Whakatane to Matawai

Six till six almost. Away before six and arrived at the Matawai Camp at about 5:45 PM. It was the longest ride for me on the Kopiko at about 130 km and 2,100 metres of climbing. For those used to driving over the Hilltop to Duvachelles I rode up to the Hilltop about four times (and in the heat it felt a bloody lot more)... 

Out of Whakatane we traveresed "Burma Road" which actually was a very rough farm track tht would take a skilled four wheel driver to navigate. The it was downa and on to Opotoki and after a breakfast stop there we decided to push on to Matawai. It was a nice riide out of Opotoki along the coast on the Dune bike trail and then we crossed S H Way 2 to begin the "Motu" trail. We soon hit the gravel road and for the next 48 km's (about 4 hours riding) we only ever saw four vehicles and one of those we saw twice! So it was great riding as far as traffic and gravel road was concerned - as for the hills well they are simply to be expected - knowing that though does not make then any easier.

It's very dry up here and there is not a lot of water to be found in the creeks or the ones where there is water it doesn't look that safe to drink, I found that I had used all my on board water up and was hoping that there would be sone to be found at Motu. Sure enough the Motu School had a tap I could get some water from to replenish my drink bottles.

Riding up through the bush was great and then when we emerged at about 700 metres of altitude we were in very high and steep grazing hill country bounded by bush.

We have been flip flopping along and running in to the same people on the trail - a lovely couple from Matamata and a group of four blokes from Auckland/Hamilton. We all ended up staying here for the night and making the most of what the little store had to offer before it shut for the night at 6:00 PM.

Serviced the bike as the chain was asking for some oil and got as much organised as one can for the last day tomorrow of the Kopiko - the ride in to Gisborne which although a good distance it won't have anything like the hills from today.