Pastureland Cycling to the Rainforest

After breakfast, we set off on a 28-mile moderately hilly ride through three different scenic reserves--dense forest and tree ferns, with mountain vistas and glacier-fed rivers. The forests gave way to open dairy farmland for the last third of our ride. We've still seen more cows than sheep here in New Zealand.

Lunch was at the Pukeko tearoom in Hari Hari. We'd call it more of a cafe with delicious hot and cold lunch choices than a tea room. Diane's sourdough toastie was like a pizza on bread, that turned out to also have spaghetti underneath the roasted veggies -- delicious after a 28 mile hilly ride.

After lunch, five of the men in the group decided to tackle Mt. Hercules -- adding another 20 miles and 1,000 foot climb to the day. The rest of us rode in the van and cheered them on as we drove by.

We have two nights at the Te Waonui Forest Retreat -- a 5-star hotel and spa nestled in the rainforest with views of the Franz Josef glacier. Upon arrival in our sweaty biking gear, we were greeted with warm moist towels and flutes of refreshing kiwi juice at reception. They are very used to receiving outdoor adventure groups. Our dinner with the group was on the "Frond Terrace" of the restaurant — semi-enclosed seating among the ferns. After dinner, we explored the town -- both streets.Read more