We ended yesterday with a really nice meal in Matamata, at a small Mediterranean restaurant. As is typical for us, we had a couple appetizers and one main course. As appetizers, Chris had grilled mussels, which neither of us had had (really good) and I had pan seared Haloumi over a tasty mix of chickpeas, artichoke hearts and olives, and some very yummy bread. For our main, we had charcoal grilled lamb with mashed potatoes, carrots and broccoli. And a mixed salad. And a couple glasses of NZ wine….what did I leave out? It was all really good!
It’s a testament to good rain gear that Chris and I had a nice day today! The wind was bending trees and bushes outside our window and there was intermittent heavy rain pelting the street outside.
We had planned a pretty short day from Matamata to Arapuni, a distance of about 24 miles with pretty minimal elevation gain, since the next destination with camping and other services was too far to make in one day, especially with over 5,000 feet of climbing. And it was nice to have some flexible time with the short day.
About 10 miles into our ride, we passed the turn to Hobbiton, the set where The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies were filmed. And so we decided on the spot to visit, guessing correctly that the 5KM distance was up the hill. It was.
But it was fun and interesting. Neither Chris nor I are rabid fans of Tolkien or the movies the books spawned, but it was interesting to see all the buildings, get to know their histories and marvel at the amazing landscape and plantings. They employ 20 full-time gardeners to maintain the pristine condition of the set, and it’s amazing how well kept it all is. Some of the trees and other plants are fake, but you would never know it. Every casual arrangement of arching flowers is planned. Berry bushes loaded with fruit are so convincing that it takes touching them to figure out the they are not real. Anyway, it was a good time and the weather was fairly nice with some small sprinkles during the tour.
Leaving Hobbiton, we coasted down the hill we had just climbed, among darkening skies and rising wind. Shortly thereafter, the skies opened up as we approached our turn to a scenic path along the Waikato river. The river is really full, not surprisingly. The birdsong was amazing and we saw all manner of birds.
Chris had wisely booked us a place in Arapuni Backpackers, a place with a few rooms in the tiny town of Arapuni. Good thing, as the rain has been pounding intermittently and we are warm and dry. Tomorrow, we will book some indoor accommodation again. The rain is not over. The disruptions to travel in the north of NZ continue. Many roads are closed due to the historic levels of rain, having caused flooding and/or landslide. Selfishly, we hope that our trails are not affected. Time will tell. Tomorrow looks OK.
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