Day 5 Parakai to Warkworth via West Coast Rd

Distance: 60.23k
Time: 4 hours and 38 minutes
Avg Speed: 14 kph
Terrain: Rolling

We made our first goal of riding for three days straight. It may not seem like much, but after 170 kilometers we're thrilled to be taking a rest day tomorrow.
Today we traveled out of the greater Auckland area and into the Northland. After starting in a major urban center three days ago, we spent the day pedaling through rolling farmlands. The two regions are a reflection of the lifestyle transition that is currently taking place in New Zealand. Much like the US and Colorado, New Zealand is dealing with similar complex issues; booming population due to immigration, re-development of central urban areas, and the rapid development of resort areas. It's quite obvious that our issues back home are really happening on a global scale.
Last evening we had a long discussion about our strategy. We've realized that we may have expected more mileage that we're able to do this early in the game. For those of you who know us well, this is no surprise. So, we've decided to back our mileage off a bit until we gain some endurance. This trip is a marathon, not a sprint.
Tonight we're camped at an outfit called Sheep World (go ahead and laugh). The campground and hosts are very nice. It started raining just after we arrived and they let us set up under the covered picnic area. We've had a hot tub, a nice hot shower and a tasty bowl of soup under an outdoor heat lamp. What more could a girl want?
LK