Annual Trip, Day 3, Sunday, Nydia Part 2.

Day dawned very nice indeed, and we boated on lovely water to where we'd been picked up the day before.  This time, around flat smooth trail past On The Track Lodge around the headland to a rapid descent to a ford of a reasonable size, wet feet, then across the mouth of the valley and then up it, crossing smaller versions of the same creek twice more before climbing up a paddock to the manuka scrubline.  Here the track started it's benched and grinding climb, just pestering away at the altitude and sapping the already tired musculature of the riders.  We climbed and climbed eventually striking a nice gulch of a creek, that Alistair just about cleaned.  Onwards and eventually hitting Kaiuma Saddle, with seemingly less pomp and ceremony than yesterday's peak, but in fact more altitude. 

Wicked descent down here, with Alistair, Nelson, Mark and Pete motoring off ahead of me, but Pete quickly stopping with a flat.  Rest of us rode on, descending quickly and only regrouping when walking was possibly required, or when Alistair had crashed maybe.  Round a hairpin and into fir forest, then down and around over a bridge where we regrouped for a while. Pete at this stage, having a mare with his flat tires and spokes, and Marie coming to the rescue eventually with spare tube.  A wee bit more descending after that first bridge through plantation forest, then the climb once again began.  Steep, but cleaned by most with minimal walking.  Eventually out of the plantation and into regen across a nice long slope to a small ridge for another regroup before the final descent.  No sign of Pete...  but some stayed to wait, while the rest took off down this last descent, total blast, even with no travel.  What a trail, so much fun, smooth and roly.  Alistair, Nelson, me, then Mark all blasting downwards, finally rolling down through grass to Kaiuma Bay Rd for the 4 km slog round to Shag Point Landing.  This road was a lot more up than down, seemingly, even tho it was 'just' above the road.  pah.  Once everyone but Pete was assembled, Nelson 'volunteered' to head back to find him...  Steve Abba turned up and took a few bikes and 4 drivers.  Thankfully Nelson and Pete both showed and then Steve came back and loaded the next lot on, more bikes than people this time, still somehow leaving more bikes than people behind for the final load.  Anyway.  Loaded all our gear out of Trev's boat and into cars and off to the accommodation.  Two carloads at the Motels down town, the rest of us sequestered away in a nice cottage and sleepout affair up on the hill down the road a bit, in the 'burbs.  Worked out alright, tho did split the group, which was a bit of a shame. 

Did our own things this night for dinner, but the downtowners came up for a bit of a party visit.  The usual hilarity ensued.