Stubborn Stokman & Kees

And the winner is... My NZ uncle Mark! Named my bike Kees (eng. Case) and he and I made our first kilometers downunder. After putting him together and organizing my things, opa and oma dropped me off at Waihi. There I started the Hauraki Rail Trail, which I could follow all the way to Te Aroha. Great trail, beautiful sceneries and even the sun came out! With the result of a bright red coloured skin by the time I arrived in Wardville, at the goatfarm of Karen and Geoff (stokman family too). After a tour around the farm I put Kees in the back of Geoff's ute to go to Maunga Tautari and the rest of their family. Great catching up!
Karen and I did some good research on tents the other day in Hamilton and I bought a pretty little one to bring along.

We put Kees back in the ute as I got dropped off in Arapuni, after visiting the great swingbridge up there. I cycled through petaruru to the blue springs, which was such a pretty place! Unbelievably clear water, paradise on earth.
The way to Rotorua seemed easy from there, as maps showed a nice road (Leslie road) so I wouldn't have to take the highway. After quite a few steep climbs, the first "no exit road" signs turned up. I ignored them. Then a sign "acces with permit only" got ignored by this stubborn stokman too, as I just hate cycling back the same road I came. So I continued. Paved road changed to gravel, gravel to mud. No service nor human life, but pushed hard send enjoyed every steep metre of it. And it came to an actual road in the end! So being consistently stubborn does take you to your destination, sometimes..
Mark and Sherrie (yup more family) picked me up in Rotorua. I spend a couple of days on their farm which was awesome. I got really impressed by the dogs as they can actually move a whole group of cows to the right direction on just a few commandos. Wow! Then a friend of Sherrie took me mountainbiking as Rotorua seems to be "mtb heaven", the steepness freaked me out most of the time but incredible it was!

In the end, Mark and Sherrie took me down to Finlock, near Taupo to their lake house. Kees doesn't mind taking shortcuts on the back of the car I figured and nor do I.
Taupo is the hometown of one other uncle, Anton. Same name and age as my dad, a stubborn stokman too ;p. From here I will go do the famous Tongariro crossing and then cycle south towards Wellington and further on the south Island.

Plenty adventures ahead! Kees and I enjoy our time together, as I will try and sell him once we get to Queenstown. But sssh don't tell him, he's very sensitive. Cheers!

P.s. Photos and routes are updated almost daily so check it out!