The point on the map falls in the rural country southeast of Auckland, between the sprawl of Papakura and the heights of the Hunua Ranges, an area of farmland, small vineyards and forested hills that most visitors never see. Auckland ends here rather suddenly, with the last houses giving way to paddocks, cattle, hedges of macrocarpa and the occasional lifestyle block. The Hunua Ranges, a large regional park, hold some of the city's water supply and the remnants of native forest, with the Hunua Falls and tracks to waterfalls.
The ride this belongs to heads southeast to Rotorua, about two hundred and thirty kilometres away, through the Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. Rotorua is built on a volcanic caldera and filled with geothermal activity, with steaming vents, bubbling mud pools and the smell of sulphur drifting across town. It is also the heart of Te Arawa, a Māori tribe who settled the area some six hundred years ago, and traditional performances, food cooked in steam and carved meeting houses are all part of the experience. The lakes around, Rotorua, Tarawera, Okareka and others, are scenic, and the tall redwoods in the Whakarewarewa Forest were planted in 1901 as an experiment.
The start from here is far gentler than leaving the city centre. Narrow country roads wind through rolling pasture, and the traffic is local, with tractors, stock trucks and weekend cyclists. The roads out toward the Firth of Thames and the Coromandel are twisty and bumpy, with views over the mudflats, and mist often lies in the valleys at dawn. Rain can be heavy, and gravel on bends is common, so keep a cautious pace. Autumn and spring are mild, and summer is warm and dry.
Fuel is available at Papakura, about twenty-four kilometres away, and the neighbouring suburbs, and there are small stations in country villages, but they close early, so fill in town. The big roads to the south, State Highway 1 and the Waikato Expressway, are fast and busy, with services at regular intervals.
Pick up a meat pie at a country bakery, a New Zealand tradition, and look at the hills in the early light.