Opononi to Ahipara ~ Northland Sojourn 2012 Day 4

We bussed straight to Rawene to avoid some serious road works and to get an awesome breakfast at the Boatshed Café. I had seen this featured on TV and it lived up to its reputation for fine food, coffee and a lovely location.

This also meant we made an earlier ferry crossing giving some more free time at our next destination: Ahipara Beach.

The ride, road, from Kohukohu was new to me. On the previous cycle trip, and several car road trips, I have taken the inland route over the Mangamuka Ranges. We avoided them, and a big climb, by taking a road which follows a drovers route. It goes through lovely rolling countryside with a mix of native, pine and exotic trees. Adventure South laid on one of their awesome roadside lunches beside the river in Broadwood.

There were a couple of reasonably challenging climbs before a fast downhill into Ahipara. It was the first time I've visited this part of 90 Mile Beach and it is lovely.

Dinner was at the motel and their superb rare tender carpetbag steak more than made up for the disappointing one at Opononi. It turned out I would need all those calories the next day…