scrambled eggs from their harem. The next night we stop at a spectacular campsite, right on the beachfront, on a manicured lawn overlooking the bay of Mangawhai Heads. A perfect end for the day.