On July 8 I went by car with my friends Brenda and Jack Long from Waiheke Island to Broadlands in the Rotorua - Taupo district, my bike traveling in comfort in the back. Follow my trip on the map, starting from the yellow dot in the southeast corner, that's River Road, Broadlands.

The pictures show highlights along the route. (For captions put the cursor over the pictures.)

My ride began early next morning. In a hoar frost and heavy fog I biked to Wairakei (the next dot west on the blue highway), where I thawed out and enjoyed breakfast while the fog lifted slowly. From Wairakei I cycled the back roads to get to Poihipi Road which heads northwest to Whakamaru. It's a steady climb to the plateau about halfway between Wairakei and Whakamaru (the leftmost dot on the map).

I spent the afternoon at Whakamaru, lunching at the cafe and looking at the hydro-electric system built there in the 1950s; Lake Whakamaru contains the Waikato River to power the turbines. I enjoyed an overnight stay at That Dam Lodge, recently set up in the former dam construction camp.