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13.11.2019 Out of reach. On the day of our arrival, we bought a New Zealand SIM card for one of our phones, so we can go online, text and call people whenever it is necessary. In the past three days, however, we have been quite disconnected from the world out there. From Waitomo, we cycled to Te Kuiti, where we refuelled our stove, filled our bags with food and supplies for several days, and then went on to a campsite at the beginning of the Timber Trail. This trail is one of the country's Great Rides cycle paths and it leads cyclists and walkers through an area so remote that there are actual signs indicating in which spot phones will capture a signal. The following two days, we would see about two of these signs a day, and virtually no cars. The Timber Trail is mostly a narrow gravel or dirt road leading through hilly forests. It dates back to the time when New Zealand's woodlands were cleared on a massive scale to gain timber. One half of the trail mostly follows an ancient railway line that was once built to transport the logs down to the flatlands. It was extremely interesting to read the information boards and learn about the woodcutting process, to see some remains of these old times, and to pedal through endless, lush green forests for days – which have luckily grown back, although they now consist of different, faster-growing types of trees. This afternoon we finished the trail and reached Taumarunui, where we can now refresh our low stocks and check our inboxes. #scoutbound #newzealand #neuseeland #timbertrail #piropiro #departmentofconservation #caterpillar #benneydale #suspensionbridge #bridge #camping #warmshowers #couchsurfing #scouts #dpsg #cycling #biketouring #cyclinglife #adventure #lessborderslessvisa

A post shared by scoutbound (@scoutbound.de) on Nov 17, 2019 at 12:00am PST