31st December 2013 End of year yomp

Last day of 2013 and a nice sunny one to end it on. Apart from the trainers, all the cycling gear which got wet yesterday has been washed and dried, and, fortunately, the shoes are wearable. 

Lakeside Park Rotorua.

Just out of the city centre, this park is a popular place with tourists and locals alike. The sun has certainly brought them out today. This is where the bike trail that runs around Sulphur Point and up to Redwoods Mountain Bike Park starts.

Boardwalk

Part of the trail runs through a geo thermal area or two. In places, it has been sensible to prop up the trail with boardwalks of which, this is an example. Never seen too many people along here which is a bonus.

Duck Tours Rotoru

These amphibious vehicles seem to be very popular in cities that have easy access to water. For around 80NZ$ (£40), this local one offers a 120 minute guided tour of the city and waterways, including the lake. I presume the driver will steer well clear of any boiling water that may be bubbling up from the depths.

Zorbing on the Lake

On the return journey, went through the Lakeside Park again and spotted these youngsters zorbing on water. Looked great fun. They have to be tethered of course otherwise they could be blown into the middle of the lake. One thing that struck me was, they appeared to be watertight, and the kids were not getting wet at all. In which case there should be limited air in there and if left for too long, the youngsters would suffocate.

St Faith's Church

This church is on a Maori settlement at Ohinemutu towards the outskirts of Rotorua. St Faith's is an Anglican church serving the local community. I attended here Christmas with my oldest daughterr. It was a simple service, fairly strange to us as it was partly conducted in Maori.

A good ride again today, this time in dry conditions. Nice and warm as well. Another guesstimate at 12 miles. I need to work this out later, but far exceeded the 1800 miles target set at the beginning of last year.