Day 1 of TA - It beings at Cape Reinga

Distance: 105 km

Elevation gain: 480 metres

From the start, Cape Reinga to the town of Ahipara

About 6.5hrs travel time, from 7am to 1:30pm

A very early start today in Ahipara to drive to Cape Reinga where my cycling "Tour Aotearoa" will commence. My trusty support crew was ready for the 4:30am departure, and possibly more excited than I was.  My emotions were better described as a mix between terror and wanting to throw up (what have I gotten myself into this time?).

It was a 90 minute drive to the carpark at Cape Reinga and then an 800m walk to the Lighthouse that is the official starting point.  We made good time and were at the lighthouse at dawn at 7am.

The lighthouse is also the first of many control points along the official route that every rider photographs.  These control points occur at significant spots along the way - some serious and some quirky.  Today is special in that there are two control points - the first is the signpost at the lighthouse, and a second along Ninety Mile Beach.

Yes, beach. Today starts on a gravel road but is mostly beach cycling.  The gravel road ends after 20km at a stream bed that you ride / walk along for about 1km until you reach Ninety Mile beach. Then you continue south, with 80km of beach cycling all the way to Ahipara.

The first day requires careful planning to ensure you are riding at low tide with sufficient hard sand for a firm riding surface. Which explains the early start today, with low tide at 10.30am I needed to be on the beach before 8am and be off the beach by 2.30pm.  There is also a fair amount of luck involved to have favourable conditions - sun, no rain, calm conditions and ideally a northerly wind to blow you southwards.   I was fortunate to have a sunny and mostly calm day.  The wind was also on my back, so very lucky. 

I made the beach at 9am (slightly later than I wanted, but the creek bed was more challenging!) and then spent 4.5 hours riding the 80km south along the beach and managed to get off the beach at 1:30pm.  It was then time to give the Karate Monkey bike a really good clean - washing off all the salt and sand.  The caravan park we are staying at was very understanding - I guess this happens every day for them.

The afternoon was a chance to relax and let it sink in that my TA journey has started.  It was a very early night to bed.

Today's theme song is by The Triffids - Wide Open Road

The sky was big and empty / My chest filled to explode / I yelled my insides out at the sun / At the wide open road

Today was a very wide open road - with just me on a bike. It was a magical day to start my journey. And I did yell my insides out. So happy!!  My only regret was not going for a swim, but it was a chilly 15 degrees and there were time pressures to be off the beach.

Photo control point 1 - Cape Reinga Lighthouse / signs

The official start.

The gravel road ends at a stream bed that I tried to ride but walked a fair bit until the beach

Photo control point 2 - Ninety Mile

Ahipara, after 100km