Xmas Eve Aorere Goldfielding

No rides while in Totaranui, cept for around and about the campground with the boys. 

From Collingwood, drove in the Fiatissimo out Plain Rd and down past the Devil's Boots along for a while to the end, then backtracked and parked under a nice shady tree.

HOT AS...  Headed up the main entry, then hit the 4wd track on the right, through the ford and began the scorching climb.  Little if any shade in occasional spots, i took a right hand turn, just for an explore, thinking it might come back round to the main track.  It didnt, so after about 5 minutes i turned back, and continued my climb. 

Ended up climbing all the way past my 2nd turn off (to Bedstead Gully), and on up to the 387 trig, thinking there was a single track down, which petered out to nothing but overgrown-ness, so i climbed back up to 387 and headed back down to my usual, which i found different to my distant memory, but eventually ended where i needed to be.  Hit the trail to the dam, and climbed, steeply.  Met the other track, and climbed, steeply again, finally topping out and enjoying the descent to the dam where i plonked myself down in the shade of a tree overlooking the water. 

Sitting there, shirt off, thinking how damned hot it was, and suddenly there's someone else!  Hello...  chatted a bit and she took off onwards upwards, and i headed on down round the waterrace, past the caves, didnt bother to pop down to them, and then blazed on down the fantastic singletrack back to the bottom, and finally the car.