Cycle: 77.7km

We played with Barny as we packed up the tent and ate breakfast. Luckily the rain had passed so we could eat outside. The cycle began with a big hill (about 200m) and then we swung inland to cross the Motu River. Just on the other side of the river we met Robbie, a North American cycle tourer. We'd all spotted each other in Opotiki yesterday but hadn't had the chance to speak. He was a seasoned tourer churning out 80-150km days and would be in Gisborne ("Gizzy") in 2 days (we're allowing 5!)

We stopped in Te Kaha for lunch and a stab at The Herald crossword. The rest of the ride was really beautiful and entirely coastal. The sea was incredibly blue and the land lush and green. The roads were great too, undulating, but nicely sealed and the hills not too steep or long.

Our campsite was associated with the Waihau Bay Lodge and was a hive of activity with people fishing and jumping off the jetty in the adjacent bay. The campsite itself was just a backyard and had the worst facilities yet. It looks as if the grounds will become swanky flats so they haven't bothered keeping the facilities in good order.

Scott and I both had to remove a dead cockroach from the shower tray before we got in. My shower was going well until another, live cockroach crept out of the wall space behind the shower head and crawled around deciding whether to fall on me or not! I felt like Goldie Hawn in Bird on a Wire! I was trying to work out how to remove it from the cubicle and put it out the window when I remembered that I didn't have to save it so took off my flip-flop and whacked it as hard as I could! Claire 1 - Cockroach 0. Ha-ha! To ease my trauma I then proceeded to vent to Scott and everyone on the campsite who would listen!

We ate smoked snapper for tea, kindly donated by last night's campsite manager Dave, and treated ourselves to a beer and a game of pool at the lodge.