Yesterday’s ride was to Kaukapakapa via Helensville. I’d supposedly gone through Kaukapakapa several times on weekend trips where we’d gone North and returned via the Western route from Wellsford. I’d always missed it, somehow.

 

I can see why now; it’s only a couple of stores and a school, one of those little settlements, but, in its case, a lot of pricey lifestyle block real estate.

 

The ride was pleasant, if you discount the large number of big sand & gravel trucks zooming by. It was flat through Helensville, but became rolling after that to Kaukapakapa.

 

I stopped in Helensvile to see if there was any way to upload pending mail and this journal. Two places, a copy shop and the library had Internet access, but only via their own PCs.

 

When I got back there was a text message from my FTG colleague, Paul, saying that he would  be back from his summer cruise that afternoon. Hoping that we could set up a meeting on the first term service of Safe@School, I decided to move camp to Takapuna, the suburb next to his, where there is a beachside campground and plenty of Internet access.

 

While a little pricey, at $30NZ/night, the Takapuna Beach Holiday park is well kept and has good facilities and a view of the harbor and Rangitoto which is, in the Kiwi vernacular, iconic.. Given the number of rental campers last night, it seems a favorite first or last night stop. There is even a cafe, the Sierra, less than a block away, with a Telecom hotspot.

 

I spent the afternoon in the Sierra, transferring mail, reading news and uploading photos. A quick 10 minute bike ride to the local Foodtown for provisoions and I was set for the evening.

 

The only downside to the campgound was the midnight ramble of a bunch of undoubtedly inebriated 20-somethings bellowing as they made their way down the beach-side path. The folks at the office said this was not a common occurrence.