Day 20: Turangi to Taupo

 People say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Prior to this journey my typical breakfast consisted of oatmeal or leftover. On this trip though, I am starting to really appreciate a big breakfast and the benefits it has. After yesterday’s beautiful ride from the Taranaki crossing Brian and I were left with a short day and thus this time to make a big breakfast. With some eggs, we bought 12 because they were the same price as 6, and a package of sausages we feasted on three fried eggs and two big New York porter sausages each, leaving the other eggs to hard boil for a snack.

                Despite the weather forecast of rain and some wind, we began our journey to warm weather, blue skies, and a slight wind at our back. Around ten kilometers down the road we met some friends from Queenstown, who were also cycling NZ. If you have seen any of the pictures of our bike then you know that we look ridiculous and not at all like the cyclists that would usually attempt a journey like this. Our friends were our exact opposites, they were decked out in full cycling attire and, I think, a little baffled at how we got this far. After a little chit-chat about the struggles of being a cycle tourist, the roads were calling us all and we were back to peddling around the breathtaking Lake Taupo. The scenery around Lake Taupo really reminded me of the Okanagan Valley back home in BC. Except rather than miles of subsurface below the valley, below Lake Taupo lay a dormant super volcano responsible for the largest volcanic eruption in the last 70000 years and more recently an eruption that leveled and reshaped much of the north island of New Zealand in 180 CE. With its volcanic history the beaches of Lake Taupo are really worth a stop to sit and rest in the beautiful black sand and maybe grab some of the natural pumice stone.

                Only having to cover 52km, we soon found ourselves rolling into the beautiful lake town of Taupo. We decided that with the uneasy forecast and a raving review, from our cycling friends, to spend the night at a local hostel, The Urban Backpackers. Every night despite how far we bike or how many hills we climb, the moment you sit on the bed it becomes a real struggle to do anything more with your day.  Pushing ourselves to not waste away in the hostel we eventually showered and made our way out of the hostel to explore Taupo. Considering we are about 4 weeks early for the busy season we could easily see it would be one of the places to be during busy times. There were many cool little places to eat and everyone that was out looked really friendly. After our quick journey through town we grabbed a burger at McDonalds, strictly because they had an old airplane you could eat in, and headed back to the hostel. Which is once again where you find me trying to finish off this blog after beating Brian in a game of Tiger Woods PGA 2003. Day 20, 52km down and almost there.