Cape to Cape day nine: Paeroa to Waiheke

Route
Hauraki Rail Trail to Thames, Main Road to Te Kouma near Coromandel, ferry to Orapiu on Waiheke, then roads to Ostend via Stony Battery.

Link to Map

Distance: 118 Km

It’s an 8.45 start for the final 33 km from Paeroa to Thames on the Rail Trail.  It’s similar riding to the first part although I regret that I didn’t stop at the Cheese Barn in Matatoki.  I see a couple of other people during the morning and that’s pretty much it.  Plastic garden chairs are periodically screwed to trees along the way for those that want a rest. The scenery changes when the trail crosses SH 25 then follows the Waihou River to Thames at its mouth.

Cruising into Thames at 10 am it’s a little difficult to work out where the Trail starts/ends – there’s a carpark and little else.  I choose to mark it as the wharf which has a good wee café and a view into the mangroves at the mouth of the Kauaeranga River.

Unofficial end point of the Rail Trail

Delightful wee cafe just beside the unofficial end point

For the next section I'm leaving the Tour route, not fancying the commute through Auckland, and preferring to visit Waiheke Island.  Fuller’s provide pretty good ferry services around the Gulf – but you have to check as timetables seem to vary and it probably pays to book (although they didn’t require this for the morning commuter ferry to Auckland).  Orapiu is at the eastern end of Waiheke Island and is listed separately in the ferry timetables to the Island itself. The ferry from the Coromandel end leaves from Hannafords Wharf at Te Kouma about 10 km south of Coromandel Township – there’s no facilities at the wharf but there is apparently a shuttle from the township and I had Sparkcell phone cover at the wharf.

Today the ferry leaves at 3pm, so I reserve a spot for me and bike.  It’s 10.30 so plenty of time to cover the 52 odd km from Thames to the wharf.

The road winds north along the coast with views across the Firth of Thames and through numerous wee settlements (some with a shop).  The traffic is busy with plenty of SUVs with boats and not much shoulder but it doesn’t feel too bad.  At Wilson Bay the road turns abruptly inland and upwards.  It’s a long hot slow climb over one hill to Manaia (a bit over 200m) and then over another lower hill with a hard left at the bottom to skirt around the coast 3.7 km to Hannafords Wharf in Te Kouma (past the commercial wharf at the western headland of Waipapa Bay).

Te Kouma - Fuller's pick up point

The Ferry

It’s 1.30 so time for a snooze in the shade of a Pohutakawa, until people start materialising and the boat turns up to load about 20 passengers plus one bike. It’s about an hour across to Orapiu, with a pickup at Rotoroa Island en route (the ferry continues to Auckland), ample time for a pretty good pie and ginger beer from the bar.  The captain is fairly young and has two attentive crew who seem set on competing for his attention but it seems a pretty professional outfit.

Another bike, another boat

I wheel the bike off the boat a bit after 4, and a chap with a European accent looks up from his fishing to offer some useful advice: there’s potable water at the end of the wharf and he confirms the two options for getting across the island (long, hilly and scenic or short).

The road winds up the hill from the wharf and I take a right into Cowes Bay Road: the long option on a hot, brown gravel road.   It winds along the hills before diving down to Man ‘o War Bay where the winery of the same name has a café and tasting room with seating in the shade around an immaculate lawn.  The bay is very pretty and well cared for with a wee church: a perfect spot for a swim, wine tasting and meal.  It’s hard to resist but I continue and follow the road up and away from the Bay to Stony Batter Reserve (road on the right).

The tunnels at the Batter are closed but there’s info boards about.  The Battery was started late in the Second World War as a 9.2 inch Counter Bombardment Heavy Coast Defence Battery with three concrete gun emplacements and an extensive system of underground chambers connected by stairs and tunnels (more info available from DOC).  The area also sports a field of fluted basalt boulders; apparently eroded by humic acid when the area was covered in bush.

Stony Battery - there's some interesting bits down there somewhere

The day has clouded over and it’s time to head across the island to find accommodation.  I visit the DoC loo on the way out of the reserve and as I exit a chap from a ute approaches.  He seems keen for a chat about something so I engage in the usual small talk until he says “you know your life is very important” I wonder if he’s about to criticise me for hurtling down some hill recklessly or the iniquities of cyclists in general … but no – he wants to tell me about his friend Jesus. Ah well.

Getting a bit gloomy (looking West along the North Coast)

The road is in noticeably worse condition across the north eastern part of the Island with corrugations.  It’s mostly farmland but patches of grapes and a few patches of bush.  I hang a right onto the sealed Waiheke Road to traverse the last patch of rural land before winding through the built up areas of first Onetangi Bay and then into Ostend around 6.45 pm where I figure I had better start to try to find somewhere to sleep.  The internet isn’t much help and I end up at a basic but overpriced motel in the absence of other options.   They recommend a local Chinese takeaways (Sing Tao – not flash).  Although the motel price is annoying it is comfortable and provides opportunity to wash and dry clothes, chill water bottles etc.

Link to day ten: Waiheke to Dargaville