Cycle: 81.8km

We got up with ambitions of heading off early, but instead got chatting! First off were our hippy friends Max (a janitor) and Heather (a plant nursery worker). They were very friendly and interested in our adventure. They didn't like cities like Auckland, but loved Thames and were planning to move their from Taupo as soon as they could afford it. Just before we said goodbye Max ran off and produced two bottles of Waikato Draught for us to enjoy at the end of the day! Their self-kitted out van proclaimed their love for kiwis, beer and Pink Floyd! Good on them!

Next up we got chatting to two South Africans who'd recently moved to New Zealand via Taiwan with their small child! The man was a keen cyclist and interested in our kit and trip.

We eventually wound up leaving Thames just before noon. We were happy to leave the campsite which we weren't so impressed with this time - notably Claire's pooey (not hers) shower incident.

We didn't stop until we reached Paeroa where we stopped for lunch. The unfriendly lady at the i-site sent us off to a Chinese restaurant for a "healthy" lunch, but luckily we spotted the "Lazy Fish" cafe which was fantastic! We did some planning and discovered that the lonely planet recommended the "Lazy Fish" as the place to go! As we left town we got some fun pics with the big Paeroa bottle, but generally felt the town was a bit run down and stuck in the dark ages.

The cycle through the Karangahake Gorge was awesome. This was how we avoided Suicide Highway and went off the road for the most dangerous 9km. The cycle started with a great bridge and an exciting 1km dark and bumpy tunnel, before 7 or 8km on a gravel "walking track, suitable for wheelchairs". Suitable for wheelchairs?!? My arse. Simply great cycling!

Next stop on this varied day was a look at the huge Martha Mine at Waihi. This is an unbelievable 200m deep open-cast mine. The sides are really steep and its right beside the town - it really has to be seen to be believed. I hope our photos will do it justice.

Finally, after a huge day cycling, we arrived at Athenree Hot Springs. We had an amazingly friendly welcome and it's our favourite campsite so far. It was immaculate, had a great netted trampoline (good for somersault fun) and had complimentary hot pools!